240zV8 Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 This is the saw i put my cutoff wheels in. It works great for 1/8" and thinner, but those norton cutoff wheels struggles with 1/4" steel. I'm wondering whats the best metal cutting blade to put in instead of abrasive wheels. It's not a chop saw, it spins at 4,900 rpm so I think I can run any of the regular metal cutting blades. Anyone have a good suggestion so I don't have to deal with buying cutoff wheels all the time. And all the black dust gets everywhere including in my nose, lol. I'm working on getting a oxy acetylene setup to cut thick stuff like butter, but not yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 this looks good, but it's like $45 per blade http://www.metaldevil.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nscason Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 i know some stuff about cutting. that saw wasnt designed for metal. thats a wood saw. if you are going to be cutting a lot of metal you might as well get a chop saw. i have one. i got it from harbor freight for 50 bucks. thats a great deal to be honest. its ok quality wise. from my experience that is the cheapest and easiest way to go. you must also put into perspective, if you get a cutting torch you need to know how to use it properly and after every cut you are going to spent a lot of time grinding the surface to be flat and smooth. i have put all kinds of thought into this one. you are also going to want to stick with the abrasive wheel too. metal blades are very expensive and can be easy to mess up if you dont use them properly. i have done quite a bit of metal fab on a small budget. that average chop saw for metal is going to be over 200 though. but its all up to you. i use my cheap chop saw all the time it was worth it for me. hope i helped some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I hope you don't leave that cloth dust bag connected to the saw. Seems like a fire hazard. Just use less pressure and cut more slowly when cutting thicker metal. That is what I do, but with a hand held wood saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnjdragracing Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Of course if you are cutting a lot of metal, you need to invest in a Plasma Cutter. You will be amazed at what you can cut and how easy it cuts. I still use my chop saw some, and my torches also. But the Plasma is a nice addition to have. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 It's usefulness depends on the size of the stuff you need to cut, but for my needs a metal cutting bandsaw is the way to go. I have a chop saw and I don't think I've used it in over a year. As soon as I got the bandsaw the chop saw got put away and never used again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 I'm trying to cut some 1/4" angle iron and it starts off fine but i guess once the blade heats up, all it does is create a divit and stops cutting. I got this saw for $5 at a garage sale and it's worked perfect for a couple years. I know it's not made for metal but it's built really strong and is all metal contruction, it does a great job for everything thinner than a 1/4". I'd think a chop saw would be the same though because it's not a matter of the saw, it's a matter of the wheel wearing down so fast on thick stuff. Same with wheels in my grinder, they disintigrate if you cut 1/4" steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted January 25, 2007 Author Share Posted January 25, 2007 would a smaller bandsaw be able to handle 1/4" steel without dulling the teeth in no time? My jigsaw works the best for thick metal, but the blade wears down to fast so i don't use that. Would you buy a bandsaw, or a oxy acetylene setup? If it would be used for things just 1/4" and thicker, because I can cut thin stuff fine with what I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metallicar Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Perhaps method is part of the problem. I have found when cutting anything thick, no matter what tool, cutting the smallest surface to blade area is fastest and best. I did buy a Ryobi 14" chop saw at Home Despot, I found it on sale for $49.00. I burned the living shite out of it in about 60 minutes. I literally melted the plastic bearing retainers and melted the brushes. I returned it to the store and got another one. Of course the replacement one has lasted, because I overcame the learning curve on its use and capabilities. I recently purchase 7 1/2" blade for my 10" table saw, it is made to cut steel up to 1/8" thick. I paid about $60.00 for it. It is wicked. I definitely wear a face shield and gloves when using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 A tool that impressed me was my Sawzall. I have cut 3/8" angle easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 would a smaller bandsaw be able to handle 1/4" steel without dulling the teeth in no time? My jigsaw works the best for thick metal, but the blade wears down to fast so i don't use that. Would you buy a bandsaw, or a oxy acetylene setup? If it would be used for things just 1/4" and thicker, because I can cut thin stuff fine with what I have. I think the bandsaw would cut through 1/4" thick stuff just fine. I cut some 3/16" 2x3 tubing with mine. Pics in this thread close to the bottom of the page: http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=106974&page=3 What it will not do is cut fast. That cut probably takes 45 minutes, if you were cutting straight across maybe more like 25-30. A bigger saw would do it faster, but that is a $160 machine that made that cut and if you compare it to a torch or a chop saw, there is just no comparison. The way I figure it is I could spend the time cleaning up a crappy cut, or I can wait for the finer cut. Larger bandsaws are better, will make even nicer cuts and have cooling systems for the blade. What I have is bottom of the barrel, it is the absolute bare minimum metal band saw, and still it is SO MUCH BETTER than what you'll get out of a chop saw or a torch that it's not even funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostmonkey Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 This This is what I use foe heavy cutting.Ive cut a 4" round solid steel rod with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinhZXT Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I agree with Jon on this one. I bought the bandsaw from HF and I have to say that it worth every penny. It doesn't matter thick or thin metal it cuts them all. Of course for thick metal you have to use the finer teeth blade. So my vote is the band saw. If you have more money get the bigger band saw. If you don't have money I would go with a thin cut off disk for that saw you have and take your time when cutting thick metal. If you put too much pressure it will eat up your blade quickly. Take your time and the blade will last longer. GL Vinh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nscason Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 the difference in the saw that you have and a wood saw is torque. a better quality chop saw has all kinds of torque. my teacher in high school bought a dewalt chop saw and we put that thing through hell. vs the wood saw that you are using it is made for ripping through wood. compared to metal, wood isnt so tuff. im only 20 and living with my parents. as soon as i move out i might need to look into the band saw thing. if you are going to look into a plasma cutter there are many things you need to know first. for the thickness of mild steel that you can cut you can only cut alum that is half as thick. it all has to do with heat dissipation. depending on what kind of budget and the amount of things your going to cut, there is a good cutting tool for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darrel Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 another for band saw. jig saw you're only using approx 7-10 teeth over and over. band saw you're using all of the teeth around the blade. You can also go onto other things while the band saw is doing it's work. chop saw is great for small projects if you don't mind the noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 I worked in a machine shop for like 6 months and a good band saw will take anything on lol. plus the upkeep is so minimal on it. That or a wet chop saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Lincoln Electric plasma cutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TeamNissan Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Ya plasma is great and all but you dont get the crispness of a band saw lol. Everything suites a dif need though, I use a 30$ chop saw and 5$ carbide blade lol. Works just fine. A band saw or a chop saw arent going to make it in tight spaces though so plas all the way on that lol. I think best of the best is the water/sand jet cutters. Cost 500k but can cut through 15inches of steal with perfect dimentions lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roostmonkey Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 there really isnt any one saw that fits all your needs. Handheld plasma's great until you get multiple layers that have space between them such as a tube that has no access to the backside.Can you say sawzall? Chopsaws great for ruffing it, coldsaws are precise but slow.horizontal bandsaws are pretty slick, verticles are good for scroll cutting,CNC plasma,laser or waterjet do what they do very well but for all around homeowner type work the horiz bandsaw or sawzall fits the bill. If your in the business, you need em all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240zV8 Posted January 26, 2007 Author Share Posted January 26, 2007 I think I worked it out, for now. The blade that I had been using in the saw was a 7" norton cuttoff wheel made for mitre saws. It's thicker than normal angle grinder cutoff wheels so i think thats why it struggles with thick metal. So I went and got a 7" norton angle grinder wheel and it cut through a 1/4" thick 2"x2" piece of angle iron in about 10 seconds, i was amazed. The only problem was the arbor is made for a angle grinder (bigger arbor) so I have to spend some time getting it centered on my saw. It cuts 100x better, and is a cheaper wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.