In a few years I might take down my Ester Williams swimming pool (the kind built in the 70's with the aluminum deck and railing all the way around it). Since I'll have aluminum ibeams and decking from the pool, should it be that hard to modify it for a boat? What type of saw would I use? Has anyone ever scrapped their swimming pool this way? Am I better off scrapping the aluminum for $$$?
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Aluminum swimming pool for decking?
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JMichael
Well-known member
Depending on how thick it is you can cut it with a power saw. You can use a metal cutting blade in a jig saw or a good quality fine tooth carbide tip blade in a circular saw or a power miter saw will also do the job. Be sure to wear ear and eye protection because it's loud and aluminum bits will be flying all over.
Work2Fish
Member
About 10 years ago, my brother and I did a friend's friend a favor and removed their 15 x 30 pool, with a wrap around deck. It's pretty heavy duty stuff, the walls, if they are aluminum, could be used for flooring I imagine. We scrapped ours, $1200.00, that was when aluminum was about .43/lb. I think you'd be better off scrapping the pool, and using the proceeds to buy some more appropriate stock at the scrap yard and have some $$ left over. Ours up here has racks of aluminum angle for a couple bucks a pound.
Regards,
Andy
Regards,
Andy
lckstckn2smknbrls
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I've disassembled several Kayak brand pools and used the decking from them to extend the decking on our Kayak pool. The best tools are an angle grinder, masking tape and sharpie markers to get straight even cuts.
To cut the aluminum make sure you only use a carbide tip blade. Go slow as aluminum doesn't cut as fast as lumber. A thin kerf blade works best since aluminum won't try to close on itself. Aluminum cuts best at a slower rpm than wood. You can use a smaller blade to achieve this. As mentioned before, make sure you wear you goggles, preferable a face shield. Also, be careful about kick back. It can really kick.
PSG-1
Well-known member
You don't need any special saw blades to cut aluminum. In fact, aluminum can be cut with any conventional tooling used to cut wood, because it is soft. That's one reason I love working with aluminum, it's so easy to drill, machine, cut, and shape. Might not be as easy to learn how to weld it, but once you do, you'll prefer aluminum welding to steel. You can set up a miter saw, and get some very precise angle cuts with aluminum. Try doing that with a chop saw, or even a band saw, with steel! Definitely not as easy, nor as quick. Aluminum will cut every bit as fast as wood.
Get a Freud "Diablo" blade for your circular saw. They have a thinner kerf than a regular circular saw blade, which means less resistance in the cut, equalling less strain on the saw motor, less heat buildup of the work piece and the blade.
I've cut aluminum plate as thick as 3/8" with a Diablo blade.
In addition to safety glasses, and ear plugs, I strongly recommend a full face shield, as cutting aluminum throws hot shards of metal, they have a nasty habit of flying back at your face.
For thin material, use a plywood blade, and bring the saw to full RPM before starting the cut, and be sure to start the cut SLOWLY, to avoid hooking the edge and having a dangerous kick-back, or a bent work piece. Once you get the cut going, you can run with it as fast as the saw will cut.
Use a framing blade for heavier stuff.
For something where you have to do a significant amount of grinding on aluminum, if you have a very steady hand, you can position the saw over that area to be ground, and work the blade from side to side, taking shallow sweeps over that area, similar to making cuts with a planer, or a milling machine. It works really well, especially considering that trying to grind aluminum with a hard wheel will continuously clog the wheel, and takes a long time. Using the saw as a mill will cut the grinding time by at least 90%
Be VERY careful doing this, though, as you have to hold the guard out of the way while making this cut, make sure to not have any part of your body behind the saw, in case it kicks back.
Get a Freud "Diablo" blade for your circular saw. They have a thinner kerf than a regular circular saw blade, which means less resistance in the cut, equalling less strain on the saw motor, less heat buildup of the work piece and the blade.
I've cut aluminum plate as thick as 3/8" with a Diablo blade.
In addition to safety glasses, and ear plugs, I strongly recommend a full face shield, as cutting aluminum throws hot shards of metal, they have a nasty habit of flying back at your face.
For thin material, use a plywood blade, and bring the saw to full RPM before starting the cut, and be sure to start the cut SLOWLY, to avoid hooking the edge and having a dangerous kick-back, or a bent work piece. Once you get the cut going, you can run with it as fast as the saw will cut.
Use a framing blade for heavier stuff.
For something where you have to do a significant amount of grinding on aluminum, if you have a very steady hand, you can position the saw over that area to be ground, and work the blade from side to side, taking shallow sweeps over that area, similar to making cuts with a planer, or a milling machine. It works really well, especially considering that trying to grind aluminum with a hard wheel will continuously clog the wheel, and takes a long time. Using the saw as a mill will cut the grinding time by at least 90%
Be VERY careful doing this, though, as you have to hold the guard out of the way while making this cut, make sure to not have any part of your body behind the saw, in case it kicks back.
