Can I use a miter saw for steel ?

[Trials]

Never seen one of those... doesn't seem nearly as efficient as a horizontal band saw. Rather a big tool with not much capability... just my initial thoughts. Interested to know if there are benefits vs. a band saw?

Blade is very heavy duty, about an inch tall in profile, not very flexible and suitable for cutting ferrous metals. The only blades my bandsaw takes are intended for non-ferrous metals, yours might be much different, but I imagine a ferrous metal bandsaw blade would be very expensive by comparison. Power hacksaw would be much slower in operation as they work on a reciprocating stroke, but they will work their way through very thick workpieces without problem if you don't exceed the operating speed and pressure. They can cut very long lengths of metal, I would think that might be a problem for a horizontal bandsaw unless you put a twist on the blade.

I don't think their initial cost and cost of long term operation would be very expensive compared to some metal cutting machines.
Very safe in operation, even a high school kid can operate it. :dance1: kinda fun to watch too.

 

[dragoneggs]

Blade is very heavy duty, about an inch tall in profile, not very flexible and suitable for cutting ferrous metals. The only blades my bandsaw takes are intended for non-ferrous metals, yours might be much different, but I imagine a ferrous metal bandsaw blade would be very expensive by comparison. Power hacksaw would be much slower in operation as they work on a reciprocating stroke, but they will work their way through very thick workpieces without problem if you don't exceed the operating speed and pressure. They can cut very long lengths of metal, I would think that might be a problem for a horizontal bandsaw unless you put a twist on the blade.

I don't think their initial cost and cost of long term operation would be very expensive compared to some metal cutting machines.
Very safe in operation, even a high school kid can operate it. :dance1: kinda fun to watch too.

Yes, I can understand it should be safer than a bandsaw... hence a better choice in a high school shop! Lord knows I didn't respect the power tools in shop class as much I should have in hindsight... the teacher sure made a big deal of it but until you experience something yourself, it is easy to dismiss. Especially as a high school aged know-it-all.

 

[LD1]

I would think the blades wouldn't last as long on that compared to a bandsaw. Lots fewer teeth to do the work, no coolant that I saw, no time for teeth to cool, and dragging the teeth backwards each stroke.

A decent sized band saw has a 10' +/- blade. And cutting steel at 150-200 fpm gives 3-4 seconds for the tooth to cool. And 10' worth of teeth taking an even amount of wear as opposed to 10-12" of teeth.

 

[LD1]

And what kind of bandsaw do you have that you can only source non-ferrous blades for?

 

[Big Barn]

I would think the blades wouldn't last as long on that compared to a bandsaw. Lots fewer teeth to do the work, no coolant that I saw, no time for teeth to cool, and dragging the teeth backwards each stroke. A decent sized band saw has a 10' +/- blade. And cutting steel at 150-200 fpm gives 3-4 seconds for the tooth to cool. And 10' worth of teeth taking an even amount of wear as opposed to 10-12" of teeth.

Most power hack saws lift on the backstroke. The same as (one should) when using a hand hack saw.

And you are correct about blade wear. It is shared evenly on the band saw but perhaps only one half (6 inches on a twelve inch blade) is utilized on a hack saw. The position of the vice should be moved occasionally to better utilize the blade.

Terry

 

[LD1]

Just don't sound like a fast or efficient way to cut steel vs a real bandsaw

 

[dragoneggs]

Just don't sound like a fast or efficient way to cut steel vs a real bandsaw

Totally agree and was thinking all the same thoughts you mentioned previously. :confused3:

 

[Big Barn]

Just don't sound like a fast or efficient way to cut steel vs a real bandsaw

My opinion also.

Terry

 

[BukitCase]

I kinda figured that recip saws went the way of the dodo bird when they finally figured out how to bend a band saw blade like a pretzel without it breaking in the first 12 seconds ..Steve

 

[dickfoster]

Not an industrial cold saw, mine is a Alfra metal cutting saw.

I was talking more about something along these lines. Dake Super Technics 350 Cold Saw, Manual Coldsaw
Pricey but if you're doing metal fab for a living, they pay for themselves. These beasts are liquid cooled typically with recirculated water based cutting lube to keep the workpiece cool and help make the expensive cutting blades last longer. They'll chew through almost any metal ferrous or non ferrous cleanly, accurately and quickly. Even a bit of fun to use as long as you're not doing it for a living. Different blade speeds is a useful feature as you choose the blade speed based on the type of metal you're cutting. High speed for thin walled non ferrous stuff and slow speeds for something like a 4" thick solid chunk of steel.