Coverting mitre saw to cut metal

At the moment the only way i have of cutting box section is by eye with a grinder and cutting disk (not very accurate) , id would like to covert a mitre saw to cut metal , just for occasional use , maybe once or twice a year , i realise that i would need a different blade , and have to slow it down , must be a way .....

Any help or advice gratefully recieved as we are all still learning .

All the best Mark.

Mark,

Makita [and others, I am sure] do quite large 'abrasive chop saws'

I think the disk for one of these might be your best option.

MichaelG.

Once had to get an abrasive blade in angle grinder mounted in a stand to cut inconel pipe. It was too tough for standard circular saws or bandsaw.

Martin

You could look at a "Rage" saw blade as they run faster than the dedicated metal cut off saw and you may not need to mess about with your machines existing speed. Also standard saw blade bore so easy to fit.

Edited By JasonB on 27/12/2015 17:15:46

Box is about 30mm square.

At the mo b + q have this on offer **LINK**

Or would i be better of saving up and getting a band saw ?

At the moment i havent got £20 let alone £60 lol

Why buy a whole saw, provides speed and dia are right just fir a Rage blade into what you have

... or, less than £5 for the abrasive disc

**LINK**

MichaelG.

Thanks ill whip the blade out and have a measure see what size it is , its only a very cheap diy make but is better than i have at the moment !

Just got to find a 14" mitre saw to put it in and forget what all that abrasive will do to the saw particularly if it's a SCMS

.

If his budget DIY saw has the power to drive it.

MichaelG.

What's wrong with a hacksaw ?

Should not be too much of an issue with the power of a budget saw, the Rage blades at 1.7mm kerf put a lot less load on the machine than a typical buget TCT blade that is likely to have a 3.2mm kerf. Don't know if you have ever used UTK blades Michael but they do make a significant difference I have ones for both my stationary machines as well as my portables 1.2mm keft in the case of the later. I'd also class some of those Rage saws as budget level as they are about 1/10th teh cost of my mitre saw

J

PS UTK = Ultra Thin Kerf

Just got to find a 14" mitre saw to put it in

... or, perhaps check the catalogues for a differently-sized disk

Jason,

No, I haven't tried UTK blades yet ... and [predictably enough] I don't have the exotic woodworking tools that you use ... My best power saw is a little Mafell KSS300

I am not qualified to comment on the Rage Blades ... I just thought that for Mark's "occasional use", an brasive disk might be the expedient option.

MichaelG.

The drop saw in your link rotates at 4000 RPM which would be too fast for cutting metal and if you reduced its speed may not have enough torque and could burn out.

An option would be to replace the saw blade with a friction disk.

Paul.

The Rage blades are meant to run at about 4,000 rpm.

For those who don't follow what they are about, Rage blades have depth guides (like a chainsaw) so you can't overload the feed rate (except on very thin work) and only about a dozen or so teeth so they run faster. One of my stepsons has got a Festool sliding mitre saw and I hear good reports of them.

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 27/12/2015 22:38:45

True, but my 14" Rage 2 runs at 1400 rpm and cuts 1/2" steel no problem, I think the smaller dia blades wouldnt cope....😢

Its all about cutting speeds and FPM just like turning as the diameter goes up the speed comes down that is why a 14" Rage/Evolution saw runs slower than an 8" one.

Same would apply with abrasive discs, the 14" one Michael linked to runs at 4000rpm but a 9" angle grinder typically runs at 6000rpm so putting an abrasive disc into a slower rotating 8-10" mitre saw won't work very well.

Edited By JasonB on 28/12/2015 07:34:25

I have a Rage 4 saw, it works well but it is a bit brutal, very noisy while cutting and it sprays hot metal chips everywhere. I tried it with stainless steel once, the blade lasted about three seconds. The stainless was nothing special just 5mm thick angle, a new blade set me back £20, mild steel is not a problem.