Abrasive Saw

[Paul99]

I got a job coming up soon that will need quite a lot of reasonably square cuts on 3" or tube and so it seems like a good time to get a chop saw. Are there any particular brands that stand out from the others? or any that should be avoided?. Going by photos alone they all look like much of a muchness and probably originate in the same Chinese factory or am I missing something?

 

[dan.taylor.1]

my dewalt tct one is great after a few mins tinkering to get it square.

I should add i used a makita abrasive unit at an old work, was much the same as the dewalt, just a pain when the disk gets low, same issue with a dull tct though.

Dan

 

[Spark plug]

A lot of members on hear like the rage TCT saws, or do you specifically want a abrasive saw

 

[cumbriasteve]

Mine is a cheapo Lidl £40 one and it does the job, did a fair bit of straight and mitre cuts on 40mm box, all cuts were accurate with excellent fit, they do tend to leave a burr on the bottom edge of the cut though...easily enough removed with a flap disc or file.

I did not use the angle marks on the base to set up, instead I used an engineers square along the edge of the blade against the vice fixed jaw surface.

 

[Paul99]

I did think about a rage but decided against it - half of what I cut is rusty so I doubt a blade would last me long - especially as the old man, my brother, anyone who borrowed it wouldn't think twice about putting something hard in it. It would also likely get use on CI guttering for work too which wouldn't be kind to a cold saw. So abrasive saw it is.

 

[jinjahbiscuit]

I have an abrasive disc "metal slicer", as it's described on the box. It's probably Chinese, though there's no label to say where it was made. It wasn't cheap either.
It works OK on a 90 degree cut with a little pressure, but as soon as you deviate from that - say a 45 degree angle, the disc deflects and goes off track.
Try to reduce the pressure to keep the cut straight and it won't cut! Bloomin' frustrating having spent time setting the angle accurately.
I think it's the poor quality disc the machine came with - the machine is built like a brick outhouse - so I'll try a known brand disc next time out.
I have a Rage compound mitre saw which is great. Both noisy as hell though.

 

[Paul99]

After a few changes of mind about opting for a Rage2 instead I ended up back where I started and ordered an abrasive saw - £179 for a Dewalt with 10 Dewalt discs. A Sealey (which apperead to be about the cheapest option) would have come to £160 with the same discs - I gambled on a Dewalt being worth an extra £20 - time will tell if I was right or not.

One thing I noticed after ordering was that Dewalt appear to do a TCT blade to fit suitable for metal : http://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dt...r-saw-blade-stationary-355-x-25-4mm-90t/94410 - has anyone ever tried one? It's unlikely I'd spend £85 on one to try but was interesting none the less - I thought an abrasive saw would be running too quick for such a blade?

 

[Paul99]

To answer my own question the above blade will not be any use in the abrasive saw - it's not mentioned anywhere in the specification but zooming in on the photo is says nmax 1800 - which will be the max rpm the blade is rated for (perfect for the slower running cold chop saws like rage2 etc) 14" abrasive saws run at around 3800rpm so way too fast for 14" tct blades which I thought all along - I knew I must have been missing something - if something looks to good to be true then it always is - in my defence it popped up as a recommendation to go with the abrasive saw on the Screwfix website which is a bit naughty.

 

[ukracer]

Pity you were not closer. lol I have two Abrasive saws I will be selling each with 7 blades. I had them when I had my unit when noise was not an issue (never really used them up there even) (One was a spare) I was a rich (well I had a bit of cash) lol fool back then but now I just dable here and there and needed something quieter, so my mate let me loan his 12 inch Band saw and never again will I waste my time with an abrasive saw.

 

[Paul G]

Since everything nowadays has a dB reading embossed/printed on it how much noise do these things make?


Paul G

p.s.

Rage seems such an apt name

 

[Maker]

I read about one of these not cutting squarely so it got sent back and they couldn't find any fault but sent him a new one anyway and it was still really bad so a rep came and had a look and it turns out it was sitting on an uneven surface and the base was twisting slightly. I can't remember is it was DeWalt or Makita or another brand though.

 

[hotrodder]

The DeWalt blade in the link is for their dw872 dry cut/TCT chop saw that runs at ~1300rpm. I've had mine for years, cut straight out of the box and still typically within 0.5mm. Dry cutting chopsaws are hellishly loud, 108dB is fairly typical, but i've recently realised how much of a difference the blade can make... i'd built up a collection of blades that were mostly Makita (bought on special offer) over the years which, while good, don't have any expansion slots and tend to 'ring' more than the more spendy DeWalt blades. Then a few months ago i discovered Kanefusa blades; loads of expansion slots in an intricate pattern and soooooo much quieter. Not only that but the type of noise isn't as harsh to the point that it's tolerable without ear plugs (obviously not sensible though). Cut quality is also noticably better as 'blade ringing' obviously = vibration

 

[Parm]

Since everything nowadays has a dB reading embossed/printed on it how much noise do these things make?


Paul G

p.s.

Rage seems such an apt name

Noise data marked by a manurfacturer is a relative thing. In an attempt to make thier kit look good and stand out from all the others manufactureres noise data is almost always generated in a laboratory setting under ideal conditions with a brand new tool cutting the softest materials. In the real world noise levels are affected by the quality of the cutting blade, how sharpe it is and how well its maintained, if any lubricant is used, the force or pressure exterted during cutting, the hardness of the material and the location of the machine itself whcih may give rise to natural amplication or reverberation.

Not withstanding all these factors and after having spent almost 20 years measuring noise from alll types of machinery and processes its safe to assume that any noise produced from such a machine will be high and will require the use of suitable hearing protective equipment.

 

[Paul G]

Noise data marked by a manurfacturer is a relative thing. In an attempt to make thier kit look good and stand out from all the others manufactureres noise data is almost always generated in a laboratory setting under ideal conditions with a brand new tool cutting the softest materials. In the real world noise levels are affected by the quality of the cutting blade, how sharpe it is and how well its maintained, if any lubricant is used, the force or pressure exterted during cutting, the hardness of the material and the location of the machine itself whcih may give rise to natural amplication or reverberation.

Not withstanding all these factors and after having spent almost 20 years measuring noise from alll types of machinery and processes its safe to assume that any noise produced from such a machine will be high and will require the use of suitable hearing protective equipment.

I'll stick to a band saw then. I wouldn't want to upset the neighbours.


As an aside I just happened to spot a figure inside the lid of a wheelie bin
With ear defenders 85dB - without 99dB

So a wheelie bin makes more noise than a sports car.

 

[Parm]

I'll stick to a band saw then. I wouldn't want to upset the neighbours.


As an aside I just happened to spot a figure inside the lid of a wheelie bin
With ear defenders 85dB - without 99dB

So a wheelie bin makes more noise than a sports car.

Noise output from a band saw also varies with rate of cut and type of material, but as the motor and blade dont spin as fast as other types of saw noise levels are generally less. I have measured noise levels in excess of 100 dB(A) on a band saw when cutting thin metal sheet

Thats an aid memoir for the dust bin men when usign the tipping mechanism on the back of bin waggons