Steel cutting circular saw?

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  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    Steel cutting circular saw?

    Opinions needed on steel cutting Circular Saw.

    I watched a short video tonight in which a fellow made a tool out of steel to de-construct pallets. He used a Bosch cordless circular saw (don't know the model) and cut pre-measured plates out of what looked like 1/4 inch thick steel about 3 inches wide and a couple of feet long. He used a guide but cut both along length and across.

    This was not the double bladed type with counter rotating blades.

    Have any of you done this? What blade types are used for this, - the approx. 50 tooth carbide made for steel, or diamond type of blades?

    Here is the link to the pallet breaker:
    http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/p...-19#post128116

    I am interested in the blade type, and if it is safe to do on a reasonably heavy duty corded 7 1/4 saw.

    Thanks in advance for the response. I have not seen home tool saws cutting steel like that.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!
  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #2
    I have a 7 1/4 blade made for cutting steel. The first demonstration I saw for this blade scared the heck out of us. One of our tool contractors on the Marine base I was working on put on a dog and pony show for our engineering group giving a demonstration on a carbide tipped metal cutting saw blade. He chucked a large piece of large carbon steel bar stock in a vice and started to cut it with a cheap looking orange Black and Decker circular saw. We gave this fool plenty of room! This cheap saw with its special blade cut through a steel bar the size of a car trailer hitch like it was pine. I made several cuts with this blade myself and was satisfied that it was not a hoax. I purchased the saw package that included the saw and 3 blades, which I shared with 2 co-workers, where I got 1 blade and the cheap orange b&d saw. I kept the saw because I’d didn’t want to submit my good saws to metal but I liked the cheap orange black and decker saw so much better than my Milwaukee or Skill saw that I put the metal blade in the Skill saw, put the Milwaukee in the duplicate tool closet and made the B&D my everyday saw. I use this blade any time I need to cut steel. I since learned that Lowe’s and other box stores offer simular metal cutting blades. With the proper blades and proper PPE cutting metal with a circular saw is nothing more than a brief “picker moment”, but after you get through that, ain’t nothing to it.
    If you like, I’ll photo the blade for you so you might be able to locate something simular.
    capncarl

    Comment

    • leehljp
      Just me
      • Dec 2002
      • 8429
      • Tunica, MS
      • BT3000/3100

      #3
      Thanks Capncarl for your write up. That expresses exactly how I felt when I saw that video. I was shocked and thought it was some kind of a hoax, but at the same time, I recognized that there are possibilities in this world that I have not yet dreamed of.

      If you don't mind, post a picture of the blade.

      FWIW - I was in Lowes today and saw a 12" blade that was made for cutting mild steel. I did not see any 10" or 7" ones. It looked like a carbide cross-cut but with either a zero rake or a very slight negative rake.
      Hank Lee

      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

      Comment

      • capncarl
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 3564
        • Leesburg Georgia USA
        • SawStop CTS

        #4
        Metal cutting circular blades have been around for a long time. The ones I’ve seen most were on chop saws built for that purpose and looked to be spinning at 800-1000 rpm, nowhere like the 7.25 saw I bought.

        Comment

        • Carlos
          Veteran Member
          • Jan 2004
          • 1893
          • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

          #5

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            Photo of my metal cutting blade. It shows quite a bit of wear but is still incredibly sharp. I’ve cut numerous 1/4” wall square and rectangular tube carbon steel, several feet of 1/2” plate and the last time I used it was to cut about 1000 lf of 18 ga standing seam roofing. This is handy thing to have in the shop if you ever have to cut steel and need more than a hacksaw. I wouldn’t worry about damaging the saw either, I can’t tell and adverse wear on my Skil. The chips just shake out, I’ve not noticed any metal dust that might damage the bearings.
            capncarl

            Click image for larger version  Name:	2DAA1130-4029-4B1E-95F0-5D3A4587E69E.jpeg Views:	1 Size:	146.1 KB ID:	836127
            Last edited by capncarl; 02-18-2019, 12:39 PM.

            Comment

            • leehljp
              Just me
              • Dec 2002
              • 8429
              • Tunica, MS
              • BT3000/3100

              #7
              I have learned something new this past week! Thanks!
              Hank Lee

              Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

              Comment

              • capncarl
                Veteran Member
                • Jan 2007
                • 3564
                • Leesburg Georgia USA
                • SawStop CTS

                #8
                I checked the web site on the TMC paper, they still have the same 3 blade and saw offer I purchased. Now it is $200, I’m not sure how you would order it as they previously were government sales only. If you could it wouldn’t be a bad buy.

                Comment

                • mmcduffie
                  Established Member
                  • Dec 2003
                  • 146
                  • Des Moines, Washington.
                  • BT3000

                  #9
                  We have the Evolution metal cutting saw mentioned above in the Amazon link. It was purchased for cutting steel but the carry case is full of sawdust. Hmm. It's rated at 1/2" plate and 1/4" wall square tube. It does run at 2700 RPM instead of 4K+

                  Michael

                  Comment

                  • leehljp
                    Just me
                    • Dec 2002
                    • 8429
                    • Tunica, MS
                    • BT3000/3100

                    #10
                    There is a farmer that I meet with almost every week for a couple of hours or so over coffee. Yesterday, we got off onto lathes and chisels and then went to talking about welders. He had bought a $4000 plasma cutter welder last fall and really likes it for fixing some of his equipment. After buying that, he said he discovered steel cutting saws. He got two, - one as a chop saw (Milwaukee I think) and another in a circular saw. He said he can makes the smoothest cuts lengthwise on 1/4 and 3/8 inch angle iron. He said there was no comparison in cutting with a plasma cutter vs cutting with the steel cutting saw!

                    I thought it ironic that we got into this discussion as we were having one here. I was at his shop a couple of weeks ago and didn't notice it. I'll have to go and give them a try!
                    Last edited by leehljp; 02-21-2019, 07:55 PM.
                    Hank Lee

                    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                    Comment

                    • Carlos
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jan 2004
                      • 1893
                      • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                      #11
                      There's nothing smoother than a metal bandsaw. Even my Harbor Freight does great with good blades (Starrett).

                      Comment

                      • capncarl
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jan 2007
                        • 3564
                        • Leesburg Georgia USA
                        • SawStop CTS

                        #12
                        Speaking of metal cutting blades, I hope your starrett metal cutting band saw blades are better quality than the starrett wood cutting blades! I’ve been really disappointed by their quality.

                        Comment

                        • leehljp
                          Just me
                          • Dec 2002
                          • 8429
                          • Tunica, MS
                          • BT3000/3100

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Carlos
                          There's nothing smoother than a metal bandsaw. Even my Harbor Freight does great with good blades (Starrett).
                          I forgot to mention that his circular saw was cordless, but I forget which one he has. Kinda hard to to take the bandsaw around to the needs of heavy farm equipment and out in the fields for field repairs.

                          As to a bandsaw cutting metal, I have done that, but if the steel cutting circular saws cut as smooth as my experience with circular saws cutting aluminum, which I have done, I have to disagree with the idea that "nothing" cuts smoother than a metal BS's. A band saw does not cut as smooth as a circular saw in aluminum nor as perfectly straight. Circular saws cut with aluminum glass smooth edges, band saws don't. My friend described how perfectly straight and smooth his cuts were - and with SHARP right angle edges the whole length.
                          Last edited by leehljp; 02-22-2019, 09:41 PM.
                          Hank Lee

                          Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                          Comment

                          • Recordless
                            Handtools only
                            • Jul 2019
                            • 3
                            • USA
                            • DEWALT DW745

                            #14
                            I have a Rigid dry cut saw and a Milwaukee dry cut saw as well as a Milwaukee abrasive saw. I bought the Rigid dry cut saw 10 years ago and it is still going strong. This is the real rigid brand that you buy at industrial supply stores, not home depot. I last used my abrasive saw about 10 years ago, not sure why I still have it. I picked up the Milwaukee saw used and it is in new condition I would not recommend buying this saw the vise is a piece of poop. The back stop for the vise is adjustable with a spring bolt and does not stay square. The spring bolt cannot be tightened down enough to stay square. The spring bolt is to allow quick angle adjustments, you just push the bolt down and it allows the backstop to be angled for miter cuts. Long story short don't buy the Milwaukee dry cut you will be disappointed. Also, the Milwaukee blades are junk maybe 50 cuts through 2" square 1/4 wall and then it needs resharpening. My Rigid saw was 800.00 and I believe they still are. The vise is excellent and the saw cuts very true. You can shave a 32nd off and it will stay square. I think I have bought pretty much every blade on the market and as much as I hate to say this the best ones seem to come from Taiwan. The Rigid blade is very good but a little pricey, Dewalt blade not great, Morse and AGE are about as good as the Dewalt. I have been buying blades from my blade sharpener I can't remember the name on them but they are about $40 cheaper than the Rigid and last as long or longer. We use this saw every day and cut anything that can fit in it. SS will dull the blade so you have to go slow. We sharpen our blades probablly 10 times before they are garbaged. We usually garbage them as a result of operator error not clamping a piece tight enough and jamming and bending the blade. $35 to sharpen a blade $5 to replace a broken tooth. You should be able to get a couple of hundred cuts in 4" square 3/16 wall before having to sharpen. 2" square .125 wall you should get easy a 1000 cuts. The Rigid saw is about $200 more than the others and in my opinion worth every penny. Also, the Rigid saw is about 20# heavier than the others. We use our saw a lot it is way faster than a band saw. We only use our bandsaw for items too big to fit in the Dry cut. The Rigid saw and blade is also made in Taiwan. As Forrest Gump said That is all I have to say about that.

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