Cold Saw

[Willie B]

I'm thinking of buying a cold saw, I think that's what it is called. It would make clean cuts on steel. I have two abrasive chop saws, they don't make consistent square cuts. I'd like something faster & truer cutting.
The immediate need is 2-1/2" X 1/4" angle. I'll make square cuts mostly, then cut away 2-1/2 square to make a corner, not a miter. I got the bugs worked out of my plasma cutter, so making guides to facilitate square cuts other than free hand might be another answer. As is, I'm doing more grinding to prepare for welds than I like.

Maine Oxy offers Steel Max, a brand I've never heard of, I presume to be Chinese. What brand do you like?

[Mac's Crew]

I have used a cold saw, and it was simple and slow. I have an drycut saw and while loud and chip throwing the cuts are awesome. Cost of new and availability of used cold saws is why I went with the drycut. Either one is vastly superior to an abrasive saw unless it is hardened material.

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[M J D]

What your describing is a dry cut saw. I have the Makita lc1230 which is a really nice, rigid frame saw. Look for something with a rigid frame and vise or you will regret it thru reduced blade life . With that being said on heavier material a band saw is a much better choice. The dry cut really shines on light gauge tubing. 3/16" and thicker the band saw seems to give a better # of cuts to blade life ratio .

[acourtjester]

I have a slight disagreement with MJD I cut 1/4" wall square (up to 3")tube and angle iron too with my Evolution 14" saw for a finer cut squareness. It may cut slow but still faster then a Band saw. Blades can be resharpened too.
https://weldingweb.com/vbb/threads/7...t=circular+dry

[tapwelder]

I like my Dewalt, when I use it. Mostly, mine is used for onsite work. It is faster than a bandsaw, however you usually only cut one piece at a time. A good vice and the angle block would be beneficial. Also, a stand and racks for cutting would be most important if it is a primary saw. It can fling parts around your shop effortless and in the blink of an eye. If primary saw, then get 2 blades to start. A slip of the metal will knock teeth out.

[M J D]

I have a slight disagreement with MJD I cut 1/4" wall square (up to 3")tube and angle iron too with my Evolution 14" saw for a finer cut squareness. It may cut slow but still faster then a Band saw. Blades can be resharpened too.
https://weldingweb.com/vbb/threads/7...t=circular+dry

I never said a band saw was faster, just a better choice when it comes to blade life. A dry cut saw performs best with minimal amount of teeth in the cut, where a band saw works better with more teeth in the cut. Solid and heavy gauge material is the nemesis of a dry cut saw. While it may cut 3" round or heavy wall material it will definitely take it's toll on blades. Knowing the limitations of that tool or any tool will give better results. Of course harder materials are also something to be avoided with a dry cut saw. For that situation an abrasive saw is a good choice.

[Louie1961]

Willie, there are lots of brands of dry cut saw. The difference is in the base and the vise. The Makita is arguably the best in breed, but there are other suitable brands like Evolution (some models but not all of them), Morse, etc.

https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/LC1230

Real cold saws (like this Jet https://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/cs-...old-saw/414226) are likely overkill and will cost an order of magnitude more than a dry cut saw.

FWIW, I much prefer my band saw over a dry cut saw. Its just quieter and you can walk away and multitask while it cuts your material. Makes less mess too.

[Broccoli1]

We have the Dewalt 14".

The Steel Max looks good too.

https://steelmax.com/product/s14-met...ast-iron-base/

[Lis2323]

Another vote for the Makita dry cut saw.




However I will NEVER get rid of my 40 year old Makita abrasive saw….

[psacustomcreations]

If you buy a dry cut, get one with a cast base instead of sheet metal or stamped. Also look at the vise, there are several saws with mediocre vises.


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[SweetMK]

If my Jet band saw died today,, I would be looking for a replacement tomorrow,,



I think this saw could realistically cut anything up to 9X16" tube and up to 6X12" solid, I have cut close to those sizes,,

This pic shows four pieces of 3/4" thick bar being cut at the same time.



I think Facebook memorizes my interests, or something, but, every time I go to Facebook Marketplace, there are several reasonable priced bandsaws,, big ones, like mine.

This saw will cut 1/8" X 1" steel bar just as easily as the parts shown in the pics.

I have owned this one over 20 years, and bought it well used,, who knows how long it will run.
A $50 blade lasts me 2 to 3 months if I am cutting parts 3 to 4 hours constantly every day.
Now, I do not use it except for my personal fab work, I have replaced 2 blades since 2012.

The amazing thing is,, the blade cuts 100% perfectly, right up to the last cut,, then, BAM! the blade cuts crooked.
No partial wear-out like a mower blade, or something like that.
It is very unique,, thinking about how much cutting the saw can do, for so little cost.

The saw is so rigid, and accurate, you can clamp a part in the saw, and do cuts that mimic the type of cuts that normally a milling machine is required to do.
I have often made cuts like that.

I have various "fixtures" that I have built for the saw to assist in doing those type parts.
I have a 30 degree, and 60 degree adapter that drops into the vise,, and I can do all types of angle parts with those.

[Willie B]

My experience with dry saws is near zero. I have used cheap band saws. None I've used were name brand, only Grizzly & several identical Chinese saws, not good.

[Mac's Crew]

I have used both dry and cold saws... I like both, dry is affordable cold is not. Both make good cuts, both are true if set up right. I cannot afford a cold saw, but have the rage evolution 2 14 inch and love it.

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[leightrepairs]

All the different saws have good and bad, the drycut is good as a portable saw a cold saw not so much. The drycut is noisey the cold saw is quiet. Dry cut is in the $500 dollar range a good cold cut saw is a few thousand. Blades are sharpenable for either. for general fabrication in a small operation the drycut is a good choice. Easiest way to damage either blade is to not let the saw get up to speed before engaging the metal. I have and like the Steelmax S14 with a cast base, and they have an attachment for the vise for cutting pipe. V blocks like Morse makes, I made a set for the Steelmax are good for square tubing. Just my thoughts.

[Lis2323]

My experience with dry saws is near zero. I have used cheap band saws. None I've used were name brand, only Grizzly & several identical Chinese saws, not good.

I "think" the larger (7x12) import saws are better than the cheap (4x6).

I had two and they worked fine.




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[M J D]

I "think" the larger (7x12) import saws are better than the cheap (4x6).

I had two and they worked fine.




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It's like anything, proper setup and adjustments along with using the tool properly will dictate the level of success. Unfortunately a lot of people don't understand that different materials, size , etc., dictate different blades no matter the saw.

[Oscar]

the Evolution S380CPS is the one I would get if I was in the market. I currently have a Rage 2 with the stamped steel base, and it works. Probably not as nice as the case-base saws, but it works.

[G-ManBart]

I have an Evolution S380CPS and it's pretty impressive. I also have a beautiful Wellsaw 613 (650lb bandsaw) which is a big step up from the light, imported bandsaws. The Evo makes true square cuts easily, the vise has preset mitre positions so you can cut repeatable angles time after time and it will cut far thicker material than the company claims. I do 90% of my cuts on the Evo now and use the bandsaw for tool steel and larger stock that won't fit in the Evo.

I have found two ways to kill a blade on the Evo, but I can't blame the saw for that. At one point I made several hundred cuts of 1" square solid mild steel on a blade before I messed up and killed the blade.....was keeping a log of every cut to see how long it would last. I've cut quite a few pieces of 2" round solid as well...no problem.

The one time I ruined a blade was a major mistake on my part and that sent a piece into the main casting and cracked it. I called Evolution, got a real person here in the U.S. within two minutes and five minutes later had a part ordered that showed up four days later. I can't recall exactly, but it was around $100 with shipping....I was thrilled at that level of support!

If my Evo was stolen I would buy another one immediately. It's loud, and the chip tray fills up quickly, but it makes great cuts that are repeatable and the blade life is great. I have a fresh Diablo blade on it now and I'm keeping a log of every cut....we'll see how long it lasts before getting dull. The absolute key is not to put down pressure on the handle...just let it cut with the weight of your hand, no more. The Evo blades are expensive, but really good. I tried the Diablo since it was about 1/3 less and so far I'm impressed enough I would get another.

There is no comparison in how true the cuts are between the Evo and the Wellsaw and the larger the work, the bigger the difference is. If my Wellsaw was stolen I'd give some thought to a replacement and wait for a really good deal to come around.

[SweetMK]

I have found two ways to kill a blade on the Evo, but I can't blame the saw for that.



There is no comparison in how true the cuts are between the Evo and the Wellsaw and the larger the work, the bigger the difference is.

I did not see the "two ways to kill a blade",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ??

I did not see your selection as to which is more accurate ,,,,,,,, ??

[G-ManBart]

I did not see the "two ways to kill a blade",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ??

I did not see your selection as to which is more accurate ,,,,,,,, ??

I probably mentally blocked reporting how to kill a blade! The first time I was making cuts to length on angle iron that is L-shaped rather than V, so unequal length sides. I have a set of rollers to the left of the saw set up to the proper height...roll the work into the saw, partially tighten the vise for alignment, then loosen a touch to be able to move the work, slide and measure for length, tighten the vise and make the cut. I tightened the vise, but possibly not enough. The unequal length stuff can be a bit tricky. I had it upside down, with the short section closer to me. At some point in the cut the angle iron rolled, pulled out of the vise and got thrown...it was violent! I think it was because the blade cut through the short section and then was only cutting on the long section, but almost cutting from below, so it lifted the work. I have since cut those facing the other direction with no problems.

The second time I don't recall all the details, but I got distracted, didn't tighten the vise and near the end of the cut the work jumped and the cutoff piece rotated backwards into the blade as best I can tell...making an interrupted cut which carbide hates.

The short version...make sure the work can't move!

I should have worded the section about accuracy more carefully. The Evolution is much more accurate. The cuts are true as long as you get the work secure. On the bandsaw it's easy to get blade drift even when things are done right, especially as the blade wears. I didn't notice any degradation in cut accuracy as the Evolution blade gets older.

[Need Advice]

Im thinking about getting the Evolution R255SMS+ instead of the Evolution S380CPS. My reason is that the R255SMS+ seems like it would be better for miter cuts. Also this saw can cut wood so it would come in handy if i ever needed to do miters on wood. If the saw doesn't cut steel the way i like i can always use it for wood. Im open to criticism however, so if anyone sees anything wrong with my idea please speak up, thank you.

[Need Advice]

The Evolution R255SMS+

https://youtu.be/jq-cPEJy-ts

[Need Advice]

Something else to consider about the Evolution R255SMS+ is it can do plunge cuts as well as sliding cuts. I could see that coming in handy when cutting angle steel. Maybe.

[G-ManBart]

Im thinking about getting the Evolution R255SMS+ instead of the Evolution S380CPS. My reason is that the R255SMS+ seems like it would be better for miter cuts. Also this saw can cut wood so it would come in handy if i ever needed to do miters on wood. If the saw doesn't cut steel the way i like i can always use it for wood. Im open to criticism however, so if anyone sees anything wrong with my idea please speak up, thank you.

You will be very limited in the thickness of steel you can cut with that...1/8" for tubing, angle, and 1/4" for plate. The blade RPM is simply too high for cutting heavier stock.

[Need Advice]

You will be very limited in the thickness of steel you can cut with that...1/8" for tubing, angle, and 1/4" for plate. The blade RPM is simply too high for cutting heavier stock.

Wow, thanks. I never noticed the R255SMS and the S380CPS has different RPM's. I noticed they had the same amps but never even thought of RPM. Thanks for heads up.