Blade Guide: Cutting Aluminum & Non-Ferrous Metals
Soft metals like aluminum require a different blade setup than steel — especially when it comes to tooth geometry, coating, and kerf thickness. Whether you're cutting window frames, downspouts, or solid bar, we'll help you get the cleanest cuts with the longest blade life — based on your machine and your material.
Step 1: What Type of Saw Are You Using?
🛠 Manual Cold Saw (Under 120 RPM)
For cutting aluminum on a manual cold saw, we recommend only one blade type:
These blades are perfect for the job when paired with the correct grind geometry — which we configure at the time of manufacture. When you select “aluminum” at checkout, we’ll grind the blade to 25° rake / 12° relief, which is ideal for clean cuts and chip evacuation in non-ferrous metals.
Note: Upgrading to M35 or TiAlN for aluminum isn’t necessary on a manual saw. Blade life improvement is minor, and performance differences are rarely noticeable.
Optional Add-On: If you're using a manual saw without flood coolant or mist lubrication, we recommend applying a wax stick lubricant directly to the blade before cutting. This helps prevent aluminum from gumming up the blade and improves cut quality and blade life.
⚙️ Semi-Automatic Cold Saw (Under 120 RPM)
When paired with the correct grind, this blade offers long life and excellent surface finish without needing to upgrade to TiAlN or M35.
Tooth Count Tip: If you're using our Tooth Count Calculator, reduce the result by 30% for aluminum. A lower tooth count means larger gullets, better chip flow, and less clogging.
🪚 Woodworking Saws (Chop, Miter, Table, Radial Arm)
These blades feature Triple Chip Grind (TCG) with hook angles of -5°, 0°, or +5°, depending on the application. They provide clean, burr-free cuts in extrusions, bar stock, and profiles.
Pro Tip: For woodworking and dry-cut saws without misting systems, we recommend using a non-ferrous cutting wax stick to reduce heat, minimize burrs, and extend the life of both carbide-tipped and bright finish blades.
🧰 Double Miter & Up-Cut Aluminum Saws
These saws are common in aluminum window and door frame shops. Carbide-tipped blades are the go-to choice in nearly all of these high-output applications. We stock carbide-tipped blades for cutting aluminum in diameters from 3 inches up to 30 inches with all sorts of arbor holes, pinholes, and number of teeth to fit different machines and applications.
✨ HSS "Bright" Blades for Thin-Gauge Extrusions & Fragile Shapes
These blades have a thinner kerf and are only hardened to around 58 HRC to reduce brittleness. Ideal for fragile aluminum and copper shapes like:
- Screen door frames
- Window extrusions
- Downspouts
- Roll-formed aluminum profiles
- Thin copper tubing
These blades work great on woodworking saws like chop, table, radial arm, and double miter saws.
🧴 Lubrication Tip for Aluminum Cutting
If your saw doesn't have mist or flood lubrication, use our aluminum cutting wax stick to:
- ✅ Improve surface finish
- ✅ Reduce gumming and loading
- ✅ Extend blade life for both carbide-tipped and bright finish HSS blades
🧴 Aluminum Cutting Wax Stick
This easy-to-apply wax stick is perfect for saws without mist or flood lubrication. Just rub it onto your blade before cutting to reduce gumming, extend blade life, and improve surface finish when cutting aluminum or copper.
🛒 Shop Wax StickPair it with:
Blade Selection Summary
| Saw Type | Recommended Blade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Cold Saw | TiN Coated M2 (25°/12° grind) | Use wax if no coolant system |
| Semi-Auto Cold Saw | TiN Coated M2 (25°/12° grind) | Reduce tooth count by 30% |
| Woodworking Saws | Carbide-Tipped Non-Ferrous Blades (TCG) | Use wax to reduce gumming |
| Double Miter / Up-Cut Saws | Carbide-Tipped TCG Blades | Ideal for aluminum profile production |
| Thin & Fragile Profiles | Bright Finish M2 HSS Blades (58 HRC) | Thinner kerf for delicate applications |
Why Choose Us?
- 🇺🇸 USA-based small business
- ✅ CNC-ground blades, made in Europe
- 🧠 Real saw blade experts — not just order takers
- ⚙️ Aluminum blades are custom-ground to spec
- 🚚 Fast shipping from Texas 🇺🇸