Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels?

   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #31  
Not sure if any of you have heard of this but i use a 4" twin cut saw. it's resembles a 4" angle grinder but it is not the same and can not be used as a twin cut saw. one blade turns one direction the other turns the other, it uses carbide tip blades and they last a very long time. I first was a bit skeptical but decided to make the plunge and now i am so glade I did. After getting it I thought i would put this to a test on stainless steel about an 1/8" thick, wow what a job it did went through it like butter. I am still using the same blades and it has been a good ten years now. ( not in business just DIY stuff) It makes very small chips so i wear gloves and face shield and it does make a lot of noise and some sparking so be careful on where you do your cutting. It cuts metal roofing fast and almost no burs left on the metal. I have learned through trial an era that if you clamp a board to the metal roofing that it does not flex and makes it easier to make a clean straight cut.
 
   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #32  
I rented this shear when I installed pro rib on my buildings, best thing I've ever seen for cutting across roofing with raised contours. Only problem is it's specific to the brand roofing you're using.
 
   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #33  
Great find! But what would you do to cut just one pannel off?? Or those shears aren't available to rent where you reside??
 
   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #35  
This guys test of blades and grinding wheels rocks! (y)

Yeah, it's worthwhile to go back through his videos to see all the stuff he tests. Generally very thorough and informative.
 
   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #36  
I am a carpenter who has installed a lot of metal to buildings. I never use Zip Cut blades unless absolutely necessary, they cause sparks that will ignite fires, they wear out, they burn the paint on the metal and they can explode. I know a guy who was using a ZipCut that exploded. Schapnel went thru his glove and cut a vein in his wrist. Not a pretty sight and major 1/2 hr rush to the hospital.
I use a 7 1/4" -metal cutting- carbide blade in a circular saw, or tin nibbler connected to an air hose. I made up a track for the saw to run in for straight cuts, just measure, clamp down the track and cut. And maybe a little filing of the cut.
Also if I need to cut numerous sheets, to the same size. I can cut 4 or 5 sheets at the same time. And carbide blade lasts quite awhile. I can do two to three major projects on one blade. Cheaper that buying abrasive blades, over the long run
You still need PPE, hearing protection (its noisy), gloves with high gauntlet (the cuttings are hot) and preferably a face shield
 
   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #37  
Having done a good bit of metal roofing, the best ( and I think safest) cuts were with a steel circular saw blade, mounted backwards, will cut all day long. Not talking a specialty metal cutting blade, just a cheap steel 7 inch. MOUNTED BACKWARDS. Do not ever try that mounted forwards.
 
   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #39  
You don't know if companies like dewalt have different sources for different markets. And whether they outsource their supply. Say put out a tender for a million cutoff wheels. Next batch, might be from somewhere else entirely
 
   / Any rule-of-thumb for replacing 4.5" cutoff wheels? #40  
You don't know if companies like dewalt have different sources for different markets. And whether they outsource their supply. Say put out a tender for a million cutoff wheels. Next batch, might be from somewhere else entirely
Very likely. Project Farm in the video linked above, measured the DeWalt blade at 67% thicker than advertised. No wonder it was the slowest.
 
 
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