Metal cutting circular saw blades

[whtbaron]

My local garage used to whine about cutting welded pipe on the bandsaw because he claimed it killed the blade. I suspect it's that weld that is destroying your saw blades as well, which is why it works better in plate. I still cut it on the bandsaw, but if you take the time to rotate the welded seam to the bottom, it seems to be a little easier on the blade.

[ronsii]

No, not user error.... other than buying them I've used these things enough to know what not to do


No welds on either piece of plate I was cutting with the new blade that only lasted two cuts I was purposely holding them *very* tight and using a 'weld quality' forward movement for the travel speed. I think they either have a bad batch of brazing or something to do with the easy to bend properties of the actual saw disc... they are a lot thinner than any of the other brands!

I can easily have the milwaukee or even the oshlun brand last a month with easily 3-4 hundred cuts before it starts to cut to slow for me... in fact the other day after the first diablo bit the dust I didn't have any new blades in the truck so I grabbed an old oshlun that still had some good teeth on it and made the remaining 20 cuts I needed to finish.

[Kelvin]

No, not user error.... other than buying them

Huh. Well, I've never used the "Diablo" sub-brand (HFT is cheaper) ... just the full-kerf Freud blades, and never a problem, knock wood.

[ronsii]

I actually bought a HFT brand blade a long time ago but never used it... will have to see if I can find it or buy another one and try them out as I do like saving money unless it wastes more time with blade issues....

[Lis2323]

I still cut it on the bandsaw, but if you take the time to rotate the welded seam to the bottom, it seems to be a little easier on the blade.

Or at the very least you will have 99.5 percent of your cut completed before you ruin your blade.

Good idea though.

[ronsii]

Lol!!!!

[M J D]

My local garage used to whine about cutting welded pipe on the bandsaw because he claimed it killed the blade. I suspect it's that weld that is destroying your saw blades as well, which is why it works better in plate. I still cut it on the bandsaw, but if you take the time to rotate the welded seam to the bottom, it seems to be a little easier on the blade.

I always try to put the seam anywhere but the bottom as well. The least amount of time on the seam really helps extend blade life.

[whtbaron]

lol... u mean I'm doing it wrong??

[M J D]

lol... u mean I'm doing it wrong??

If it works for you go with it. I've always tried to do everything but that but sometimes it can't be avoided like miter cutting rectangular tube.

[Deerehauler]

I cut aluminum almost exclusively. The normal thickness is 1/4" of 3003 with a piece of 5/8" round 6061 welded on one side. The aluminum is old and has been in and out of a steam oven since the 1970s. I use a 8" Milwaukee metal cutting saw and have the best luck with the Endurance 42 tooth blade that was sold with the saw. I use sticks of wax from NAPA to keep the blade lubricated. Most of the cuts in the old aluminum are about 2". I also cut new 1/4" 6061 from 3-5" in length.

I am a firm believer in keeping the blade lubed with the wax. I avoid crowding the saw, and when my cutting speed decreases I know it is time to rewax the blade. When the gullets between the teeth begin to load up with aluminum, the blade is getting dull and needs sharpened. I happened on a Foley Belsaw circular saw blade sharpener and sharpen my own blades. I also have the HF saw sharpener, but I think the FB is more accurate.

I have used this blade on steel as well, but I think the blade with a higher tooth count may be better for steel. The higher tooth count is NOT good for aluminum because the teeth load up too easily. As other users have stated, it is VERY important to keep both sides of the metal being cut secure. I like the description of milling a cut rather than cutting.

[ronsii]

I picked up a few material specific blades last year and the aluminum ones I haven't tried waxing... never had a problem with them cutting 1/4inch aluminium plate but I only cut maybe 30-40 feet at a time, i know lots of guys swear by wd40 or candle wax... I have used wax when cutting plate with a regular carbide wood blade though and it helps quite a bit.

I cut a bunch of galv pipe today with the dewalt: made ~50 cuts of 1-1/4 shd40, 110 cuts of 3/16ths X 3/4, 20 cuts of 1-1/2 x shd30, and another 25-30 cuts of random size pieces of odds and ends.

Still running a dewalt branded 66tooth blade missing 1 tooth but still cutting pretty good, These blades will usually give me a service life of maybe 4-5 months if I'm careful, but even being careful there is always something that will grab and not do the blade any favors

[Kelvin]

I usually just cut aluminum on my table saw with a regular/vanilla "wood" carbide blade ... if I remember to do it, I'll put some drain oil on the aluminum first...

[12V71]

I've never used a track saw to cut spam, might make some good sandwiches.

[ronsii]

When it comes to SPAM track saws are the absolute best!!!!

[vwguy3]

A track saw can help you cut the Spam so thin there is no place for the flavor to hide.

[Barclay]

You can cut mild steel up to about 3/8 in. thick using a ferrous-metal-cutting blade. Put on your safety gear, keep bystanders away, and cover anything you don't want coated with metal chips. You'll find ferrous-metal-cutting blades at home centers, hardware stores and online.

[ronsii]

I can't find them online

[CAVEMANN]

This Orastin dude has been polluting pages with his own brand of Spam, I never liked Spam of any kind.