cold cut/ chop saws

1501 Views 19 Replies 10 Participants Last post by robbie767, May 31, 2007

cajundragger

Discussion Starter · Apr 19, 2007

Right now I have an older chop saw. I think its an 11", could be a bit bigger though. It has a regular pressed carbon blade and it likes to walk on the cuts. Its just not giving me the perfect cut I want and need to build frames which I will start doing soon.

I looked around for cold cut saws and couldnt find one for less than $2500, are they really this expensive? I need to be able to cut up to 3x6 square tubing...

Or would it be worth it to get a metal blade chop saw(if one exists) and use that? Again I need a perfect cut...

And I dont want a bandsaw as I already have one, I want some sort of circular saw...

Thanks

1 - 20 of 20 Posts

HankScorpio

· #2 · Apr 19, 2007

Dake cold saw. IMO

http://www.dakecorp.com/pdf/Cold-Saws.pdf

Holly shit I just noticed its 4g's

bggrnchvy

· #3 · Apr 19, 2007

I have a cheap(they are like $70 on sale, its just stupid cheap) Harbor Freight abrasive chop saw with a 14" disc and it cuts about as straight as its going to get with a rough cut. If I had room Id have a bandsaw just for the noise and ease of cleanup though.

If your building frames squares and jigs are what you should be squaring up to, not relying on perfectly straight cuts as they just won't be unless you mill the ends of each peice.

Btw, Im not sure if you know or not but there is some technique to keeping the blade from walking. Let the blade cut for you and don't try and force it into the part, you have to balance pressure applied with the rate you are cutting.

cajundragger

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 19, 2007

bggrnchvy said:
I have a cheap(they are like $70 on sale, its just stupid cheap) Harbor Freight abrasive chop saw with a 14" disc and it cuts about as straight as its going to get with a rough cut. If I had room Id have a bandsaw just for the noise and ease of cleanup though.

If your building frames squares and jigs are what you should be squaring up to, not relying on perfectly straight cuts as they just won't be unless you mill the ends of each peice.

Btw, Im not sure if you know or not but there is some technique to keeping the blade from walking. Let the blade cut for you and don't try and force it into the part, you have to balance pressure applied with the rate you are cutting.

I cut slow, the blade still walks. And Im not worried about square or straight, cause I can always come back and grind everything cut, I just want a good/perfect preweld fit...

bggrnchvy

· #5 · Apr 19, 2007

So you're not worried about straight, but you want it straight from the rough cutter for a good fit, but it doesn't matter because you can come back and grind it later? Im sorry but you lost me.

Again Ive built a couple squared up frames(not vehicle frames) directly from my el cheapo chop saw and aligned with a square and the gaps are never more than 16th of an inch if I set the angle on the backing plate with a square as well. They seem to turn out really square according to all my measurement tools at least.

cajundragger

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 19, 2007

Like I said, I may just need a new chop saw. Im getting walks of an 1/8 or more on miders and at least a 1/16 on straights.

I can set it straight in a jig but I have huge(1/16 and above) gaps...

white05z71

· #7 · Apr 20, 2007

I have one of these guys. Its a bad mother trucker, i love it.
cuts strait as an arrow through any type of metal. no need to grind and its only 400ish bucks

The DW872 multicutter saw is a dry cutting saw that uses a carbide-tipped blade specifically designed for cutting heavy-duty metals. This 14-inch saw has enough capacity to cut everything from 5-inch black pipe to 2-9/16-inch solid bar stock. It's also great for cutting threaded rod, struts, angle iron, black pipe, and rebar. The DW872 cuts at incredibly good speeds. Not only is the speed impressive, but with the finished surface, there is little need for touchup, reducing grinding and filling times. The carbide-tipped blade averages more than 1,200 cuts in most applications, and by sharpening, you can get up to 5,000 cuts. Most local blade shops will retarget the blade. The DW872 sports a powerful 15 amp, 5.3-horsepower motor and is designed to stand up to rugged work on a regular basis. Your purchase includes a quick-locking vise and tool-free miter adjustment for additional speed and convenience.

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willyswanter

· #8 · Apr 21, 2007

Agree with above.

cajundragger

Discussion Starter · #9 · Apr 21, 2007

will it cut 3/16 and 1/4?

willyswanter

· #10 · Apr 21, 2007

it will cut 3" bar if you want.

white05z71

· #11 · Apr 22, 2007

willyswanter said:
it will cut 3" bar if you want.

Damn straight! I put a piece of 5" hydrolic cylinder shaft in my saw and ate right through it in about 6-10 sec. Clean as a whistle.

xlcooplx

· #12 · Apr 23, 2007

white05z71 said:
I have one of these guys. Its a bad mother trucker, i love it.
cuts strait as an arrow through any type of metal. no need to grind and its only 400ish bucks

The DW872 multicutter saw is a dry cutting saw that uses a carbide-tipped blade specifically designed for cutting heavy-duty metals. This 14-inch saw has enough capacity to cut everything from 5-inch black pipe to 2-9/16-inch solid bar stock. It's also great for cutting threaded rod, struts, angle iron, black pipe, and rebar. The DW872 cuts at incredibly good speeds. Not only is the speed impressive, but with the finished surface, there is little need for touchup, reducing grinding and filling times. The carbide-tipped blade averages more than 1,200 cuts in most applications, and by sharpening, you can get up to 5,000 cuts. Most local blade shops will retarget the blade. The DW872 sports a powerful 15 amp, 5.3-horsepower motor and is designed to stand up to rugged work on a regular basis. Your purchase includes a quick-locking vise and tool-free miter adjustment for additional speed and convenience.

used this exact chop saw last night at my dads shop. have to agree with the others that the cuts were nice:imo

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cajundragger

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 23, 2007

im sold, thanks guys

oldschoolchevy

· #14 · May 15, 2007

I always use a horizontal band saw cuts perfect! Can be we or dry

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Travisfab

· #15 · May 15, 2007

How about a plasma?

HankScorpio

· #16 · May 15, 2007

How about a plasma?

Does not make a clean enough cut.

bggrnchvy

· #17 · May 15, 2007

Its not just clean but you won't get a flat, perpendicular surface. The plasma is nice for notching but if I didn't have my chop saw too Id go insane.

Bad Bowtie 08

· #18 · May 31, 2007

i just got a metal blade chop saw... its like 170 bucks for new blades but trust me... that thing hacks through average tubing like a compound mitar saw does a 2x4.. the cold saws are extremely nice but tend to be slow if you use proper pressure so not to dull the blade prematurally yet they make extremely precise cuts and keep the heat down which is nice if what your cutting warps and distorts easily from heat issues.

---- Ca$hmore ----

cajundragger

Discussion Starter · #19 · May 31, 2007

I have a hypertherm plasma...

I think Im going to get the dewalt or something very similar. Seems like the best bang for buck...

robbie767

· #20 · May 31, 2007

dukemaster said:
I always use a horizontal band saw cuts perfect! Can be we or dry

have that same thing at school(i go to school for metal fabrication) and i love it...it cuts really clean and fast.

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