For a lab in chem I had to measure the molar mass of a sheet of aluminumThe dimensions were 99 in cmMass was 0.342gMy conversation factor0.342g/1 1 mole/26.98gI canceled out my gram units left with.0.342/1 1 mole/26.98Then dividing 0.342/26.98 I got.0.013 (round to the nearest thousandths) Is my unit mole? So my answer would be 0.013 mole? And did I do my conversation right?
aluminium shold be okay, anything else is too dense for the wood blade to cut, and you might end up breaking more wook blades than you want.
Its all in the bladeWith the proper blade .it's fineMight consider using a coarse toothed metal cutting blade which will shed chips not clog upSpecial aluminum cutting oil is available also Best regards
Don't remember which of the previous answers was from the Longtime Woodworker, but he's dead wrong about band sawsThere are definitely wood cutting saws and metal cutting saws Wood cutting saws have one pulley and are made for cutting about any type or size, if it will fit under the blade and between the throat and blade, of wood, with many different bladesThey run at a considerably higher speed than metal cutting band saws, which always have a stepped pulley system with several speed choices for different types of metal to be cut You should be looking for a larger pulley for the drive belt on your saw, or a smaller one for the motor shaftEither way it would cut down the speed of the blade and make it last longer during the cutsIf you were cutting something thinner, say 1/8 or 3/32 you might get away with it alright, but 1/2 is going to wear out blades one after the otherThey will get dull in short order and then they don't cut well, which leads to pushing harder and trouble Metal cutting on a band saw is a slow process and can't be rushed.
There are metal cutting bandsaws which run extremely slow with lubricated bladesHowever if you have a saw blade for cutting metal that is made for a normal bandsaw then just follow the instructions like stretch saysAluminium is pretty soft so it's not like you're tring to cut steel but be careful about burning yourself or getting the aluminium caught up in the blade because it likes to do thatYou could also just use an angle grinder if you need to make a long cut or a hacksaw if it's small i just reread your question, cutting 1/2 inch thick plates might not be the best idea.
