Edited By D Hanna on 23/08/2018 10:07:48

Tungsten carbide rod saw blades are available at Bunnings hardware in Australia. (They may be in the tiling department of the store). Look for 152mm rod saw blade, made by Suttons.

Paul.

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Edited By Paul Lousick on 23/08/2018 10:46:39

Check for Vitrex Radial Hacksaw Blades. Not sure about Ozz but are available through Amazon.

Brian

I've found the Hacksaw and Fret saw blades from these guys are a great replacement for Abra Files. Only posted from the US, but work well and you can remove the hacksaw ends to thread through a small hole, they last a surprising while even in steel (no connection only a satisfied customer)

https://bestwayproductscompany.com/products.html

Maybe a UK distributor will appear

Thanks for that link, Mark

The availability of 100ft coils is particularly interesting.

MichaelG.

So they are!! Thanks for that **LINK**

Pete

"Vitrex Radial Hacksaw Blades" are the TC tools made and sold for cutting tiles, and readily available from builders' tool stockists. They are abrasive, not toothed, so might not be suitable for metalwork, certainly not softer metals that will just clog them.

The Japanese blades advertised by Axminster look like copies of the Bestway product, but note the small-print on the Axminster site: "... case-hardened..."

That suggests they are made from mild-steel, and intended for cutting only thin wood.

.

I am almost certain that the 'Japanese' blades ARE the Bestway product

... they are clearly marked as being Made in the USA

https://www.bestwayproductscompany.com/products.html

... There are several interesting variations on the theme

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 19/06/2019 22:29:39

I tried a simple test with a 300mm Vitrex TC "blade" this afternoon.

With end fittings rather like wire crimp terminals it fitted the hacksaw easily, but would need a short slot cutting if used entirely within the material.

It had no problems with an oddment of RHS steel angle 6mm thick, but as it is abrading its way with a kerf of perhaps 4mm, it's not the most efficient method.

It had no problem with a small scrap of aluminium-alloy bar, apart from a bit of clogging.

I tried it on the back end of an HSS lathe tool, with a view to suitability for roughing out a form tool, or cutting a length of tool-steel to make a boring-bar bit. Starting the cut neatly was hard because it skidded all over the place, but eventually I made a groove perhaps 6mm deep before stopping - no point wearing the blade further. An angle-grinder with a cutting-disc would be the better choice, and a lot cheaper.

So these abrasive tools are better than nothing, but not ideal replacements for round tension files for making cut-outs in metal plates.

'

Anyone tried the Bestway files yet?

.

Yes ... I found them very good on Perspex, and on hard leaded engraving brass ; but less effective than the old Abrafile blades on harder/slippery materials.

[note: Alan Wood appears to have fared better]

For me: The blades are pretty good; the end-terminations gimmickey; and the saw frame appalling [*]

Hence my interest in the availability of 'blade by the yard'

MichaelG.

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[*]

If you have smaller hands it may be O.K.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 25/06/2019 20:11:49