Coldsaw Recommendation

[Brad93]

Anyone have experience of cutting 3" and smaller tube in a coldsaw? I'm looking at getting one solely for aluminium. Every time I go to use the band saw it's out of square or the mitre has moved and isn't truly at 0 degreesAlso Got a JEI carbide chop saw but that doesn't keep its square in the vertical Axis.
I'm looking at used machines either Pedrazolli or Baileigh.

 

[awemawson]

Pedrazzoli every time

 

[dobbslc]

I'm sure there's a 3 phase one on eBay at the moment.

 

[hotrodder]

My mates old Super Brown doesn't cut thin wall ally tube more cleanly than my Dewalt TCT chop saw but a large part of that is almost certainly the blades (his are all for steels etc and probably all need sharpening). It wouldn't cut 3" at all being a 250, max capacity is 70mm. Pedrazolli etc do aluminium specific versions of their saws and while they're all similar to look at and 2 speed like the low rpm HSS bladed cut off saws the ally specific versions use TCT blades and run at several thousand rpm

Obviously setting up mitres is a relative PITA on chop saws as the inbuilt guage is always worse than useless but the right blade can make a difference with cutting accuracy... some of the cheaper TCT blades ring like church bells which can make a BIG difference both in cut finish and accuracy when mitring. If the saw itself is always out in the vertical axis have you tried shimming it? FWIW my Dewalt is typically within 0.5mm in the vertical axis when cutting 4" 16swg ally tube but obviously still nowhere close to the same league as a cold saw in every respect other than portability and new cost

Like Awemawson i'd take a Pedrazzoli over a Baileigh (rebadged generic Chinese?) every time. Personally i wouldn't buy a low rpm example specifically for ally though... for general purpose or munching through steel/stainless/Ti tube all day yes but ally/light metal specific mitre saws are more like wood mitring saws on steroids for example http://www.addisonsaws.co.uk/p-65-121-velox-350

 

[Spark plug]

The best thing I've ever used for cutting Ali tube and Ali plate up to 60mm, believe it or not was a Wadkin table saw with a blade specifically for aluminium and plastics. So you may be on to a winner with a quality wood work chop saw with the correct blade.

 

[Richard.]

All mine is done on a bandsaw.
I had the same issues of every time I set up for a mitre it would be a pita setting it up and moving the vice out of square meant needing to square it back for 90's. I now don't faff about and have made some jigs that bolt in the vice so I never have to start moving stuff about it stays fixed. Jig in cut 45 jig out.
It's never gonna be as quick as a chop saw but hell its loads quieter and I can fill the vice and leave it to drop em off.
What about a better bandsaw.

 

[Brad93]

Weve got a decent quality bandsaw (Imet 280/60) I just don't know how to get it sorted to cut square vertically and it also gets abused by my Dad.
I thought if I could get a nice coldsaw I would keep it specifically for aluminium.

More investigation required I think.

 

[Hood]

Weve got a decent quality bandsaw (Imet 280/60) I just don't know how to get it sorted to cut square vertically and it also gets abused by my Dad.
I thought if I could get a nice coldsaw I would keep it specifically for aluminium.

More investigation required I think.

I have an Imet 280/60 and it is the dogs danglers, spot on, chews through anything in short order, angles a breeze with the swivelling head and back to true again in seconds.

 

[Brad93]

Like I say its cock on in the horizontal plane once I've done a check with the square then a test cut, its in the vertical plane the blade is constantly running out of true, even with a new blade. I think it probably needs all the guides stripping down and inspecting for wear. Mine used solid static guides rather than rollers .

 

[Hood]

Like I say its cock on in the horizontal plane once I've done a check with the square then a test cut, its in the vertical plane the blade is constantly running out of true, even with a new blade. I think it probably needs all the guides stripping down and inspecting for wear. Mine used solid static guides rather than rollers .

Yes mine is the same, carbide pads for guides. Maybe you are just needing to adjust the pads, maybe too slack. I have cut 10" Dia solid on mine and it it better than 0.2mm off top to bottom at that size.

 

[Brad93]

With 3" diameter im getting about 3mm of difference. Well unless i win the lottery i wont be getting a Pedrazzoli designed for aluminium haha! It seems the slow RPM saws for steel at labelled Super Brown the high RPM Aluminium saws are labelled as Perris.

Ill go down there now and look at the guides. Ill be ordering some blades monday, a engineer/machinist friend has recommended Wikus blades supplied by harrison saw? Any thoughts?

 

[Hood]

Here is a pic of mine, great bandsaws.

 

[Richard.]

With 3" diameter im getting about 3mm

Wow that is excessive.
Mine is about 0.2mm over 2 inch tube and mine is a little monarc 6x4.5.
That's in need of a good fettle I'd say.

 

[Brad93]

Hi Hood mine is the eco version so just two speeds but everything else the same.

I've just spent three hours stripping the guides. I done the front one about two years ago so it wasn't too bad, all cleaned and reassembled. The back one my god. It was so full of rust and crud, I had to drill one bolt out! So once I get another socket cap bolt I should be good to get it all back together.
May take the opportunity to give everything a good strip clean and coat of paint.

Am I right in thinking I should clamp something flat like a 12" steel rule to the blade and then square the blade using the guide adjustment off the bed onto the rule?

By the way do you know the size of the blade? I've measured mine as 27mm depth, and roughly worked out the length to be 2765mm does that sound right. Was so long ago my dad ordered them he has forgotten and I've got no manuals or literature for the saw except the wiring diagrams. @Hood

 

[Hood]

I just use a square but anything that is true should be fine.

Mine is just two speed as well.

Just looked back at my TuffSaw order and the length I order is 2760mm

 

[scott0031]

Be wary of a standard 2 speed coldsaw they are fine on small ally sections and smaller wall tubes but they are not any cop at all on bigger more solid sections, They are just to slow to be efficient due to the properties of common aluminiums. I have the very rare benefit of having a 4 speed cold saw which has two higher speeds for non ferrous and the difference is night and day. If you are doing lots of cuts you will get frustrated with a 2 speed machine very quickly. Of course if all depend on your application but consider looking at a dedicated Tct Ally cold saw if its more applicable to you. They are pretty common and cut ally like butter.