How to cut aluminum: sheet, tube, angle and bar

Aluminum is soft, so it cuts fast. The trouble is that it gums up the wrong blade, grabs thin parts and throws sharp chips. The fix is the right edge for the shape, a clamp and a little wax. This guide is part of our saws and cutting hub.

Pick the tool by shape and thickness

Planned bench test: 1-inch square tube (1/16-inch wall), 1/8-inch flat bar and 0.032-inch sheet cut with each tool, with 12-inch sheet cuts. Results will be added here when the test is done.

Before any cut: mark, clamp, wax

1. Mark the line with a fine marker or a scribe and a square.
2. Clamp the work. Short parts must not move. A blade can grab thin aluminum and throw it.
3. Wax the blade. Rub stick wax on the teeth before you cut. DeWalt says never apply it to a moving blade.
4. Plan the waste side. Let the blade cut on the waste side of the line.
5. Clear steel dust. Clean grinding dust from steel out of the area and the vacuum first. The Aluminum Association warns that mixed aluminum and rusty steel dust can react and get hot.

How to cut aluminum on a miter saw

This is the cleanest way to cut angle, channel, tube and trim square.

Pick the blade

Use a carbide blade made for non-ferrous metal, with triple-chip grind (TCG) teeth. DeWalt says to use only TCG blades for non-ferrous metal on its DWS780. For a 10-inch saw, Diablo sells an 80-tooth blade for medium aluminum.

Make the cut

1. Unplug the saw and fit the non-ferrous blade.
2. Wax the teeth.
3. Clamp the piece to the fence and the table.
4. Turn extrusions so the blade cuts the thinnest wall first, as DeWalt shows for angle and channel.
5. Let the blade reach full speed. Lower it with light, steady pressure.
6. Let the blade stop before you lift it.

More on blades, steel and abrasive wheels is in can a miter saw cut metal.

How to cut aluminum with a circular saw

Use this for long, straight cuts in plate and thick sheet.

1. Check the saw's manual. If it allows metal, fit a 7-1/4 inch non-ferrous blade.
2. Pick the blade for the thickness. Diablo rates its 56-tooth blade for thin (up to 1/8 inch), medium (3/32 to 1/4 inch) and thick (3/16 to 7/16 inch) aluminum. It works best at 3/32 to 1/4 inch.
3. Set the blade depth just past the bottom of the plate.
4. Support the plate on both sides of the cut so the kerf doesn't close and pinch the blade.
5. Clamp a straightedge as a fence. Wax the blade, then cut at a steady pace.

Diablo says it can cut outside its best range with good technique and a lubricant. Expect a slower feed on thick plate.

How to cut aluminum with a jigsaw

A jigsaw cuts curves, holes and odd shapes in sheet.

1. Fit a metal-cutting blade. Bosch's T118A metal blade has 17 to 24 TPI. Bosch also sells 8 TPI blades made for aluminum.
2. Use finer teeth for thinner sheet, so several teeth touch the metal at once.
3. Clamp the sheet to a piece of plywood. The board stops it from shaking and bending.
4. Turn off orbital action, or set it low.
5. Run the saw at a medium speed and let it cut. Don't force it.

For round holes, the same method from how to cut a circle with a jigsaw works in aluminum. Drill a start hole first.

How to cut aluminum tube and bar with a hacksaw

1. Fit a fine blade. Klein lists a 24 TPI blade for thin-wall copper and aluminum.
2. Clamp the tube in a vise, close to the cut. Wrap it in a rag so the jaws don't dent it.
3. Start the cut with light strokes on the far edge.
4. Cut on the push stroke, using the whole blade length.
5. Turn the tube as you go so you're always cutting through one wall, not two.

How to cut thin aluminum sheet with snips

Aviation snips are fastest for thin sheet, flashing and gutters.

1. Use straight-cut snips for straight lines. Use left- or right-cut snips for curves.
2. Make full, long bites, but don't close the jaws all the way at the end of each bite. That leaves a nick.
3. Let the waste curl away from the snips.

Clean up the edge

Every cut leaves a burr. File it off, or use a deburring tool on tube ends. Sand flat edges with sandpaper you use only for aluminum. Never reuse paper that has touched steel.

Safety and dust

• Eyes and face. OSHA's eye protection rule covers flying particles. Wear safety glasses, plus a face shield for power saws.
• Dust. The Aluminum Association warns that standard shop vacs can raise the fire risk with fine aluminum dust. Sweep chips up or use a vacuum rated for it.
• Keep metals apart. Don't mix aluminum dust with steel dust. Clean your saw and collector between metals.
• Hands. Gloves help when you carry sharp stock. Take them off near a spinning blade, where they can catch.

If that didn't work

When to call a pro

Get a metal shop to cut it if the plate is thicker than your blade is rated for, you need many identical parts, or the part is safety-critical, like a trailer frame. Shops also offer waterjet and laser cutting for complex shapes.

Related guides

• Cutting steel instead? Read how to cut 1/4-inch steel plate.
• All metals in one place: how to cut metal at home.
• Not sure which saw to buy? Compare table saw vs miter saw vs chop saw.
• Pick a blade for other materials with the circular saw blade guide.
• Need holes, too? See how to drill aluminum. The aluminum material page covers drilling, gluing and fastening it.

What you'll need

• Non-ferrous carbide blade (TCG teeth): Match your saw's diameter, arbor and rpm
• Metal jigsaw blades: Coarse for thick, fine for thin; Bosch sells 8 TPI aluminum blades
• Hacksaw with a 24 TPI blade: For thin-wall tube and small bar
• Aviation snips: For thin sheet and flashing
• Clamps: Two at least; short pieces must not move
• Stick wax lubricant: Keeps chips from sticking to the teeth
• Fine marker or scribe, square: For a clear line
• Metal file or deburring tool: Cut edges are sharp
• Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), hearing protection, gloves for handling: No gloves near a spinning blade

Questions people ask

Change log: Nov 6, 2026: Rewritten from the 2023 archive post. Removed the claims that a table saw and chop saw are ideal for aluminum and that a jigsaw cuts thick aluminum 'with ease'; added the tool-by-shape table, blade specs from Diablo, DeWalt, Bosch and Klein, and the aluminum dust rules.