# Sawing Metal



## thestelster (Feb 8, 2022)

Of the 36 years I've been working with metal, my main mode of cutting stock has been...the hack saw.  I have 3 saws with different tooth spacing.  I've cut 3/4" thick steel plate 8" depth, (of course flipping it to cut through); 4" diameter aluminum.  I never enjoyed it but, a man's gotta do what man's gotta do.  I have to make some soft jaws from aluminium.  What I have is a block 3"x4" x 10". (I also have that follow rest that I'll be making out of 1" thick hot rolled.)  I better get new hack saw blades.


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## boilerhouse (Feb 8, 2022)

You are a better man than I.  My go to is also a hack saw, but mine is powered.  LOL


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## chip4charlie (Feb 8, 2022)

Just got a Wen portable band saw for $139 from Amazon. Bolted it to a Princess Auto portable bandsaw stand with vise ($75). I guessed (correctly) that all the Chinese portable band saws are of the same design - so they did bolt together. It's awesome! (5" x 5" capacity)


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## thestelster (Feb 8, 2022)

I have been contemplating getting one of those Craftex/King/ Rikon 5x6 saws, but $700 +tax.  Ouch.  I've been searching Kijiji, but rarely does one of the small ones pop up.  Until today!!  He wanted $400, I wanted $300, we me half way.  I still think I over-paid but what the hell.  Cutting all that stuff was going to kill me.


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## 140mower (Feb 8, 2022)

A few years back I found one with a heavily damaged flimsy stand at a yard sale for $80.00. It is a work in progress still, but it works way better than my old hacksaw did....  Not to mention my old arms. 
I really need to get in there and clean the shop up, it's storing everything except space.


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## Susquatch (Feb 8, 2022)

thestelster said:


> Of the 36 years I've been working with metal, my main mode of cutting stock has been...the hack saw.



That's too funny! 

ME TOO! 

I can work a hacksaw with the best of them! 

WEN had a small 5x5 floor unit they sold at Home Depot and Amazon at what I thought was a very decent price. It also had a table so it could be stood up right and used like a regular bandsaw too. I didnt count on them selling out so fast and now it looks like they are totally gone and I missed out. You snooze you lose. 

So now I'm back to watching Kijiji eBay & marketplace and hoping they get another shipment. 

Sometimes I use a slit saw in the mill or a cutoff chop saw or an acetylene torch. 

I would LOVE a nice cutoff bandsaw and when I grow up, I'm planning to own a nice deep throat metal/wood cutting vertical bandsaw. Growing up is a good 50 years away so I try not to fuss over it.


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## YYCHM (Feb 8, 2022)

4x6 bandsaw $50
					

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-power-tool/calgary/misc-:-commercial-charger-metal-bandsaw-loading-ramp/1426450782?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true




					canadianhobbymetalworkers.com


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## Tom Kitta (Feb 8, 2022)

You can just buy my King 7 x 12! Its in good condition. Problem solved. Half price of what is online for same size new.


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## SomeGuy (Feb 8, 2022)

Depending on space available, a portaband is awesome to have (I have the Dewalt deep throat corded one). Though I grabbed a dry cut saw back in the fall and on tubing and such, it's night and day better than the portaband. It's pretty close to 10x faster. I can't imagine cutting anything but super thin wall tubing with a hacksaw.


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## Susquatch (Feb 8, 2022)

SomeGuy said:


> Depending on space available, a portaband is awesome to have (I have the Dewalt deep throat corded one). Though I grabbed a dry cut saw back in the fall and on tubing and such, it's night and day better than the portaband. It's pretty close to 10x faster. I can't imagine cutting anything but super thin wall tubing with a hacksaw.



What dry cut did you get?


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## Susquatch (Feb 9, 2022)

Tom Kitta said:


> You can just buy my King 7 x 12! Its in good condition. Problem solved. Half price of what is online for same size new.



Shipping would slaughter me.


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## 6.5 Fan (Feb 9, 2022)

Don't forget about metal cutting blades in the reciprocating saw, we use that around the farm all the rime.


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## Mcgyver (Feb 9, 2022)

thestelster said:


> Of the 36 years I've been working with metal, my main mode of cutting stock has been...the hack saw.



man, you are tough (seriously!),  a gold plated man card for that guy!

I think I would have found another hobby without the little wellsaw


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## ShawnR (Feb 9, 2022)

This has been posted before but this little project is great to have in the shop to complement those saws.


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## Degen (Feb 9, 2022)

Tom Kitta said:


> You can just buy my King 7 x 12! Its in good condition. Problem solved. Half price of what is online for same size new.


Funny you should say that I bought one new July 2020 from KBC (can't believe price has gone up $600).

I will say good blades are extremely important for cutting Aluminium, an flaw in in final joining shows up on wide thick cuts causing endless grief.  I have found a very cost effective and good source for blades www.industrialbandsaw.ca, custom length to your saw.

One well known expensive supplier sent me 4 free blades because of the issues, still had them as they have a assembly issue (to be fair I won't mention them as they did try and correct the issue with the replacements).

I also made a large custom Table to allow it to be used vertically (which is about 40% of my cuts.


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## Susquatch (Feb 9, 2022)

Degen said:


> One well known expensive supplier sent me 4 free blades because of the issues, still had them as they have a assembly issue (to be fair I won't mention them as they did try and correct the issue with the replacements).



Frankly, I am not sure why you hesitate to name them. I would much rather deal with a company that acknowledges and fixes their problems than one that has very few problems but won't acknowledge and fix the ones they do have. 

In my mind, your experience ends well and I wouldn't hesitate to buy from your source.


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## SomeGuy (Feb 9, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> What dry cut did you get?



The Dewalt DW872...other than throwing chips EVERYWHERE and being a little fiddly to square up the fence, it works really really well. I haven't tried cutting anything more than 1/4" thick (flat bar, tube, etc.) yet with it, but it just chews right through it and makes really clean cuts.

Zoomed in snip of a pic with it in it:


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## Dan Dubeau (Feb 9, 2022)

My portaband ranks up there in the all time favourite tool purchase category for sure.  Growing up we didn't have any fancy tools, so a lot was done on my rc cars, gocarts, bikes, etc with a hacksaw and files.  I still remember giggling to myself during that first portaband cut lol. 

It hangs on a hook off the side of my welding table next to my vise plugged in ready to go.  I use it all the time.  

I also have a 7x12 horizontal, but it's out in the barn and with 400' of about 2' of unplowed snow between me and it right now, the portaband has come in handy the past couple weeks.  I'm not snowshoeing out there to cut tubing.  Uphill, both ways.


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## thestelster (Feb 9, 2022)

Well, the first test run went pretty well.  The factory saw blade 14tpi.  Aluminium 6061, 4"x3".  It cut straighter than I was expecting.  Cutting time 22minutes, at 200fpm.


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## Dan Dubeau (Feb 9, 2022)

I like that outfeed table.  Making an outfeed table is something I've been meaning to do to mine, but just never get around to.  That and a table to use in vertical mode.  

Think of the calories you saved not hacking that by hand .


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## thestelster (Feb 9, 2022)

Dan Dubeau said:


> I like that outfeed table.  Making an outfeed table is something I've been meaning to do to mine, but just never get around to.  That and a table to use in vertical mode.
> 
> Think of the calories you saved not hacking that by hand .


I have 2 of those stands when I use to do a bunch of woodworking at one time.  I had to cut the centre post of this stand to get low enough.  I enjoy burning calories!!  Wisely though!


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## SomeGuy (Feb 9, 2022)

22 minutes? That feels like a really long time to cut a 4x3 block of aluminum?


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## DPittman (Feb 9, 2022)

SomeGuy said:


> 22 minutes? That feels like a really long time to cut a 4x3 block of aluminum?


That's what I was thinking.  Maybe a really fine tooth blade or a worn out blade?


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## thestelster (Feb 9, 2022)

Its a 14tpi blade.  I just picked up the bandsaw yesterday.  Used, of course, so I don't know how often the blade has been used.  But, I just realized the tension spring for the feed rate was at its tightest.  So I've backed it off now, and it does seem to go quicker.  Plus, I'm not using any coolant or lube.


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## Degen (Feb 9, 2022)

thestelster said:


> Well, the first test run went pretty well.  The factory saw blade 14tpi.  Aluminium 6061, 4"x3".  It cut straighter than I was expecting.  Cutting time 22minutes, at 200fpm.


You need a courser blade 4-6 tooth is likely the largest you can get.  Biggest issue is going to be scarf getting caught in the teeth with AL, if this happens you will get binding and the blade will pull off the wheels, once this starts happening it just gets worse as the blade wears, damages teeth and stretches unevenly (I had a steep and expensive (blade replacement) learning curve on large heavy cuts of Aluminium),  one other thing blade tightness is your friend, tight as possible without deflecting or causing excessive wear on the machine.

Steel is easy compared to Aluminium, lot more leeway in what you do.


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## Susquatch (Feb 9, 2022)

Degen said:


> Steel is easy compared to Aluminium, lot more leeway in what you do.



Isn't this forum awesome!

Cutting steel is a piece of cake  compared to aluminium! Who would have thunk it!

I'll never look at a chunk of aluminium the same again......

My Spindle Motor (tool post grinder) Mount is hiding inside this scary looking 4x4x5 block......






I was going to take a hack saw to it first...... Now, maybe not.....


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## YYCHM (Feb 9, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Isn't this forum awesome!
> 
> Cutting steel is a piece of cake  compared to aluminium! Who would have thunk it!
> 
> I'll never look at a chunk of aluminium the same again.....



Aluminum gives me the most amount of grief by far.  Binding, stalls, blade jumping off the wheels.  Sometimes 2 or 3 times making a single cut. Every blade I have broken has been from cutting aluminum.


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## thestelster (Feb 9, 2022)

So, I chopped 3 slabs of AL6061 from that large chunk that I had.  4" x4" x1" slabs.  Look at those dimensions, and standard deviation.  I don't know, but that looks pretty impressive.  With no skill on my part, other than squaring the fence and finagling different ways to hold it in the vice.  Ok, it took 16-18 minutes of cutting time for each piece, but at least I was able to do other work in the mean time.  It's still a piece of junk, and needs a lot of refinement, but wow, simply wow!


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## Degen (Feb 10, 2022)

Biggest thing with Aluminium is scarf build up.  I've tried fluid (my machine has it built in), speciality fluids brush applied, no luck.  I cut dry now with great success following the rules below.

The bigger the stock the courser the blade must be, unfortunately anything below 3/4" blade size limits what is available.

Second is blade tension, it should be on the higher side (not so much to damage the machine or wear out the bearings).

Feed rate, slow it down, if you are experiencing blade jumping, binding, popping off wheels, slow it down.

Last once you start experiencing this, it is only going to get worse, the blade is done for Aluminium (so at all costs reduce your feed rate at the beginning).  Lots of life left for steel unless you broke a tooth.

The important note here for Aluminium is the width of the cut (blade length in material) the wider it is the more pronounced the issue is as the scarf heats and sticks to the blade and itself in the cut just before it clears the end of the cut 

Steel on the other hand because of the hardness, chips tend to be smaller the scarf does not fill the tooth gullet. Hence high feed rates can be set to maximize cut.


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## John Conroy (Feb 10, 2022)

Since I went to flood coolant on my 7 X 12 saw I've no more problems with aluminum


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## Degen (Feb 10, 2022)

thestelster said:


> So, I chopped 3 slabs of AL6061 from that large chunk that I had.  4" x4" x1" slabs.  Look at those dimensions, and standard deviation.  I don't know, but that looks pretty impressive.  With no skill on my part, other than squaring the fence and finagling different ways to hold it in the vice.  Ok, it took 16-18 minutes of cutting time for each piece, but at least I was able to do other work in the mean time.  It's still a piece of junk, and needs a lot of refinement, but wow, simply wow!


Yes initial tune in the saw makes a big difference, even on the small ones.  Once they are set up just keep an eye on them and you'll be happy.


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## Degen (Feb 10, 2022)

John Conroy said:


> Since I went to flood coolant on my 7 X 12 saw I've no more problems with aluminum


I don't have issues on mine until I get past 6" give or take, I do a lot of cutting at 12" wide and 1/2" to 1" thick,  max of the saw width.  At this width coolant or no,  it all comes down to feed rate.  I prefer without, no issues and less mess on the floor with coolant run off (pieces are 12x24x1/2 so there is spillage no matter what).  Cut time same with or without.

I will admit it is a nice feature to have when you need it.


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## LenVW (Feb 10, 2022)

chip4charlie said:


> Just got a Wen portable band saw for $139 from Amazon. Bolted it to a Princess Auto portable bandsaw stand with vise ($75). I guessed (correctly) that all the Chinese portable band saws are of the same design - so they did bolt together. It's awesome! (5" x 5" capacity)


Excellent, I am headed to PA later today.


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## YYCHM (Feb 10, 2022)

Degen said:


> The bigger the stock the courser the blade must be, unfortunately anything below 3/4" blade size limits what is available.
> 
> Second is blade tension, it should be on the higher side (not so much to damage the machine or wear out the bearings).
> 
> Feed rate, slow it down, if you are experiencing blade jumping, binding, popping off wheels, slow it down.



So.... I'm thinking maybe I should relegate aluminum to my PHS with a 10 TPI PHS blade.  It cuts slower and the down feed is strictly gravity.  Aluminum on my bandsaw has been a real PITA.

What do you think?


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## Degen (Feb 10, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> So.... I'm thinking maybe I should relegate aluminum to my PHS with a 10 TPI PHS blade.  It cuts slower and the down feed is strictly gravity.  Aluminum on my bandsaw has been areal PITA.
> 
> What do you think?


Good, do you have anything coarser? A 6 maybe?  Also look at variable pitch blades 8-10 or 4-6.  They help with harmonics in the blade.


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## YYCHM (Feb 10, 2022)

Degen said:


> Good, do you have anything coarser? A 6 maybe?  Also look at variable pitch blades 8-10 or 4-6.  They help with harmonics in the blade.



Have to see if I can get anything courser.  PHS blades are thicker as well.


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## Degen (Feb 10, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> Have to see if I can get anything courser.  PHS blades are thicker as well.


Sorry not aware of them, most of the saws are either 0.030 or 0.035 with the latter being the most common (unless you get into bigger machines).  I'd hate to see thicker on smaller saws (7x12's and down) as the stiffness in the blade would likely cause excessive load on the machine as the bladed is forced into the cutting plain.  Just my 2 cents.


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## YYCHM (Feb 10, 2022)

Degen said:


> Sorry not aware of them, most of the saws are either 0.030 or 0.035 with the latter being the most common (unless you get into bigger machines).  I'd hate to see thicker on smaller saws (7x12's and down) as the stiffness in the blade would likely cause excessive load on the machine as the bladed is forced into the cutting plain.  Just my 2 cents.



The coarsest I could find in a 12" blade....





__





						KBC,12X1 IN. 10T HS POWER HACKSAW BLADE,1-445-005,KBC Tools & Machinery
					

KBC,12X1 IN. 10T HS POWER HACKSAW BLADE,1-445-005,KBC Tools & Machinery




					www.kbctools.ca


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## Degen (Feb 10, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> The coarsest I could find in a 12" blade....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Then that's your best choice.  Alternatively buy a longer blade and shorten it.

I would use the 10 first and see how it goes.  Good luck.

BTW didn't link the abreviation to this.

Cheers,


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## LRSbm146 (Feb 11, 2022)

I can’t say enough good things about the Milwaukee portaband. Best $300-350 saw you can buy. Just my opinion. 3 pack of blades for under $20. It walks through everything...
Was cutting 1-1/2” titanium bar in under a minute with a fresh blade. Had a bench top “chop” style previously and it never made a straight cut twice, under powered, and blades were expensive.


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## Susquatch (Feb 11, 2022)

LRSbm146 said:


> I can’t say enough good things about the Milwaukee portaband. Best $300-350 saw you can buy. Just my opinion. 3 pack of blades for under $20. It walks through everything...



Looks awesome. Are you cutting that plate or is it a table you made for it?


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## LRSbm146 (Feb 11, 2022)

@Susquatch its a table. Made a couple mini saw horses for supporting longer pieces as well.  I’m really surprised with this saw and how tight it runs the blade.... helps big time with making straight cuts


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## SomeGuy (Feb 12, 2022)

Here ya go, dry cut saw in action:






First time I've cut solid material with it (not tube)...it just ate through the aluminum with no effort.


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## PeterT (Feb 12, 2022)

Those saws are pretty impressive. 
So what's the deal on blades? I know its hard to judge life span, but would it be, say, about the same as a bandsaw blade all things equal? Then what, is it carbide sharpening services time or is chuck & replace cost about the same? I always wonder about aluminum (the gummy materials) are they OK without fluids?


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## SomeGuy (Feb 12, 2022)

PeterT said:


> Those saws are pretty impressive.
> So what's the deal on blades? I know its hard to judge life span, but would it be, say, about the same as a bandsaw blade all things equal? Then what, is it carbide sharpening services time or is chuck & replace cost about the same? I always wonder about aluminum (the gummy materials) are they OK without fluids?



Blades are very expensive yeah. I've probably done a couple hundred cuts with this blade so far, mostly in 1.5 inch and 2.0 inch square tube along with 1/4"x3" flat bar while I was building the shelving and lathe stand...can't say it's taken any noticeable wear yet. I would say better life than the portaband blades I've used, but not sure as compared to a full size bandsaw.

When it gets dull, I will probably buy a new blade and maybe find someone to sharpen the other one or worst case save it for rough cuts. The trick with these blades is to go gentle and never let it chatter, just like carbide inserts, they don't like interrupted cuts.

As for aluminum, the round bar just threw chips everywhere...blade didn't seem to care at all. Likely because of how big the teeth are, plenty of room to clear.


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## Degen (Feb 13, 2022)

I've been using my mitre saw and Sears Radial arm saw for cutting aluminium for years with a high tooth count blade for non ferrous metals (thick heavy stock is possible and I've done it but.....).  With all rotatory saws there are risks because fast blade speed increase projectile speeds when things go wrong.  I'll post a pic of blade destroyed last week after well over 8,000 cuts on aluminium after a moments brain fart (body parts intact and no holes, luckily).


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## LenVW (Feb 13, 2022)

Let the saw blade do the work.
Light cut pressure,
*Soluble oil for steel, Varsol for Aluminum*
The worst thing is to use a New blade in an already started cut by a worn blade.
(You will quickly wear the kerf off and there goes your cut clearance)


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## LenVW (Feb 13, 2022)

SomeGuy said:


> Here ya go, dry cut saw in action:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The chop saw is a good option for Aluminum, we used to use it for thousands of cuts in a production shop.

Carbon steel you need to slow down the blade speed and use some soluble oil or Quik Kut.

If you use too much cut force the blade will wander and your cut will look like you are working on a slant (or side hill).


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## Degen (Feb 13, 2022)

On rotary blades wax! Best thing ever. Beeswax Parafin wax, specialty wax. Cheapest possible. Old candle stick wax, just no wicks in them or a finger count may be needed!

BTW Works great on any cutting tool.


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## SomeGuy (Feb 13, 2022)

LenVW said:


> The chop saw is a good option for Aluminum, we used to use it for thousands of cuts in a production shop.
> 
> Carbon steel you need to slow down the blade speed and use some soluble oil or Quik Kut.
> 
> If you use too much cut force the blade will wander and your cut will look like you are working on a slant (or side hill).



Keep in mind this is not just a chop saw with a different blade....this saw turns at 1300rpm, not the 3500+ rpm of most abrasive chop saws.


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## Gearhead88 (Feb 13, 2022)

This saw is an old friend , it has served me well and has mostly been reliable. 

I bought this at Princess auto 20 years ago , it has worked hard !

I've hot rodded it a bit  , the motor went up in smoke many years ago , it's got a washing machine motor on it now. The plastic tensioning knobs failed years ago , I made two new ones out of aluminum . This saw just keeps going and going .


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## Darren (Feb 13, 2022)

On my 7x12 saw, i'm using old used dexcool antifreeze as cutting fluid/coolant. It is slick between the fingers and seems to do a really good job.  And better yet, free.

If you have dogs, don't use green antifreeze. My dogs won't touch dexcool, but ive heard that dogs like green antifreeze, and it will kill them.


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## Degen (Feb 14, 2022)

Here is the photo of the blade, notice the teeth are missing, broken right off.  I amazed how tough the carbide on these blades are despite the impact caused during the damage the surviving teeth had extremely little damage.

Blade is made by Peak, they took over what was BC Saw and Tool on Evans Ave in Toronto.  I've been using this location for all of my sharpening for years and yes they do custom grinds for special applications. (Yes they are still there and prices are extremely reasonable).

Note, this is a 10" 100 tooth count with a negative as it assists with any overhead saws in pressing the material ti the table.  Yes an 80 count would cause less load on the saw, but with the higher count you have less chance of too big of a bite causing damage.  Draw back is possible scarf filling gullets but that is easily solved, slower but safer feed rate resulting in extremely good finishes.


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## Degen (Feb 14, 2022)

dfloen said:


> On my 7x12 saw, i'm using old used dexcool antifreeze as cutting fluid/coolant. It is slick between the fingers and seems to do a really good job.  And better yet, free.
> 
> If you have dogs, don't use green antifreeze. My dogs won't touch dexcool, but ive heard that dogs like green antifreeze, and it will kill them.


Any anti-freeze is bad for animals (humans kids included, yes kids have animal moments ask any parent), it contains polypropylene glycol this is what is dangerous and attracts them.


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## Darren (Feb 14, 2022)

I'm sure it is. But dexcool has a bitter taste and dogs won't touch it. My system is self contained so it's not a concern.


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## thestelster (Apr 14, 2022)

When I bought the saw, used, it did not come with a table to use it in the vertical position. An 8"x8" piece of plywood, 1/2" thick did the trick (for now at least.)


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## Susquatch (Apr 14, 2022)

thestelster said:


> When I bought the saw, used, it did not come with a table to use it in the vertical position. An 8"x8" piece of plywood, 1/2" thick did the trick (for now at least.)



My used sister to yours came with the table. The table is a total piece of junk. Your plywood table is prolly WAY BETTER! 

I plan to replace mine with a piece of 3/8" plate aluminium or 1/4" steel (maybe even stainless).

The weak link is the two mounting screws though. They won't take a lot of weight or counter any pressure on the table. So some sort of quick release support will also be required.


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## David_R8 (Apr 14, 2022)

Here's an excellent idea for a table for the horizontal saws.
Sorry for the duplicate mention of Mark's table.


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## thestelster (Apr 14, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> My used sister to yours came with the table. The table is a total piece of junk. Your plywood table is prolly WAY BETTER!
> 
> I plan to replace mine with a piece of 3/8" plate aluminium or 1/4" steel (maybe even stainless).
> 
> The weak link is the two mounting screws though. They won't take a lot of weight or counter any pressure on the table. So some sort of quick release support will also be required.


You might also plan for some outrigger support arms to make the table square to the blade.


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## Susquatch (Apr 14, 2022)

thestelster said:


> You might also plan for some outrigger support arms to make the table square to the blade.



Great idea. I doubt the factory had that in mind. But I am impressed at how square it cuts in horizontal mode.


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## Brian26 (Apr 18, 2022)

Another possibility is to use a cut-off saw with a Steel Demon blade. I have an old battery-operated Makita 7.25" saw that I use to cut just about anything - within its range of course. I have cut 2" square tubing for a 2" x 72" grinder I am building. Takes about 25 seconds to make one cut using this saw. It's pretty amazing. I had an old Grizzly bandsaw and that was taking over 3 minutes to make a similar cut.


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## SomeGuy (Apr 18, 2022)

Brian26 said:


> Another possibility is to use a cut-off saw with a Steel Demon blade. I have an old battery-operated Makita 7.25" saw that I use to cut just about anything - within its range of course. I have cut 2" square tubing for a 2" x 72" grinder I am building. Takes about 25 seconds to make one cut using this saw. It's pretty amazing. I had an old Grizzly bandsaw and that was taking over 3 minutes to make a similar cut.



And the dry cut saw will do it in 5-10 seconds  Having the right saw for the job makes a world of difference.

Oh, and I agree, bandsaws are generally slow.


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## Susquatch (Apr 18, 2022)

SomeGuy said:


> And the dry cut saw will do it in 5-10 seconds  Having the right saw for the job makes a world of difference.
> 
> Oh, and I agree, bandsaws are generally slow.



Can't be slower than a hacksaw.......


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## SomeGuy (Apr 18, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Can't be slower than a hacksaw.......


lol I mean, depends on the hacksaw


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## YYCHM (Apr 18, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Can't be slower than a hacksaw.......








Faster than a manual HS, but not as fast a my band saw


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## Susquatch (Apr 19, 2022)

Some of the members on this forum can be really mean sometimes. I meant a regular manual hacksaw and you all know it. 

Somedays I feel like I can't hacksaw my way out of a wet cardboard box!!!


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## LenVW (Apr 19, 2022)

Have any of you guys used a inverted jigsaw.
Rockwell makes a BladeRunner that looks interesting for small shops with a variety of cutting required.
Just looking for some first hand experiences.


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## Susquatch (Apr 19, 2022)

LenVW said:


> Have any of you guys used a inverted jigsaw.
> Rockwell makes a BladeRunner that looks interesting for small shops with a variety of cutting required.
> Just looking for some first hand experiences.



Nope.


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## SomeGuy (Apr 19, 2022)

LenVW said:


> Have any of you guys used a inverted jigsaw.
> Rockwell makes a BladeRunner that looks interesting for small shops with a variety of cutting required.
> Just looking for some first hand experiences.


Kinda like a scroll saw but without blade support on both sides?


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## LenVW (Apr 19, 2022)

They say it can handle some metal cutting, but it seems to be a  light weight hobby saw for wood. I am guessing Aluminum would be the only metal it would cut.


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## Dan Dubeau (Apr 19, 2022)

Never use an inverted one, but my Bosch top handle jigsaw has probably cut 10x more metal than wood in it's lifetime.  Works really well for sheetmetal too, and sometime I prefer it to plasma.


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## LenVW (Apr 19, 2022)

Are you talking about bar and plate . . . or just sheetmetal ?


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## Dan Dubeau (Apr 19, 2022)

Mostly sheet, but lots of angle and tubing too.  It's chewed through some aluminum plate (1/4"-1/2") a time or two as well.  Even some 1" tooling plate.  I used to keep it in my box at work, but took it home as I always needed it more there.  Nothing worse than needing a tool at home you have at work, or the other way around. 

If I didn't have a horizontal bandsaw I'd still use it for 45* mitering of angle (ex 2x2x1/8").  Really quick, and imo way better than a portaband, or angle grinder.  Super easy to follow layout lines, and get a nice fitting joint. 

Variable speed is what makes it so versatile.  And good blades are necessary. 

For a good while it was my only metal cutting tool besides a recip saw, and angle grinder at home.  I don't use it much anymore because I have better options, but I should bust it out more as it IS pretty handy to have around.  Portaband tends to be the go to because it hangs on a hook next to the vise.  Even if it isn't always the best tool for the job.

EDIT:  one of the best reasons I liked it so much is that it was quiet.  I hate air tools, and loud angle grinders etc.  I'd rather take a bit longer, than listen to that racket.  It's also pretty clean too.  Chips just fall to the floor, and don't get flung around the shop all over the place.   I used a wax stick lubricant on the blades too.


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## David_R8 (Apr 19, 2022)

Funny, until @Dan Dubeau's post I never considered using my jigsaw on metal. What blades do you prefer?


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## Dabbler (Apr 19, 2022)

David_R8 said:


> I never considered using my jigsaw on metal. What blades do you prefer?


I just buy home centre blades.  they are cheap, expendable, and reach inside enclosed circles when I need them.  For heavier cuts I use  the reciprocating saws-all type saw with a metal blade - it works well enough when I have to cut stuff outdoors.


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## Dan Dubeau (Apr 19, 2022)

I was fortunate enough to get a pretty large quantity of Starrett bimetal blades in an auction lot many years ago for pennies on the dollar, but have used bosch blades as well.  Maybe others?  Slow speed will make your blades last exponentially longer, thats where the variable speed comes into play and is pretty essential.  It's just another cutting tool where proper speeds and feeds are vital to it's survival.


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## LenVW (Apr 19, 2022)

I like the JIG SAW for cut-off purposes.
- Little heat buildup
- No sparks
- Small blade cost (Use the HSS blades for metal)
As  @DanDubeau  says, variable speed control is a ‘must’ option.


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## Johnwa (Apr 19, 2022)

Another vote for the Bosch jigsaw.  I’ve cut up to ¼” steel bar with it.  I’ve also used it for cutting propane cylinders as there’s no sparks.
It cuts thin aluminum almost as easy as it does wood.  The Bosch blades are far superior to the regular Home Depot type blades.


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## StevSmar (Apr 19, 2022)

I’ve used my Bosch jigsaw on aluminium, I’m reluctant to try it on steel as it’s primarily a woodworking tool.

I’m suspecting I should try it before I commit to a portaband saw.


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## Dabbler (Apr 19, 2022)

@StevSmar Choose a very fine metal blade - it is a good place to start.  Another thing to think about is the limited power to the blade, so you don't go fast with a jigsaw.


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## Degen (Apr 19, 2022)

LenVW said:


> Have any of you guys used a inverted jigsaw.
> Rockwell makes a BladeRunner that looks interesting for small shops with a variety of cutting required.
> Just looking for some first hand experiences.


Yes but I did it freehand, live dangerously


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## LenVW (Apr 21, 2022)

Jig saw will likely shake apart.
I did look at a MAXXT porta-blade with 24tpi.
I have a few contractor friends that may let me experiment.

Further testing is planned.


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## Johnwa (May 10, 2022)

Today I roughed out the frame for a Prusa clone out of ¼” aluminum.   Each cut was about 10” and took about 40 seconds with my Bosch jigsaw.  I just used a regular wood cutting blade without any lube.


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## GregOston (May 10, 2022)

My father really likes working in a metal workshop. He dreams of getting on a show where unusual swords are created. How hard do you think it is to get on such a TV show?


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## GummyMonster (May 25, 2022)

Found this video about cutting aluminum with a 14" dry cut saw. 
  - 



 He uses a dedicated aluminum blade and the cut quality is very impressive..
Thought it might interest some of you.
Ken


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## LenVW (May 26, 2022)

My latest acquisition is going to save me a lot of sweat generated by the HACK saw.
Picked up this MAXXT porta-blade and Base from a HYPER-Tools rep on a stop in Oakville.
Powerful and quiet !!
Metal cutting made easy !!
It is going to be nice for re-purposing some weldments I have on-hand.


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## David_R8 (May 26, 2022)

LenVW said:


> My latest acquisition is going to save me a lot of sweat generated by the HACK saw.
> Picked up this MAXXT porta-blade and Base from a HYPER-Tools rep on a stop in Oakville.
> Powerful and quiet !!
> Metal cutting made easy !!
> It is going to be nice for re-purposing some weldments I have on-hand.


Looks just like my King saw and stand. 
I found I had to back off the pivot nut a bit to get smooth action on the stand.


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## LenVW (May 26, 2022)

Initial tests with aluminum and angle iron have been been like a ‘hot-knife thru butter’.
I had a discussion with the rep from Hyper-Tools who are working on developing more . . .
DIY and Hobbyist grade tools that are very reasonably priced.


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## Johnwa (May 29, 2022)

This came up on my YouTube today.






The channel is mostly woodworking with a bit of RC and metalwork.


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## LenVW (May 29, 2022)

Johnwa said:


> This came up on my YouTube today.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good apparatus but don’t forget to put shaft wipers on those Linear Bearings because the balls will cease once some dirt and cuttings build up on the shafting.
If you want to avoid cleaning out the bearing blocks occasionally, replace the ball bearings with Simplicity Bushings or bronze bushings.
(I had to make a design change on a vacuum former with reciprocating carriages)
The Linear Ball Bearings are designed for years of constant use. 
A set of bushings made of bronze would last you quite a while at a fraction of the price.


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