Cutting angles for welding

[Rch]

I'm getting into welding having supplemented my Lincoln 225A arc welder with a Lincoln Power MIG 200. Cutting the right angle so things join up nicely is part and parcel to a nice job. I have a metal cutting bandsaw and a new Milwaukee $160 chopsaw. Both are pretty clunky for cutting angles; the chop saw vise has to be taken off and slid back and forth depending on the angle, width & size of the stock being cut. The bandsaw ( it must be 40 yrs old, a "Cummins") is hardly better with an admittedly buggered-up vise, but long or wide pieces are a problem.
I see these $300 saws for cutting wood trim were the saw tilts, they have a serious table for angles also and the blade assembly even slide in and out to accomadate wider pieces. Can you put a metal cutting blade on one of these or is there an equivalent for cutting metal that is set -up the same ?

 

[Darren]

If you'e cutting 20' pieces of angle you'll need some sort of support besides the saw itself. Otherwise that long end hanging out will make things awkward.

Unless you're cutting really large angles (greater than 2" or 3") the small bandsaws with a bimetal blade do a good job.

The vise on those is rudimentary but you can still get the right angle for the cut. A test cut with some scrap and checking with a combination square will ensure your setup is dead on.

If you're looking at a chop saw, see if you can mount a metal cutting wheel in the machine. The key point is to make sure the saw is designed to cut metal safely.

 

[Rch]

Darren, I have a support stand and your right, you need something to support those long ends. The ability to cut two angles at once would be mighty handy when you get into angular bracing etc.

 

[oldgrizzlybear]

Many of the wood miter saws have plastic inserts. The heat of cutting steel can melt this. I know from experience.

Larry

 

[kyoders]

Rch,

Be careful with a saw designed for cutting wood. Make sure the blade speed of the saw is appropriate for the blade you will be putting in. Most woodworking blades are designed to run at higher RPM than metal cutting blades.

Most of the big-name manufacturers have come out with a new breed of saw designed for cutting metal. They look like ordinary woodworking miter saws, but they have some new carbide blade that makes them able to cut most metals. The saws are pricey ($400+), but what I've read of them makes them sound like a good investment for somebody cutting metal. The cut is supposed to be so clean that it drastically cuts down on grinding/cleanup, and the blade is supposed to last quite a while. I don't have model numbers, but I know that Dewalt and Bosch both make ones, and I would assume the other manufacturers do now, too.

Kevin

 

[crb478]

For the most part the bearings and motors in wood working tools will not hold up to cutting metal for any lenght of time. The plastic parts mentioned eariler will also melt. This is one time it pays to buy the right tool the first time.

 

[Tractors4u]

If the bearings in the bandsaw are still good I would work on that vice and use the saw. I get great cuts with my Harbor Freight bandsaw.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I have two chop saws at the shop. One is set at ninety degrees permanently. The other is in another stand and it is locked in at a near perfect forty five. I say near perfect because I've got to readjust it. The first saw I locked in on that stand at a forty five I got perfect first time. I could cut pieces and put them together and now worry about using a square, it was that close. But the saw died and the new one is always a degree or so off even after multiple adjustments.

In the field I use a portaband. I have the big Milwaulkee that HD and Lowes sell. It sucks. It's in the shop more'n it's out. The same with the smaller Milwaulkee. Of course someone stole it so I replaced it with a Porter Cable and it hasn't been to the shop after a hard year's work.

Seriously, I bought an extra portaband because the one was always in the shop. It ended up that I'd put when one in when I'd get one out. Then I got the Porter Cable. It's a hoss.

A portaband is invaluable on the job. They will do tons more than folks give them credit for let me tell you. I even use it to cope pipe.

All you have to do is lay a straight edge across the pipe. That gives you an idea of how deep the cope cut should be. You then lay the portaband at an angle just short of that distance and cut one side and then the other. A test fit will show you need to hit the belly of the cut with a grinder lightly.

I did one the other day on a job to show a welder that he didn't need to always drag out his torch to cope pipe. He looked at the finished cope and told me that was why my welds looked good. It was because I got such a good fit first. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm he's smarter than I thought.

Seriously, it's a good thing to practice and use when you're welding pipe together. And with the portaband--grinder method you don't have sparks quite so hot/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif as you do with a torch./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[gmason]

I recently purchased a Dewalt DW872 metal chop saw with a carbide 70t blade and not a abrasive wheel. I love this tool. I can make cuts in 1/10th the time it used to take. There's marks on the saw table for 90 and 45 cuts to help line the fence up. Everything except the blade guard is metal on it.

I've cut everything from pipe to 9" flat bar with ease and with few sparks.

gary

 

[Hoeman00]

Can you put a metal cutting blade on one of these or is there an equivalent for cutting metal that is set -up the same ?
No, I wouldn't put an abrasive blade on a power
miterbox.
Dewalt DW872 and others make a metal cutter that has
a carbide tipped saw blade. (these run at a low RPM)