Chop Saw Reccomendations
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PILOON
Super Star Member
" Just get you a dressing stone for grinding wheels and when it gets loaded up just touch the wheel with it and that well clean it. And away you go again with cleaner cut and less heat."
Good tip, wish I'd have thought of that. Makes sense.
It is on the same wave length as big erasers for wood sanding discs
Good tip, wish I'd have thought of that. Makes sense.
It is on the same wave length as big erasers for wood sanding discs
Industrial Toys
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Not considering monetary value, if I had to get rid of abrasive chop saw, good quality horiz band saw, torches or plazma and keep only one, it would be the abrasive shop saw. Of course, the torches are more useful for heating and repairs.
Mind you I do have friends with a lot ot resources, and try and do most of my work there.
Anyway, in that sense, isn't it odd that the most useful tool is the cheapest. Doesn't happen very often.
Mind you I do have friends with a lot ot resources, and try and do most of my work there.
Anyway, in that sense, isn't it odd that the most useful tool is the cheapest. Doesn't happen very often.
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Smokeydog
Elite Member
There is a learning curve for any tool especially a cold cut saw. Fein is one of the best. Adding these jaws makes it better and pays for extended blade life. Cutting square tubing on the diamond is easier on blades. Must for round stock.
Holding steel firmly from moving a must. Cast bases flex less than pressed steel when comparing.
100724-MKM 050326100724 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049SQ5OO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_P5F1FbMZN4CPT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
They are perfect fit on Fein and MK Morse cold cut chop saws. Well worth modifications to other saws.
Holding steel firmly from moving a must. Cast bases flex less than pressed steel when comparing.
100724-MKM 050326100724 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049SQ5OO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_P5F1FbMZN4CPT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
They are perfect fit on Fein and MK Morse cold cut chop saws. Well worth modifications to other saws.
Smokeydog
Elite Member
That link was from Amazon for $29. Now goes to Walmart??? $72???
Don’t know how that happens.
It takes me to Amazon.
Budweiser John
Platinum Member
Excellent discussion, and like most metal working and wood working projects there is more than one way to skin a cat.
My tool collection includes the usual right angle grinders, abrasive cut iff saw, acetylene torch, and the crown jewel of metal cutting, a 1940s vintage Kalamazoo 8”x 16” horizontal bandsaw.
Not to hijack this thread but has anyone invested in a plasma cutter and after using it regretted the decision?
Aside from using a cutting torch, my options for cutting steel plate are limited and for several months have been looking at plasma and the Hypertherm XP45 is to die for but a huge dent in the pocket book. Ideally I would like the capacity to cut 1/2” plate but in reality, 1/4 to 3/8” thick would be 99% of my cutting needs.
Any suggestions?
B. John
My tool collection includes the usual right angle grinders, abrasive cut iff saw, acetylene torch, and the crown jewel of metal cutting, a 1940s vintage Kalamazoo 8”x 16” horizontal bandsaw.
Not to hijack this thread but has anyone invested in a plasma cutter and after using it regretted the decision?
Aside from using a cutting torch, my options for cutting steel plate are limited and for several months have been looking at plasma and the Hypertherm XP45 is to die for but a huge dent in the pocket book. Ideally I would like the capacity to cut 1/2” plate but in reality, 1/4 to 3/8” thick would be 99% of my cutting needs.
Any suggestions?
B. John
user.69169
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Funny thing bout cutting, no matter how many methods you got, der always a new toy in de pipeline.
Started cutting wid a hacksaw, pretty sure dull blade, went to heaven when I got O/A torch, factor in cost of gas and runnin fer full cylinder der had to be a better way. .401 air chisels were other way for a while, dey break and air expensive buy electric fer compressor delivered to door. Got bright idea to mount 3" zip disk on die grinder one day and had whole new cutting system. Out ahead of de curve I was. Got 8" abrasive disk for Porter Cable skilsaw too for long cuts, slicker den snot on a doorknob fer decking and no grinding.
Walked in a shop one day and eyeballed cabinet bigger den my fridge wid 3 gas bottles hangin off back. It was PLASMA de new miracle, only cost what a car did, expensive to run wid all dem gases, but it sliced aluminum, copper, stainless & steel, in fact you layer em all up and it slice right thru all of de sammich. OK, real nice, but I don't gotta have but on de maybe some day list. Truth to tell I really don't have use.
While later I see first computer run x y plasma cutting tin in a tank of water in sheet metal shop. Year later same shop Bankrupt banker cryin about financed plasma swimmin pool loss of value. (removed) sure ain't bidding. Nice toy but if don't earn its keep not worth havin. Did notice it run on compressed air. No more tanks. Maybe? Talked to welding supply guy, demoed trade in Miller ZipCut. Guy who traded moved to bigger machine. Wound up ownin de Zip fer just $1600 1980s Dollars. Spent couple hundred more on consumables. Machine like yo-yo back and forth to dealer. He took back after about 5th trip. Eventually got Thermal Dynamics X somting on deal and it works 20 years later. Got another TD by Esab wid 1Gun, still in box 2 years later.
Bottom line, guy building in garage got little need of more tools, but got real need to learn to use tools he got. (removed) & lot of other men built everything was needed wid torch, stick welder and grinder 70 years back, still can. You want toy, stand up and be man enough to say you collecting toys. I can buy any metal cut to my dimensions cheaper den I can buy & cut. Owning tools not make you craftsman, learning to use tools you got does.
Guess don't matter much, Amazoom & Walmart got pretty pictures and have tool to your door in just days if it fits on yer Master Card. Dey call it Master Card cause dat card is your master.
Started cutting wid a hacksaw, pretty sure dull blade, went to heaven when I got O/A torch, factor in cost of gas and runnin fer full cylinder der had to be a better way. .401 air chisels were other way for a while, dey break and air expensive buy electric fer compressor delivered to door. Got bright idea to mount 3" zip disk on die grinder one day and had whole new cutting system. Out ahead of de curve I was. Got 8" abrasive disk for Porter Cable skilsaw too for long cuts, slicker den snot on a doorknob fer decking and no grinding.
Walked in a shop one day and eyeballed cabinet bigger den my fridge wid 3 gas bottles hangin off back. It was PLASMA de new miracle, only cost what a car did, expensive to run wid all dem gases, but it sliced aluminum, copper, stainless & steel, in fact you layer em all up and it slice right thru all of de sammich. OK, real nice, but I don't gotta have but on de maybe some day list. Truth to tell I really don't have use.
While later I see first computer run x y plasma cutting tin in a tank of water in sheet metal shop. Year later same shop Bankrupt banker cryin about financed plasma swimmin pool loss of value. (removed) sure ain't bidding. Nice toy but if don't earn its keep not worth havin. Did notice it run on compressed air. No more tanks. Maybe? Talked to welding supply guy, demoed trade in Miller ZipCut. Guy who traded moved to bigger machine. Wound up ownin de Zip fer just $1600 1980s Dollars. Spent couple hundred more on consumables. Machine like yo-yo back and forth to dealer. He took back after about 5th trip. Eventually got Thermal Dynamics X somting on deal and it works 20 years later. Got another TD by Esab wid 1Gun, still in box 2 years later.
Bottom line, guy building in garage got little need of more tools, but got real need to learn to use tools he got. (removed) & lot of other men built everything was needed wid torch, stick welder and grinder 70 years back, still can. You want toy, stand up and be man enough to say you collecting toys. I can buy any metal cut to my dimensions cheaper den I can buy & cut. Owning tools not make you craftsman, learning to use tools you got does.
Guess don't matter much, Amazoom & Walmart got pretty pictures and have tool to your door in just days if it fits on yer Master Card. Dey call it Master Card cause dat card is your master.
I am not proficient with a torch and cutting. I don't own one. Would I get a plasma if I did? Maybe to me. That depends on what about plasma cutter appeal to you. I know guys use jigs and circle cutters when torch cutting. I have the PM 45 . I chose that one for the dependability, the fact that I can drag the tip and that I can also get a machine torch should I get a table set up in a few years- using a computer with a much steadier hand. I suppose that just about any of the cutting I've done so far , I could have done with a torch. If I had one. You need a big compressor to support the plasma. That would be another factor. Here's my current CAD program:
dragoneggs
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I like collecting toys... and using them even more!
user.69169
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Heep think how what we seem to have is cross generation communication failure in dis world. We got other problems too, but I just stick wid communication for now.
Fact- it's dang near impossible for a man my age who understands takes 7 ladies at switchboards to connect a phone call to phone 15 miles away to a bunch of kids staring into hunks of plastic and destroying thumb joints.
Between da cjx and de brb and wtf dey all shootin back and forth just rankles me when some smartmouth wid skirt up over face to hide complains about my typin an what I say. Ain't even botherin to mention de stupid little cartoons, got to be another failure of so called school system where 20K a year spent on de little creatures by taxpayers gettin defrauded by so called teachers.
I tell kids how O/A cuts by first converting iron to fuel dey jumpin out der chairs tellin me I don't know nuttin. OK, how come I can cut wid welding tip by openin up Oxy and shuttin down Acet? Kid watch a man burnin steel and get stupid look when burner pulls out cold chisel and hammer and knocks a feather up. Kid don't know but he too proud to ask. Tell kid I can cut Stainless wid O/A torch or O/P he jumpin in my face tellin me (removed) don't know s#!t. OK, I just sit & watch.
Started at dis game wid a Purox O/A torch back in 50s, burned a lot of $$$ on gas, and got good enough I can hang some rods down and use for hangers to weld (removed) in thin air between. No real call for dat, other den learnin.
Watched young fellow posting bout needing to weld up #9 wire frames fer lampshades. Watched 7 golden armed inturdnet X Sperts tell him how he needed everything from anvil to pulsed TIG to do de job. Walked over to de shop, hunted up some wire chunks and put em together. No filler, steel filler, brass, Everdur. No problem, simple gas job done 5 ways all wid O/A torch in 15 minutes. Tookpicture and posted. Explained a little and all dem golden arms disappeared. Was I a utube4boobs guy I'da done dat, but truth is I got perfect face for radio, not TV.
Ain't de machine, ain't de hand tools, de skill between ears of de welder. God good to welder his hands can and do deliver what between his ears to de weld. Some of dat content from memory, some from knowin if I screw it up I can fix it..
Back in de ancient time when I had to fight gators to get to school and paddle awning boat upstream both ways, I had me some magnificent hard cover books of toys, like Sears + Monkeys + JC Pannay (famed french designer) and Lincoln & P&H and 10 more just full of toys I had to save up for cause book said I needed. Turned out book needed to sell and (removed) didn't need to buy. OK, did buy a 7" PowerCraft grinder from Monkey, could afford it and couldn't afford Milwaukee.
I tell you same thing today Big Ed, and Pete told me back den. More tools you own, more tools you got to carry and more heartbrake when somebody steals. You got torch & welder you can make tool you need, and wid grinder you can make it look good. Hunt up some wood and make yerself a weldin box so you can sit instead of chewin knees up. Den you be a carpenter and have a place to keep yer helmet & goggles wid hat and overalls. Dey was right. I thank dem for making me a fine cabinet maker.
Honest to God, you don't need all dem shined up tools. You be a lot better welder widout dem. Get yerself 15 feet of chalk line and a hunk of zip wheel and learn to make square wid dem. Learn how to verify framing square first thing in morning and after lunch and how to correct if out of square. Learn to verify level every time you use save a lot of cutout & grinding. Most important, learn to not set yerself on fire.
Fact- it's dang near impossible for a man my age who understands takes 7 ladies at switchboards to connect a phone call to phone 15 miles away to a bunch of kids staring into hunks of plastic and destroying thumb joints.
Between da cjx and de brb and wtf dey all shootin back and forth just rankles me when some smartmouth wid skirt up over face to hide complains about my typin an what I say. Ain't even botherin to mention de stupid little cartoons, got to be another failure of so called school system where 20K a year spent on de little creatures by taxpayers gettin defrauded by so called teachers.
I tell kids how O/A cuts by first converting iron to fuel dey jumpin out der chairs tellin me I don't know nuttin. OK, how come I can cut wid welding tip by openin up Oxy and shuttin down Acet? Kid watch a man burnin steel and get stupid look when burner pulls out cold chisel and hammer and knocks a feather up. Kid don't know but he too proud to ask. Tell kid I can cut Stainless wid O/A torch or O/P he jumpin in my face tellin me (removed) don't know s#!t. OK, I just sit & watch.
Started at dis game wid a Purox O/A torch back in 50s, burned a lot of $$$ on gas, and got good enough I can hang some rods down and use for hangers to weld (removed) in thin air between. No real call for dat, other den learnin.
Watched young fellow posting bout needing to weld up #9 wire frames fer lampshades. Watched 7 golden armed inturdnet X Sperts tell him how he needed everything from anvil to pulsed TIG to do de job. Walked over to de shop, hunted up some wire chunks and put em together. No filler, steel filler, brass, Everdur. No problem, simple gas job done 5 ways all wid O/A torch in 15 minutes. Tookpicture and posted. Explained a little and all dem golden arms disappeared. Was I a utube4boobs guy I'da done dat, but truth is I got perfect face for radio, not TV.
Ain't de machine, ain't de hand tools, de skill between ears of de welder. God good to welder his hands can and do deliver what between his ears to de weld. Some of dat content from memory, some from knowin if I screw it up I can fix it..
Back in de ancient time when I had to fight gators to get to school and paddle awning boat upstream both ways, I had me some magnificent hard cover books of toys, like Sears + Monkeys + JC Pannay (famed french designer) and Lincoln & P&H and 10 more just full of toys I had to save up for cause book said I needed. Turned out book needed to sell and (removed) didn't need to buy. OK, did buy a 7" PowerCraft grinder from Monkey, could afford it and couldn't afford Milwaukee.
I tell you same thing today Big Ed, and Pete told me back den. More tools you own, more tools you got to carry and more heartbrake when somebody steals. You got torch & welder you can make tool you need, and wid grinder you can make it look good. Hunt up some wood and make yerself a weldin box so you can sit instead of chewin knees up. Den you be a carpenter and have a place to keep yer helmet & goggles wid hat and overalls. Dey was right. I thank dem for making me a fine cabinet maker.
Honest to God, you don't need all dem shined up tools. You be a lot better welder widout dem. Get yerself 15 feet of chalk line and a hunk of zip wheel and learn to make square wid dem. Learn how to verify framing square first thing in morning and after lunch and how to correct if out of square. Learn to verify level every time you use save a lot of cutout & grinding. Most important, learn to not set yerself on fire.
I have most cutting tools available, cold cut saw, horizontal bandsaw, vertical bandsaw, plasma cutter, Grinder. If I had to start with one all over it would be the horizontal bandsaw. I am not a fan of abrasive chopsaw and actually gave mine away. You can get the harbor freight or grizzly 4 x 6“ bandsaw for a decent price. There are many ways to modify it true and accurate. It may be a little slower however I still use mine quite a bit. I absolutely love my cold cut saw which is an MK Morse however you don’t necessarily need it.
I am trying hard to keep it minimal as I'm not a business and just a weekend hack. I build with computers all day and still have a desire to get my hands dirty when I can. I'm at the stick/grinder entry point at the moment. I want to work towards learning how to get things more square and less "wobbly". I did some looking around this weekend... From time to time, people give me gift cards to letting them hunt my land, so if that happens it may drive this purchase depending on which of the below is available at which store.
Dollar-wise I just am trying to see if the next step up is a few dollars apart, which is the better bet to make me not need to spend anything else for a good long time.
Hack Saw - $15
-->Grinder/Cutoff - $40-90 (cheap consumables) ** I have this
*********************************************************************************
---->Abrasive Chop Saw - $150-$225 (cheap consumables)
------>HF Horizontal Band Saw - $250-$300 (cheap replacement blades)
-------->Cold Cut Chop Saw - 425-600+ (80-100/blade)
---------->Plasma (my focus is on straight cuts on stock so this isn't a consideration at the moment)
Dollar-wise I just am trying to see if the next step up is a few dollars apart, which is the better bet to make me not need to spend anything else for a good long time.
Hack Saw - $15
-->Grinder/Cutoff - $40-90 (cheap consumables) ** I have this
*********************************************************************************
---->Abrasive Chop Saw - $150-$225 (cheap consumables)
------>HF Horizontal Band Saw - $250-$300 (cheap replacement blades)
-------->Cold Cut Chop Saw - 425-600+ (80-100/blade)
---------->Plasma (my focus is on straight cuts on stock so this isn't a consideration at the moment)
Industrial Toys
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I generally only set to fire to myself when welding Galvanized.
And only measure my square for square if I have been using it to hammer with. Plus grind off any burrs.
Reminds me of the guy on here, seemed like a new welder, (I could be wrong) who insisted he must have (and find) a pure copper ground clamp.
And only measure my square for square if I have been using it to hammer with. Plus grind off any burrs.
Reminds me of the guy on here, seemed like a new welder, (I could be wrong) who insisted he must have (and find) a pure copper ground clamp.
user.69169
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Strongly recommend you google up man called PawPaw Wilson. Great man and an honest blacksmith. Ought to find de story of PawPaw departing Earth on a few welding boards.
Sorry to hear yer square challenged. Any other things you like to tell de group about?
Wonder how dat fellow would have felt bout a copper tipped peckerhead for grounding?
Industrial Toys
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Nothing that a little pill can't take care of.
Friends of mine have welded untold millions of dollars worth of stuff, using the ugliest weld splattered J hook, clamped to the ground wire with hose clamps. Not sure what made them settle on that over a clamp. Maybe too many got run over or something.
Friends of mine have welded untold millions of dollars worth of stuff, using the ugliest weld splattered J hook, clamped to the ground wire with hose clamps. Not sure what made them settle on that over a clamp. Maybe too many got run over or something.
user.69169
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Like I said; Remember PawPaw.
Zinc Metal Fume Fever : A Case Study : Blacksmithing How-to on anvilfire iForge
Dats de abbreviated version. Not sure if I saved de email back and forth wid him in hospital.
Choice what you do is yours, long as you wear face diaper in public.
Zinc Metal Fume Fever : A Case Study : Blacksmithing How-to on anvilfire iForge
Dats de abbreviated version. Not sure if I saved de email back and forth wid him in hospital.
Choice what you do is yours, long as you wear face diaper in public.
Industrial Toys
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Everywhere, both sides of a story. I don't know anyone that welds Galvanized on a regular basis, but certainly know guys that have done enough it it and are still standing. Heard some guys say, Plasma fumes will kill you too.
I kjnow, if things get stinky and ugly, I'm not exactly breathing the fumes in deeply. More like hold your breath, do a bit and get to fresh air. Extinguish Jacket and Repeat.
I kjnow, if things get stinky and ugly, I'm not exactly breathing the fumes in deeply. More like hold your breath, do a bit and get to fresh air. Extinguish Jacket and Repeat.
MF243RedTop
Gold Member
If doing any substantial amount, I set up a shop fan to blow the smoke and fumes away.
