Hey, Neal Please don't do that to this newsgroup

I coveted a bandsaw for years, finally earned a Grizzly 14" and was so proud. It ripped, scrolled and resawed like a Bandit! Now turning to a little hobby metal work, I trimmed up a little bit of brass plate, using a wider and coarser blade. Now, Aluminum plate and bar stock are needing a little whittling. What do you think, guys? Am I going to ruin my beautiful Grizzly, or is it just one of those infrequent uses that make life beautiful?

Old chief Lynn

Just make sure you use the proper metal cutting blade and you'll be fine.

On Fri, 31 May 2013 1:31:28 -0500, coffelt2 wrote (in message ):

I have the ability to control the speed of my bandsaw to a pretty slow speed. I have an old blade that I use just for cutting aluminum and brass. I use a little paraffin wax sometimes also when cutting metal - keeps the blade lubricated a bit. When you're done, open up the cover so you can clean the swarf (metal cuttings) off the bandsaw tires. As the other respondent said, make sure you have enough teeth in contact with the metal - this should be a fine tooth blade as opposed to a very coarse resaw blade. Beware of round stuff, it will turn as the blade grabs it...make sure it is clamped well. tom koehler

If the only or best choice you have is the bandsaw, go for it... Basic safty gets really important now, so all the usual stuff, especially eye protection...

If you can get a metal cutting blade, do it... Might not cut any beter, but it won't mess up your normal blades...

I cut aluminum, brass and thin sheet metal on my chop saw, using a HF carbide blade and clamps... I've used the table saw, but feel safer on the chop saw...

Last thing is to try to remove all of the filings from the areas that you're running wood through and the places that are supposed to slide/roll on the blade..

Remember steel and Aluminum don't mix. They can start a metal fire. Be clean.

I have this issue on my oil based water cooled and I've had AL and Fe bond together into a mass. I think I was lucky that my oil was hygroscopic and constantly pulling in water.

I have a tall wood saw and a wide metal saw - both bands.

Mart> >

That's really with only very fine (dry) powdery type mixtures. It won't be a problem with a saw. Your clump just bonded because of corrosion.

the mixture of iron and aluminum powders is called "Thermite".

Actually it's the mixture of aluminum (fuel) and iron OXIDE or rust (as the oxidizer) that's called thermite.

I don't believe the ground AL and FE will do squat until the latter turns to rust and the temperature is run up to around 600+ degrees.

Military name: On shit, run!

I don't have any experience with it but I thought it just burned. Do you need to run from it?

It depends... factors like compression, size of the powders, etc; can effect the "burn" rate, from slow to explosive.

Thermite on ice is going to cause a steam explosion

They use thermite grenades for 2 things... Starting very hot fires that burn metal and destroying radios and things that are about to be captured.... I saw one go off accidently in a chopper and burn right through the floor into the fuel tank... BIG boom...

Used for welding lengths of railway line together in "the field".

As someone else has stated, it's a mixture of Aluminium and Iron Oxide powders not pure iron.

I think you're getting the picture from the other posts. Perhaps an oversimplification, but think "steel foundry" with a large cauldron of white hot molten steel (depending on the amount of thermite) being poured on an object. If it's a nonflammable material it's VERY interesting. If it's flammable, stand the f**k by, it's freakin' awesome.

When I was in the service, all the comms and crypto gear we had also had fittings on top so we could wire in thermite cannisters (grenades(?))all connected to a master panel several decks up "just in case." The plan was that first the thermite was triggered and then the scuttling charges would go off and send everything left to the bottom of the sea.

On Fri, 7 Jun 2013 3:13:55 -0500, Stuart wrote (in message ):

I was a track welder on a local RR before retiring to a life of sawdust. The thermite was accurately described - aluminum and iron oxide. Aluminum oxidizes very easily, so more accurately the mix is aluminum oxide and iron oxide. When used for welding rails together the mix includes pellets of steel alloy material compatible with the rail. Plain thermite produces molten iron, so the materials in the rail thermite mix are intended to improve the metal characterisitcs of the molten iron to produce a steel comparable to the rail. Depending on the type of crucible used, the reaction can produce quite a show. We would ignite the charge and then scoot promptly about 15 feet away, until the reaction quieted down. With the advent of newer safer one-time crucibles, there is very little metal splatter flying around during the reaction. When the reaction is completed in about 20 seconds, the steel pours into a mold where the rail ends are to be welded together. A considerable mass of slag is also produced in the reaction. When properly ground after sufficient cooling, the welded surface is a major improvement over the conventional bolted joint, andno worries over loose or broken track bolts, etc. The ignition source we used was a magnesium sparkler - brilliant white. tom koehler