cutting metal?

[Desert Moose]

Hey guys.

I'll be doing quite a bit of metal fabrication soon. Mostly cold rolled steel tubing, maybe some aluminum. I have an Enco horizontal metal cutting band saw, but in the 10 years I've had it, I have never been able to get the thing to cut straight and square.

So, I'm thinking of another saw. I've heard of people using chop saws to cut metal. Either with an abrasive blade, or with a carbide?? blade.

What should I look for? Are chops saws made special for cutting metal, or do you just put a different blade on a regular saw? What's the advantage and disadvantage of abrasive blades versus the other (carbide?? fill me in here) type.

I won't need a huge capacity. mostly will be under 2" square, maybe once in a while I'll get up to 4". It would be nice to be able to miter, but I don't see a need for a compound miter.

Thanks, Sam

 

[MrJimi]

Dig out your enco manual and re-adjust your saw and you will be happy, I use a Dewalt abrasion chopsaw, the 5.3 HP version and it does great
this one here

 

[RedRocker]

Milwaukee makes a 14" carbide tipped low RPM chop saw that works great for what you're talking about. Doesn't leave much of a burr and is easy to set for angle cuts. Will cut aluminum or steel w/o changing blades. Abrasive saws are nasty, noisy, and leave a big burr. They run about $400 bucks Pn#6190-20

 

[EddieWalker]

I have the Milwaukee metal chop saw. The gearing is diferent in the metal chop saws compared to the wood ones.

Eddie

 

[bobodu]

My present chop saw is an el cheapo from Harbor Freight that cost about $60 and has been faithful for the last year using abrasive blades.Yes,they are dirty and create lots of sparks,so ya wanna be careful.I'd like to try a metal blade when my supply of abrasives runs out.The chop saw comes in really handy when cutting 21 foot new stock because I can just set it on the floor or take it wherever I need it.

 

[texasjohn]

A metal chop saw is made for doing just that.

If you take an abrasive blade and put it in a regular saw... since a steady stream of sparks and hot metal is emitted... any plastic melts... and a build up of shavings and abrasive material gets into everything.. not necessarily good for bearings, etc. that are not intended for metal filings.

The Harbor Freight saw is the way to go ... cheapo... works for me... blades last an amazing amount of time, too.

 

[zzvyb6]

I put a metal cutting wheel into my old faithful Craftsman table saw for cutting thru all thicknesses of steel, usually 1/2" or less, sometimes thicker. It can take some time but the cut line is perfect. I stock up on the cutting wheels from flea market vendors for about $1.00 a piece. I have a Milwaukee chop saw now, too, but the workhorse is my table saw.

 

[keving]

I have the Milwaukee carbide tipped low rpm saw and I use it exclusively for aluminium. I works like a hot knife through butter. But I have only used it for aluminum. I also use the JET metal bandsaw. The plasma cutter works great for general cutting and cutting holes. I can't imagine not having any of these.

 

[munzzzzzzz]

I use the Porter Cable version of the Milwaukee dry-cut saw. Just checked their website and they don't list it anymore, maybe they stopped making it. If you're looking for a quick cut that leaves a "ready to use" edge on whatever you're cutting, IMO a dry cut metal cutoff saw is the way to go. When I'm cutting square or round stock with my saw, the cut is so smooth I can literally see my reflection in the end of it when I'm done. No need to sand the edge or anything before use. You can still get it on Amazon.com for $439.

Amazon.com: Porter Cable 1410 15Amp 14" Metal Dry Cut Chop Saw NEW: Home Improvement

The bandsaw is another good option, but if you've already got one of those and aren't happy I'd go with the dry cut saw. Make sure to note that these are not the same as the abrasive chop saws - a chop saw runs at close to 4000RPM, a dry cut saw will run at about a third of that or so. You could still put an abrasive blade in a dry cut saw, though it would cut slower, but you wouldn't want to put a dry cut blade in an abrasive saw.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I think Porter Cabel was purchased by Black and Decker (along with Dewalt) and they are being asked (forced / reassigned) to make compressor only. They are now shutting down their pipeline of other stuff...

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Sam,
At work we use amongst other cutoff machines, the saw that munzzzzzz posted a link to. We have the stand with the support tables on either side of the saw and have incorpoated measured stops on each side of the saw. It is a great piece of equipment but a bit pricey.

I would try to fix the saw that you have and put on a new blade unless your looking to buy yourself a present !

 

[bx23barry]

Best thing out there:
Dake Manual Cold Saw at Van Sant Enterprises, Inc.

 

[RedRocker]

Best thing out there:
Dake Manual Cold Saw at Van Sant Enterprises, Inc.

Yeah, if you don't mind the extra 2K on the price tag.

 

[Desert Moose]

$2000???? Yowza!!

I'll take a look at the metal blade saws this weekend. Just made the first tractor payment, so might end up with a Harbor Freight abrasive saw. They're about $90 here.

Believe me, on the horizontal band saw, I've looked in the manual, tried new blades, adjusted everything, and even slaughtered a chicken and said voodoo chants over the thing...... Haven't once obtained a square cut out of it. I'll probably keep it to use in the vertical position while freehanding small stuff thru it.

Thanks for the input. Sam

 

[jmc]

Sam,

I used to hang out on home or hobby machinists' sites and there has been a lot written about those little band saws. Seems like one site even had a special section dealing with them. My recollection is that when you buy them, they're like a kit to be assembled and tweeked but with a little work they have a lot of potential, especially for the price.

John

 

[texasjohn]

Watch the HF sales... get their flyers... sign up on line...you will get discount coupons emailed to you... and sometimes therse are for 15% off of any purchase.

Net... the HF chop saw for $90 goes on sale for $59 then you can get 15% off of that if you happen to be lucky enough to get a coupon when you are ready to purchase the saw.

At $90 it's cheaper than many other alternatives.
At the reduced prices noted above, it's a bargain... for when you need to cut metal.

Alternatively, you can get an abrasive blade for your Skil saw... dedicate it to that purpose, make sure that there are no plastic parts that will melt... this is the cheapest entry into metal cutting... and may, over time, sacrifice a skil saw. I found true Skol saw along the interstate... fell out of somebody's truck... inserted a blade... works fine. I also have the HF chop saw... both have their uses.

 

[RichT]

Best reasonable option I've found for square cuts on tube steel is:

a) as recommended in previous post, pick up a 14" HF chopsaw on sale

b) pick up a 14" metal cutting carbide blade here: Bullet Industries : Carbide Tooth Metal Cutting 14" x 66T [5090] - $40.00

I successfully used this combination to cut steel for a driveway gate (posted in a separate thread here). Good, square cuts needing very little trimming, deburring.

 

[gsdavis1]

What about cutting metal out in the field. You can't always put an implement on the bench for the chop saw. What do you guys use?

Greg

 

[sandman2234]

Depending on the size of the metal your trying to cut, a Port a band works wonders. Otherwise a torch, but watch for the fire hazard.
The el cheapo saws sold by most of the import places are really pieces of junk! However, most of them can be tweaked to a point that they will cut a straight line, most of the time. It takes a lot time time and patience to do it, plus a couple hundred pounds of drops, but once you get it set, it pretty much stays there.
Take some more time with your existing saw, and maybe you won't have to spend most of a tractor payment on something that you already have.
David from jax

 

[texasjohn]

When material cannot be positioned on a chop saw... try a Skill saw with metal abrasive blade and a generator for power, if necessary in the field. I do.