JOEPRO
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It's on tarmac no so easy to treat as the tarmac could get ate away.whats the stain on concreteas above if it is try brick acid might eat the surface if your not carefull though
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Gritineye
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Way faster than cleaning up after an abrasive one!
Parm
Respect The Sound System
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This is also very true
Pond frog
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There’s lots of hate for abrasive chop saws but they are fairly cheap pretty bombproof and get the job done, cutting 12mm a disc will last a long time I’ve cut tons of material on mine. I’ve had mine for years and while I admit it may not be my first choice for cutting steel I’ve returned to it time and time again when fancier saws have died the old chop saw keeps going
I was really lucky with my TCT saw. Its a Makita LC1230 and I managed to get that, a 3kva transformer and a 4 way short extension for £75 off ebay.
I bought that after I bought some angle of a guy that makes cold rolled rings. I expected him to have a band saw or one of the slow speed heavy duty chop saws that run with coolant to cut his angle but he had the Makita. I could not believe how quick and clean it cut.
Blades are not cheap but treat it nice and it will last a while - but don't do anything too thin as if it snags it can damage the blade. The pieces are relatively cool to touch after cutting where with a abrasive chop saw they will be hot. Remember with an abrasive saw the discs are about 3mm thick, so that's a lot of steel you are grinding away.
What tool you get will also depend on what you are using it for now but also what you will use it for in future. I try to work things out on a cost per cut type basis.
If you are not doing many cuts then obviously you want a cheaper tool. Also consider second hand. The Makita LC1230 go for around £150 on ebay but obviously you need to try and assess the condition/use its had by how it looks. Fantastic if you can go and have a look. It needs a blade with it too as they are expensive. Also these are often collection only so it depends if you're local to the seller. If you go for a second hand abrasive saw you could be around £75 (I managed to pick one up for £5 once, though it was well used).
I always consider how good something is by the "would I buy it again" factor. I would buy the Makita again for sure - though second hand as I can't afford new!
I bought that after I bought some angle of a guy that makes cold rolled rings. I expected him to have a band saw or one of the slow speed heavy duty chop saws that run with coolant to cut his angle but he had the Makita. I could not believe how quick and clean it cut.
Blades are not cheap but treat it nice and it will last a while - but don't do anything too thin as if it snags it can damage the blade. The pieces are relatively cool to touch after cutting where with a abrasive chop saw they will be hot. Remember with an abrasive saw the discs are about 3mm thick, so that's a lot of steel you are grinding away.
What tool you get will also depend on what you are using it for now but also what you will use it for in future. I try to work things out on a cost per cut type basis.
If you are not doing many cuts then obviously you want a cheaper tool. Also consider second hand. The Makita LC1230 go for around £150 on ebay but obviously you need to try and assess the condition/use its had by how it looks. Fantastic if you can go and have a look. It needs a blade with it too as they are expensive. Also these are often collection only so it depends if you're local to the seller. If you go for a second hand abrasive saw you could be around £75 (I managed to pick one up for £5 once, though it was well used).
I always consider how good something is by the "would I buy it again" factor. I would buy the Makita again for sure - though second hand as I can't afford new!
If cutting with a chop saw on a driveway... I hope you don't live with immediate neighbours if you're cutting 12mm bar regularly!
Also, I made the mistake of using an abrasive 9" angry grinder in a pivot stand to cut Angle & Box in my rear yard.... apart from the terrible racket & dust, the high-speed mass of hot sparks shooting out the back of the cutter made an indelible burn on brickwork, and also left a permanent rash on some window glass from a couple of meters away - so watch your & neighbours cars & property!
I bought an old 6x4 Sealey generic bandsaw for such jobs. MUCH quieter, no sparks, no heat, no abrasive dust. Slower cut (but neater & not hot) but as it clamps, cuts & switches itself off, you can use the cutting time to do something else while it works.
Put on a set of large locking castors, a bandsaw would probably take less time to move & set up than a chop saw on a Stand as well.
Also, I made the mistake of using an abrasive 9" angry grinder in a pivot stand to cut Angle & Box in my rear yard.... apart from the terrible racket & dust, the high-speed mass of hot sparks shooting out the back of the cutter made an indelible burn on brickwork, and also left a permanent rash on some window glass from a couple of meters away - so watch your & neighbours cars & property!
I bought an old 6x4 Sealey generic bandsaw for such jobs. MUCH quieter, no sparks, no heat, no abrasive dust. Slower cut (but neater & not hot) but as it clamps, cuts & switches itself off, you can use the cutting time to do something else while it works.
Put on a set of large locking castors, a bandsaw would probably take less time to move & set up than a chop saw on a Stand as well.
I just looked that Makita up. Looks a nice bit of kit, & a proper slow-running cold cut type saw with a carbide blade.
As you say - you'd need to be cutting quite a lot of long steel & maybe site work too - to stump up for a new one at nearly £400, but a tidy used one for £150 would be good. I paid £150 for my s/h 6x4 bandsaw (you can find them cheaper now n then if you're prepared to wait & wait, but I got fed up of waiting, & it was only 10 miles away)
Agroshield
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On site, I have seen a four-faced (left, right, top, back) cube made of plasterboard used as a containment device.
It was similar to but larger than the windbreak shields you see for camping stoves.
It would be possible to make something similar with hinged sides and top so it folds flat when not in use.
Tbh, I underestimated just how much sparks & how hot, & just how much damage they can do, even to solid structures. No wonder people inadvertently set fire to stuff with grinders & rage saws etc.
If using one again, I'd use a barrier like you've mentioned.
What with the horrendous racket as well though, using the 6x4 bandsaw is much better for me and anyone remotely nearby
Onoff
In the land of the unfinished project I am King!
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I've a cheap Scheppach from Aldi. A bit like this:
Or go secondhand on something like this. Local to me tbh. Very tempted if I had dry workshop space.
www.gumtree.com
Pardon our interruption...
www.ebay.co.uk
Or go secondhand on something like this. Local to me tbh. Very tempted if I had dry workshop space.
Second-Hand Electric & Power Saws for Sale in Oxted, Surrey | Gumtree
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That 6x4 is missing it's tool tray (& strengthener for the pressed-steel legs). Funnily enough, the Sealey 6x4 I bought was missing the tray as well. I made one for mine as the pressed-steel legs are quite flexible without it.I've a cheap Scheppach from Aldi. A bit like this:
Pardon our interruption...
www.ebay.co.uk
Or go secondhand on something like this. Local to me tbh. Very tempted if I had dry workshop space.
Second-Hand Electric & Power Saws for Sale in Oxted, Surrey | Gumtree
Discover amazing local deals on second-hand electric & power saws for sale in Oxted, Surrey ✅ Shop hassle-free with Gumtree, your local buying & selling community.
(At some point I need to make a platform with 4 locking castors for it I think. It'll make it more rigid, easier to move & "park", plus I think the working height will be better...& I'll have one more tray to store cr@p on)
Erie Fred
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The "4x6" bandsaws as they are known around these parts, are everywhere, I have 2 of them.
Wth the 12mm barstock you could tack weld the ends together to make a bundle (probably 4), and then let it munch away un-aided on that.
With a stock stop, and a bucket for the pieces to fall into, you'd be amazed how many pieces in an hour
these will put out.
Yep, locking
. Also mine is a bandsaw not a Donkey Power Hacksaw..... so it shouldn't try to row itself across the floor.
MattF
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Mines also missing the Stock Stop. I'll find some suitable diameter steel rod & knock one up at some point
