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commercial aluminum framed doors

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    SoOrScrpr started this thread.
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    commercial aluminum framed doors

    Anyone have advice on what to use to cut up some aluminum framed doors? The glass is removed them. That was great fun! I tried using an angle grinder on the welds, but the abrasive wheel was slow-going. Should I use a different type of wheel or use something else altogether?



    Thanks!


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    Non ferous metals tend to fill the gaps in the abrasive disk. NEVER use a grinding wheel on non-ferous metals because the gaps in the surface will fill with the metal and expand until the wheel explodes.

    I would wonder why you need to cut it but I would find a saw instead. Mike.
    "Profit begins when you buy NOT when you sell." {quote passed down to me from a wise man}

    Now go beat the copper out of something, Miked

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    A grinding wheel will just gum up when used on aluminum. A thin metal cutting wheel on your angle grinder is the way to go.
    The frame is likely extruded and your yard may have a minimum length, so a call ahead might be wise.
    HTH
    If it wasn't for the $ in $crap, it would just be.....

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    I use 40 tooth wood blade in a circular saw and it works great (soft non- ferrous metals only!). Some say you should flip the blade but I haven't noticed any difference.
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    Quote Originally Posted by KzScrapper View Post
    I use 40 tooth wood blade in a circular saw and it works great (soft non- ferrous metals only!). Some say you should flip the blade but I haven't noticed any difference.
    I've been on a number of large commercial projects where we used aluminum trim, and set up using miter saws with regular wood trim blades, the good carbide tipped( iguess carbide, just a good decent blade) turned straight(not backwards) and cut every bit of it like that. The trick is just to cut slow and straight, and as always, wear eye protection

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    Good call on the glasses Bear...Stuff screams when you cut it too so bring your ear plugs.

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    SoOrScrpr started this thread.
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    Thank you all so much for your replies. I wouldn't bother with cutting them down, but there is a little steel at the corners inside the channels that I can't reach with a screwdriver. I guess I will try my hand with my miter saw next.

    I was using the thin cutting wheels in my grinder, do they make a non-ferrous blade for a 4" grinder? I didn't see any @ the big blue and orange box stores.
    Last edited by SoOrScrpr; 07-16-2013 at 01:41 PM.

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    For a 'On the street' way to cut up Ali extrusion..

    Just put a nick in the ali where you want it to break, then bend it with the nick towards the outside of the bend.
    It'll crack there & then its easy to bend it a few times so it breaks in half.

    That covers pretty much all the ali extrusion I ever find.

    A hacksaws best to make the nick, but most of the time I just scrape it on the edge of some concrete or such.

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    maybe I am thinking of just the alu frames like ext. alu. like windows if this is alu surrounding wood then it wont work but I am either old fashioned or just work to hard but for me I just lean pieces against something like a wall or tree and just slam down on it with my foot to bend it and then bend it a few more times till it breaks apart for most now for thick ones I use a cut off saw

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    Thanks for the info on the grinding wheel. I never knew. As far as the circular blade turned around, if you were cutting for looks, not scrap, it usually makes a neater cut. Also, with some materials, blades are too aggressive turned the right way.

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    First of all he is trying to get the steel pieces out of the corners and bending the aluminum won't help. I have never had a problem cutting aluminum with a thin metal cut off wheel. I get mine from harbor freight.

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    I love finding doors with extrusion in them. I normally use a reciprocating saw with a blade that says it is for metal in it. That will cut through extrusion quite easily and I think it is a little easier to control for opening up a hollow shape to clean stubborn steel out that is in there.


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