ripping metal

bfullmer · Jun 2, 2015

Would a cheap wood vertical band saw with a metal blade rip 1/8 steel and alum.? Been using a sawsall but hard to keep straight and takes awhile-table saw a pain to change blades.

Steve@Advance · Jun 2, 2015

It would handle the aluminum well. It will cut thin steel on a limited basis. Problem is the wood saws run way too fast for steel. If you could slow it down it will work better. Hard to get one slow enough without a lot of modification.

markct · Jun 2, 2015

For aluminum a table saw or skilsaw with a carbide blade and a face shield will be fast and accurate

GarryinNC · Jun 2, 2015

The 4x6 type of metal cutting (horizontal cutoff) bandsaws can be used vertically for 'ripping' metal. The drawback is that there is no table just the blade guide that is about 2"x2". They do Okay for what they are.

Garry

JML755 · Jun 2, 2015

ditto. I've also done mild steel angle and such on my Delta Unisaw with a composite metal cutting blade. Leaves a nice clean edge. Throws a lot of sparks though. Aluminum is even easier. I use my angle grinder a lot. We rip a lot of expanded metal at work with them.

Nate V. IA · Jun 2, 2015

I'm not sure what you mean by "cheap" but this is what you need. Blades are $50 each online.
Click Here

El Toro · Jun 2, 2015

Your local metal shop may shear your metal for a small fee. Hal

JerryS · Jun 3, 2015

Harbor Freight has a saw that's configured like a Skil saw but instead of one blade it has two---side by side and separated by only about a sixteenth of an inch. Don't ask me how, but somehow the blades spin counter to each other, and they will rip through some pretty thick metal without grabbing or bucking. Low noise too. I have one that was sold by Sears, and I just used it to cut metal roofing I installed on my patio. I also used it to make drainage and air-draw ports in a metal drum my lady friend wanted to use as a burn barrel. It feeds right into the side of the barrel and makes a 5" long, 1/4" wide kerf in the metal. I did eight cuts in less than a minute. I think the one at HF is about $70.

mattwillson · Jun 3, 2015

Yes it will, and handy for cutting out funky shaped stuff....if you can rig up a coolant pump the blade will last longer aa well.

redtom · Jun 3, 2015

yes but you will prob have to change the pulleys and slow it down. Put a jackshaft in our delta/Milwaukee and its worked fine for years.

DR. EVIL · Jun 6, 2015

Do a search for EVOLUTION RAGE II CUTOFF SAW. It's similar in design to an abrasive cutoff saw but uses a 14 inch carbide tooth blade. Can cut steel, aluminum, wood, plastics. At right angles to 45 degrees.

Menard's sells them, and I've seen them at welding supply shops too. You should wear eye & ear protection from the hot chips. They cut fast and ACCURATE! Cutting 1" square tubing, 11 gauge wall in two seconds. Same time my Delta miter saw takes to cut a 1" square piece of pine.

Company is BRITISH, has their main US office in DAVENPORT, IOWA just off Northwest Blvd and I-80.

ObsoElitist · Jun 6, 2015

(quoted from post at 21:03:46 06/03/15) yes but you will prob have to change the pulleys and slow it down. Put a jackshaft in our delta/Milwaukee and its worked fine for years.

Roughly half speed of the slowest belt setting

ripping metal

bfullmer

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Steve@Advance

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markct

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GarryinNC

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JML755

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Nate V. IA

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El Toro

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JerryS

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mattwillson

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redtom

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DR. EVIL

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ObsoElitist

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