At Bitfab Parts we cut your aluminum extrusion to the size you want, for free.
But many customers want to know the best way to cut the aluminum profile in your workshop or at home. Burr-free, perfect finish.
We show you the recommended tools and tips to cut aluminum like a professional.
How to cut aluminum extrusion: recommended methods
These are the tools that we do recommend for cutting the aluminum profile at home or in the workshop (then we indicate the tools that are not so comfortable, safe or that do not leave the best finish):
Miter Saw: The Best Way to Cut Aluminum
The miter saw is the most recommended tool for cutting aluminum extrusion in your workshop or at home. The cuts are perfect, safe, burr-free and straight (at 90 degrees or 45 degrees, depending on how you set up your saw).
The same quality and precision results can be obtained with a miter saw as with a professional saw if used correctly, and it is a much more affordable tool than the industrial aluminum saws in a professional aluminum shop.
Tips for cutting aluminum with a miter saw
- Be careful with safety, the aluminum bar can jump if it is not cut correctly, if it is not fastened properly or if the blade gets caught during cutting.
- About cutting speed: it is better to start cutting slowly to avoid snagging the blade and to find the right cutting speed. Believe me, the first few times I started cutting profiles I had several snags and threw several blades away because of this mistake. When you cut aluminum too fast, the finish gets worse, the blades get dull, can snag and lose teeth (yours or the saw’s). That is why it is always better to start slowly and get used to the cutting speed of aluminum, you have to allow time for each tooth of the saw to cut the right size aluminum chip.
- The ends of the aluminum bar must be securely fastened, with clamps, with the miter saw clamping system…. Loose ends can jump or snag the blade, especially when the cut is very small. In addition, clamped ends leave a better finish on the cut because the blade does not scratch the freshly cut surface.
- Some of the wood saw blades included with the saw can be used, with care. Ideally, you should buy a special blade for aluminum cutting, which is sold for different miter and circular saw diameters.
- No cutting lubrication required
- You can build a stop on the miter saw to cut bars of different lengths.
Other alternatives to the miter saw
If you don’t have a miter saw, you can use a circular saw or a table saw (with a sliding cutting attachment) to cut the slotted aluminum, which are less safe and accurate, but will also cut the profile.
Both tools can use the same type of circular saw blades as the miter saw, but differ in how the workpiece is cut. The finish is the same as with a miter saw, as long as you get a clean cut and the workpiece is securely clamped.
Be very careful when holding the part and the tool itself, be sure to do so securely. And cut slowly, with low cutting speeds (pushing the workpiece or tool slowly) to discover the optimum cutting speeds for aluminum.
Hacksaw: How to cut aluminum profile by hand
The hacksaw is the most useful hand tool for cutting aluminum (bars, aluminum profiles, slotted profile, Tslot, 80/20 or whatever you want to call it).
As you can see in the photo the finish of the cut has nothing to do with that of a miter saw, but it is the cheapest, safest and most effective way to cut aluminum with tools that we all have at home.
Tips for cutting aluminum with a hacksaw
- A metal saw blade must be used.
- Hold the aluminum workpiece securely in place with a vise, clamps… to make the cut more comfortable, safe and straight.
- You can sand the cut if you want a smoother finish. With patience the finish improves (as in the photo), although it cannot match a professional miter saw cut.
- Tip for cutting aluminum straight, 90 degrees or miter: You can use a miter box to improve the finish of the cut, to make straighter cuts or even to make 45-degree cuts.
Tools we do not recommend
The angle grinder
The angle grinder is the star tool in many workshops because of its versatility, but it is not the one we recommend for cutting aluminum.
Can it be used? Yes, it is possible to cut the aluminum profile with a grinder, but the finish and safety are not the best.
The grinding effect of the grinder makes the aluminum very hot, which makes it more rubbery: it can snag the disk, dull the wheel and cause burrs in the cut. The cut is also not as clean as using a circular saw, although the face is fairly flat and smooth.
To cut metal there are special discs for angle grinder, thin discs for example of 1mm that make the cut easier. There are also specific discs for aluminum.
Abrasive chop saw
As you know, the abrasive chop saw is a radial saw with support, because it cuts by the same principle: by abrasion.
Like the radial saw, the disk saw is more effective for cutting steel or other materials than aluminum, because although it cuts aluminum well, it leaves a lot of burrs and overheats the workpiece.
Use it if you don’t have access to a miter saw, but remember to hold the workpiece securely and that the finish will have some burrs.
The jig saw
Can aluminum be cut with a jig saw? Yes.
Is it the best method in terms of safety and finish? No.
If you do so, at least use one of the jigsaw blades for aluminum and above all: clamp the piece very well for your safety and for the finish.
The band saw
If you are lucky enough to have a band saw in your shop, you can use it to cut the aluminum profile, although as you know these saws are best used on steel.
The cut can be square, or even miter and is straight, although the cut with a band saw does not have the same finish as with a circular saw or with a real aluminum miter saw like the one we show you below.
The aluminum saw, the professional tool for cutting aluminum profiles
The aluminum cross-cut saw is the tool used to cut aluminum profiles in workshops and specialized companies.
As you can see in the picture, it is a circular saw, generally moving from bottom to top, on a solid bench with other elements (clamps, controls, guards, etc).
This is the saw that allows to cut with precision and perfect finish any type of aluminum profile, although due to its price it is used in specialized companies.
The elements that an aluminum cutting saw can have are
- The blade is a circular saw with teeth for cutting aluminum, and can be of different diameters (e.g. from 250 to 600mm).
- The saw can be raised manually, operated directly by the operator using a lever, or it can be automatic, with pneumatic or electric systems.
- The orientation of the saw is sometimes fixed (for cutting at 90 degrees) or adjustable to make miter cuts, in one or several axes.
- The clamps are the pneumatic cylinders that hold the workpiece from above or from the sides during cutting.
- The compressed air system is used to drive some of the saw’s systems (clamps, upfeed…) and there is usually a gun to clean the shavings from the cut.
- The guards such as the hood, double switches for two-handed operation, hood position detection… improve the safety of the saw.
- Stops, rails, accessories… that serve to automate the saw and cut aluminum with precision.
Conclusion
We have shown you the different options with which you can cut the aluminum profile yourself.
It is best to use a miter saw, or if you want to use hand tools you can use a hacksaw.
If you have to use other tools (angle grinder, band saw, chop saw…) remember that the finish will be worse and use common sense when assessing safety.
If you prefer that we cut the aluminum profile ourselves, cut to length and with a perfect finish, visit our online store.
And of course if you have any questions, advice or suggestions you can use our contact form or the comments section of this article.
Thank you so much for making it this far!