What can you tell me about the steel in this old saw?

A

Aktundra

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Feb 17, 2019
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I decided to make another batch of ulus. Traditionally the Eskimos cut their ulu blades out of old saws. (The steel is great for holding an edge, quick & easy to resharpen, and you never throw anything away in the Arctic !)

I was using my angle grinder and an abrasive cut-off wheel. Usually I can use a cut-off wheel until it gets too small diameter to be of any practical use, pitch it, and put on a fresh wheel.

Well I was cutting on this giant (2’long) OLD miter saw, and a new cut-off wheel simply stopped cutting !! It just heated the metal to molten ! Hum, strange. Put on a fresh cutoff wheel, and after a cut or two, the same thing! It simply stopped cutting ! Took 3 wheels to get 4 ulus out of that saw !

Started on another saw, and the last wheel cut just fine, just as I expected. Was able to cut another 3 ulus with a single wheel, hardly any hesitation! I do a lot of fabrication, use a cut-off wheel all the time, and never had one just stop cutting. Funny it was only that one saw.

What was in the temper/make-up of the other steel ? Is it suitable for holding an edge ?
 
Sounds like you work hardened the steel which makes me think you might have an air hardening steel like A2 or D2? I have no idea if they made miter saw blades out of those materials however.
 
Aktundra said:
angle grinder and an abrasive cut-off wheel.
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Sounds like not carbide tip, but the standard old abrasive cut-off wheel. Hard to imagine that not cutting steel. I'd like to know more about that steel myself.
 
Ken H> said:
Sounds like not carbide tip, but the standard old abrasive cut-off wheel. Hard to imagine that not cutting steel. I'd like to know more about that steel myself.
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I didn’t mean the cut-off wheel being carbide, I‘m asking if the sew he’s trying to cut is carbide tipped and he’s run into a piece of carbide.
 
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