Thread: Metal Cut Off Saw

Grahame, may I ask if the castors are lockable, please?

Only one thing about the cut off. If you want to cut in steel that can be hardened, this is what will happen when you use that type, a saw won't

Erik

Hi Oldfarmer

Castors are not lockable.It has never been a issue with the type of jobs i have been doing.
In any case they were, what I had on hand when it was built.

The frame is made from old chair frames,thrown out from the school where I taught at.

Grahame

Thanks for that, Grahame.

Question re bandsaws, for the last umpteen years I've been using a 14" cutoff saw as the bulk of my work was in steel. Now that I have a lathe and mill I'm using aluminium much more and cutting it by hand is a pain in another extremity, the cutoff saw will not do the job as the blade loads up, so I was considering a bandsaw.

My only exposure to a bandsaw is from using one at a place where I do a lot of welding to help the owner out. That saw, which was new 6 months ago, often spits the band off the wheels when cutting FMS and sometimes when cutting RHS. Not surprisingly wrestling with the blade every time I do a cut has put me off buying one myself.

Do others have the same problems, is this a symptom of something wrong with the machine set-up? As far as I can recall the unit is a Taiwan built Toolex brand. As an alternative I was thinking about a power hacksaw but these seem to be unobtainable for normal budgets.

Mine has never jumped off the wheels, have cut a variety of metals, however always use the suds for anything that will take more than 30 seconds.

It overheated once on a 30 deg day when it was in action for a couple of hours, however that was my fault as I think I had the tension over cranked.

I found the cut off saw next to useless for brass and alum.

Originally Posted by Bodgy

. . . .
I found the cut off saw next to useless for brass and alum.

I found a standard WW TS with the right blade works fine with brass and ally. I have cut sheets up to 1" thick of Ally and 1/2" thick in brass no problems.

Originally Posted by Gavin Newman

Question re bandsaws, for the last umpteen years I've been using a 14" cutoff saw as the bulk of my work was in steel. Now that I have a lathe and mill I'm using aluminium much more and cutting it by hand is a pain in another extremity, the cutoff saw will not do the job as the blade loads up, so I was considering a bandsaw.

My only exposure to a bandsaw is from using one at a place where I do a lot of welding to help the owner out. That saw, which was new 6 months ago, often spits the band off the wheels when cutting FMS and sometimes when cutting RHS. Not surprisingly wrestling with the blade every time I do a cut has put me off buying one myself.

Do others have the same problems, is this a symptom of something wrong with the machine set-up? As far as I can recall the unit is a Taiwan built Toolex brand. As an alternative I was thinking about a power hacksaw but these seem to be unobtainable for normal budgets.

I have cut over 1/2 ton of ally with mine and I stopped "losing" blades when I aligned the guide rollers properly
I also have an OLD power hacksaw but rarely use it since getting the Bandsaw.

Rogerbaker

Gavin Newman,
I attach an article that I got from the web on aligning bandsaw wheels.
I had experianced blades coming off so followed advice and trued the bandsaw wheels.
I wished I had a third hand when setting up the blades, maybe the evolution of machinest in the future will be with a third hand.

Regards,
Keith.

Thanks to all for the responses. Much appreciated.

G'day everybody.

Sorry for tacking on this thread with an additional question, but the topic and the previous comments are quite useful already.

I started as a hobby woodworker but I find more and more is that I like toolmaking, hence my timid foray in the metalworking area. I have bought a Triton metal cutter and found it great for what it can do, which is not much. It goes through brass and mild steel like a breeze but is not supposed to be used for hardened steel, takes only 2" width and does not do V cuts along the length of the piece.

I see that many of you you are from Adelaide, a pleasant change from the woodworking fora. You might be aware then that Supercheap Auto here sells a nondescript basic cut off saw at least 300 diametre, but at a glance looked 400 or so, for $119. I was almost tempted to buy it, considering that my use would be very little anyway, but on the other hand the bandsaw for around $300 seems more versatile and neat. A small metal lathe for say $1500 also looks a possibility, considering that I do not plan doing much over 600 long.

The cost is not really my main concern, clogging the space with a machine that could be used only a couple of hours a year is. I thought a 6x9 shed would be quite ample, but I am already unable to walk in it.

Any suggestion on the pros and cons of each option appreciated.

Run, don't walk, away from any no-name 14" cutoff saw. The stresses on such a saw cutting through steel are considerable and you need something that is built to do the job, not built to a very cheap cost point. Your safety is your prime concern.

Go to someone like EPTS Gasweld, Flintware, Total Tools or similar and look at the Makita, Hitachi, Ryobi, Metabo or similar well known brands. Compare the build quality, the robustness of the base & vice - this is an area where you get what you pay for. You will not be able to get spare parts for the cheapy should you need them, this is not the case with the reputable brand names.

My last 14" saw lasted me for well over 10 years with intensive use every weekend, a cheap'n'nasty is going to be pushed to last a year. You may say that you are only going to use it very infrequently - 2 points here. (1) Metal working is addictive, you may not have control over how often you use once the bug bites and (2) Murphy says that it will fail at the most inopportune time and leave you in the lurch.

F&E

Is the shed 6 x 9 feet or metres? If its metres, then you're a lucky bastard and need to apply a bit of discipline to the layout and content.

If its feet then the b/s does take a bit of room. You need access either side so you can cut long bits and you need room at the back so the thing can hinge up.

A cut off saw is quite portable, and can sit under the bench when unused. The BS is portable but fairly unwieldy.

Originally Posted by Frank&Earnest

G'day everybody.

Sorry for tacking on this thread with an additional question, but the topic and the previous comments are quite useful already.

I started as a hobby woodworker but I find more and more is that I like toolmaking, hence my timid foray in the metalworking area. I have bought a Triton metal cutter and found it great for what it can do, which is not much. It goes through brass and mild steel like a breeze but is not supposed to be used for hardened steel, takes only 2" width and does not do V cuts along the length of the piece.

I see that many of you you are from Adelaide, a pleasant change from the woodworking fora. You might be aware then that Supercheap Auto here sells a nondescript basic cut off saw at least 300 diametre, but at a glance looked 400 or so, for $119. I was almost tempted to buy it, considering that my use would be very little anyway, but on the other hand the bandsaw for around $300 seems more versatile and neat. A small metal lathe for say $1500 also looks a possibility, considering that I do not plan doing much over 600 long.

The cost is not really my main concern, clogging the space with a machine that could be used only a couple of hours a year is. I thought a 6x9 shed would be quite ample, but I am already unable to walk in it.

Any suggestion on the pros and cons of each option appreciated.

Hi Frank (and Earnest)

Be aware that when you buy a lathe you will probably spend at least as much again on the tooling to go with it.

Rogerbaker