I am looking into get some aluminum tools, but I am not sure what I need to get. I have plenty steel tools but no aluminum.

I am looking to cut, drill, grind, and polishing.

I currently have a drill press, so the drilling is finished.

What other type of tools do I need and is there any brands that I should think about.

 

Josh,
Why do you need aluminum tools?
What are aluminum tools?
What's wrong with steel tools?
Why not get some platimun tools?
Confused,
KingFisher

 

I guess I need to revise my question; I am looking for tools to work with aluminum so that I may be able to cut, grind and polish aluminum.

 

Josh,
Sorry about the smart *** crap early.
Aluminum doesn't really require any special tools... per say.
Are you going to weld? You will need a good welder to accomplish aluminum welds.
Polishing aluminum will require a buffer. I purchased a variable speed angle grinder and bought a buffing wheel. your polish is the next step, i can't recommend any one thing over another.
Cutting plate is very easy compared to steel. I've used everything from a jig saw, to a sawsall, to a hack saw.
Aluminum tends to clog a grinding stone which can be corrected by cleaning the grinding stone frequently.
Tapping/threading aluminum is a dream.
I'm afraid i haven't helped much but, in general, working with aluminum is a gift.
KingFisher

 

I am good to go with the welder, I have a spool gun just for welding aluminum. Grinding aluminum must be an art, I keep chipping the aluminum and it does not look to good.

I am glad I have lots of scrap aluminum that I got from a friend.

Thanks for the help.

 

There are special grinding wheels and disks available for working with aluminum. Check with your local welding supply house & see what's out there. Flap disks can also do a fantastic job on aluminum. With all grinding, though, the results are more dependant on operator technique than on the equipment used, IMO. A good craftsman can work miracles with top-notch tools & equipment. But the same craftsman can do a respectable job with crap, too.

If you are going to be working with aluminum extrusions, a carbide-tipped blade in a miter saw works better than you would believe. I have used a radial arm saw for production work and a miter saw for occasional use. These were nothing special homeowner model power tools - nothing fancy. There was no preference for one or the other for the various jobs. They were just what equipment I had avalable at the time. It's best to wear long sleeves and a face shield, because the chips do tend to sting a bit.

If you are going to be working with plate (1/8 & over a jigsaw, reciprocating saw or bandsaw work well. Thinner sheet I would prefer to use a shear or just use snips. A plasma cutter works quite nicely on any thickness of aluminum. Of course, these are the same preferences I have when working with steel or plastic, too.

If I had an inifinite tool budget, I would have all of the above. Since I don't I use what I have available, whether at work or in my garage.

And if I had that infinite tool budget, a milling machine and lathe would be found in my garage.

Cheers,
Eric