Cheap power tools for large number of cuts of aluminium profile lengths

aluminummetal-cuttingpowertoolstools

I need to make some 200 cuts of aluminium profiles. Examples of what I'll be cutting:

  • Hollow box profile, 40mm x 40mm x 3mm:
    • 40 pieces of 400mm lengths
    • 12 pieces of 1500mm lengths
  • Hollow box profile, 40mm x 40mm x 1.5mm:
    • 40 pieces of 400mm lengths
  • U channel profile, 40mm x 40mm x 3mm:
    • 80 pieces of 40mm length

I need the cuts to be within a few millimetres accuracy.

How could I do this without giving myself RSI or spending a lot of money on a tool?

Thanks

Best Answer

Any circular saw will cut aluminum, copper, or any other non-ferrous metal easily with a sharp carbide-tipped blade.

Keeping the cuts straight, square, millimeter accurate and not damaging thinwall parts will require some guides. My preference would be a radial arm saw, the length is easily handled with a clamp on the fence. If you don't have one, buy or rent a cutoff saw and build a jig. Time spent building it right is repaid tenfold when you cut all those pieces.

Use a new blade - the one that made your deck 5 years ago will make a mess of the aluminum. And get some earplugs too - cutting metal tubing makes noise roughly comparable to the Space Shuttle lifting off.