Do you use a Chop Saw on blade material?

J

jawilder

Joined
Jun 27, 2006
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I've got a LOT of blades to profile and find it easier to cut the 48" stock down to length before I profile it on the bandsaw and I'm considering getting a chop saw to cut the barstock to length. I know it creates a lot of heat when cutting but will it ruin the blade where it cuts? It's not a problem near the handle but I don't want it to ruin the metal near the tip. I'm only cutting through 3/32" x 1"

Here is the one from HF that I'm considering.
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-12-h...off-saw-68104.html#pr-header-back-to-top-link
 
I dunno Jason... Do you think 3.5HP/15A driving a 14" wheel is enough for 0.094" stock? :eek::D

Seriously though, no worries on the heat because 1) it will drop through thin stock like that so fast there is little time for friction to do its thing and 2) you are still going to normalize/HT the blades. We use a 14" regularly (not a HF model) on square/round mild steel stock up to about 2" OD. It will barely blue anything less that 1" unless the wheel is too glazed or worn to a smaller diameter (they are cheap enough to not allow that in the first place). If it appears to be an issue when cutting heavier stock, just make allowances and grind away the worst of it at profiling.

They are handy for all kinds of "shop issues". Put your face shield on and go for it. :thumbup:
 
I wouldn't go with the Harbor Freight model... mine just burnt out in less than a year. It's a really fast, useful tool when you are just chunking out blanks or cutting steel pieces for damascus stacks
 
Ron Frazier had a chop saw he welded on a huge tire rim. It sat on the porch of his shop and he cut all his steel on it. He would pre-form the blades to some degree with it, also. The cutting dust form the abrasive blades, the steel dust, and all the small bits of cut off steel formed a big mound around the saw/rim. When we cleaned out the shop the years of grinding debris mixed with rain and snow had slowly made the saw and the tire rim a solid concretion of iron. It probably weighs half a ton. Long after the shop falls down and decays into the forest floor that mound of steel will be there.

MAJOR CAUTION - the sparks can set things on fire a long way from the saw ..... ask Raymond Richards about it.
 
I don't know if the idea will work but I think chop saws are good in cutting bar stock. I would opt to cut the bar stock on band saw. Band saw can do job - versatility wise- best in knifemaking . Cold saw could work too but going to be a big one.
 
The band saw is more expensive but theres no air borne debre and the cuts are clean with no heat. I have the small Jet horizontal and like it a lot.
 
I honestly don't think the time you would save would justify the expense. I can zip through annealed 3/32" x 1.5" stock in just a second or two with my HF bandsaw.
 
Personally, I used both a chop saw and metal cutting band saw to cut steel, but I use both for kinda different things. I use the bandsaw more, as it produces more detailed cuts but is slower. I use the chop saw for exactly what Jason is thinking about using it for. Do you need it- no, but it's nice to have choice and I am glad I have one in my shop. FWIW, I now have a Porter Cable and it CHEWS through steel.

I am really glad Stacy mentioned the fire at Raymond's shop a few years ago. I didn't know it was from his chop saw. It does throw a ton of sparks, though I never really thought about the fire risks. It's funny how sometimes you don't see things that seem soooo obvious.... after you identify it. I know what shielding I am going to be building in the next day or two. Thanks for the info Stacy.
 
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Raymond was using an angle grinder to clean up some forgings. The sparks are pretty much the same as a chop saw throws. The sparks went all the way across the barn from the shop side and ignited the hay in the lofts. Once he realized there was lots of smoke in his shop ( more than usual), it was too late. He lost his barn, the shop, a lot of farm equipment,....and his winter supply of hay for the animal feed.
 
definitely shy away from harbor freight tools, keep your eye on craigslist I see chop saws cycle through there all the time, some of them look as if they have never been used and at a good price
 
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