On Wed, 21 May 2025 13:30:37 -0700
Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> wrote:

<snip>

A typical chop saw runs around 4000rpm. These slower (slower) chop saws
run around 1300 which should reduce heat buildup.

Something I've noticed but haven't handled one in person is that the
motor appears to be fully enclosed on them. I wouldn't buy one that isn't🤷️

I fix stuff for friends and family on the cheap (free) and I've had two abrasive cut-off saws and one 4" angle grinder with shorted windings in
the armatures. They had A LOT of metal slag and crud floating around,
stuck inside the motors. Armatures are expensive. Only fixed one of
them, a Dewalt ~14 inch saw with a new armature. Even that a was big
pain in the butt. Had to mod a home made arbor press to remove some of
the bearings...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI

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Evolution is the name that really brought these to the public attention,
but lots of companies are selling them. Fein, Makita, Milwaukee and
others. Basically a lower RPM version of an abrasive chop saw using a
carbide blade for cutting mild steel and aluminum.

Now I know that regular wood cutting tools can cut aluminum and even to
a lesser degree steel, but this seems to be a departure from that. I've
cut aluminum on a table and on a radial arm saw. The biggest issue is
chip welding (with aluminum) filling up the gullets of the teeth. Oil,
wax, and other things can reduce but not eliminate that problem due to
the heat generated. Its why I run flood coolant for all my CNC machines cutting aluminum.

A typical chop saw runs around 4000rpm. These slower (slower) chop saws
run around 1300 which should reduce heat buildup. Are any of you guys
running these regularly for aluminum? It does appear that there are
aluminum specific blades available. Do they work a lot better than the
mild steel cutting blades that normally come with one of these saws? Do
you experience chip welding cutting aluminum with one of these saws with
either blade?

How do you like it?

I do have a hand held metal cutting circular saw already. I've used if
for stainless steel sheet (very hard on blades) and for aluminum thicker
than its rated for. Its about the size of a carpentry beam saw. It
works okay, but it doesn't "seem" to be any slower than my Skil worm
drive I use for wood cutting. To be fair I haven't put a sticker on it
so I can check it with the optical tach.

I also have a couple horizontal band saws. One I run with coolant for aluminum. They work, but they are "Harbor Freight" saws. Keeping them
aligned and square is a constant chore. Usually I just cut the pieces
long, then square and cut to length on the manual mill beofre moving the
blank to one of the CNC mills. I waste a couple inches over the course
of chopping blanks from a 12ft (standard stock length) piece of bar
stock. A couple inches of waste is no big deal, but a couple inches
added onto the remnant at the end of the bar can mean one more blank and
one more completed part.


--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff


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On 6/7/2025 11:28 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 5/21/2025 1:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

I waste a couple inches over the course of chopping blanks from a 12ft
(standard stock length) piece of bar stock.  A couple inches of waste
is no big deal, but a couple inches added onto the remnant at the end
of the bar can mean one more blank and one more completed part.

I bought a Fein carbide tooth metal cutting

CIRCULAR SAW

from Zoro (Grainger
retail).  With a 20% off coupon it was fairly cheap as this type of saw goes.  I used it for the first time today with the blade it came with. Knowing a bit of issue can occur and having used carbide toothed blade
son faster saws to cut aluminum in the past I lubricated my cuts with
WD40.  I buy WD40 by the case from MSC after shopping around to find the best price per ounce.

I can't speak to how it will cut steel (mild steel at hardest I would assume), but it cuts aluminum okay.

Maybe its a free spin vs load thing, but it definitely slows down in the cut.   I was cutting 2 pieces of 1/2 x 2 6061 at a time into sections
for mold blanks.  I was just working on the ground (concrete slab)
outdoors using scrap metal to support the stock.

Its fast.  Functionally it was cutting one inch wide by 2 inches high,
and it was very quick.  I am reminded why I hate working on the ground however.  If this becomes part of my regular work flow I'll have to
build a cutting table for it that supports the sock and has a work step.
 This has the disadvantage that I have to stand there to use this saw,
but its so quick compared to the horizontal bands aw that it might be
worth it for the stock that fits in it.

Its not perfectly square cutting, but its pretty close.  I haven't taken
any effort to square anything yet, and cut pieces long for now like I do
with the horizontal band saw.  I can see it saving a few work pieces
over time if I get it setup on a proper work table built for it and
spend a little time squaring everything up.  I do have some miter stands that are not currently in use, but they don't have enough length of
support in my opinion.  Roller stands are definitely not the right solution.  I've used them (and still use them) but they have their issues.

I can very much see somebody buying one of these and never buying a horizontal band saw.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

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On 5/21/2025 1:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

I waste a couple inches over the course of chopping blanks from a 12ft (standard stock length) piece of bar stock.  A couple inches of waste is
no big deal, but a couple inches added onto the remnant at the end of
the bar can mean one more blank and one more completed part.

I bought a Fein carbide tooth metal cutting band saw from Zoro (Grainger retail). With a 20% off coupon it was fairly cheap as this type of saw
goes. I used it for the first time today with the blade it came with.
Knowing a bit of issue can occur and having used carbide toothed blade
son faster saws to cut aluminum in the past I lubricated my cuts with
WD40. I buy WD40 by the case from MSC after shopping around to find the
best price per ounce.

I can't speak to how it will cut steel (mild steel at hardest I would
assume), but it cuts aluminum okay.

Maybe its a free spin vs load thing, but it definitely slows down in the
cut. I was cutting 2 pieces of 1/2 x 2 6061 at a time into sections
for mold blanks. I was just working on the ground (concrete slab)
outdoors using scrap metal to support the stock.

Its fast. Functionally it was cutting one inch wide by 2 inches high,
and it was very quick. I am reminded why I hate working on the ground
however. If this becomes part of my regular work flow I'll have to
build a cutting table for it that supports the sock and has a work step.
This has the disadvantage that I have to stand there to use this saw,
but its so quick compared to the horizontal bands aw that it might be
worth it for the stock that fits in it.

Its not perfectly square cutting, but its pretty close. I haven't taken
any effort to square anything yet, and cut pieces long for now like I do
with the horizontal band saw. I can see it saving a few work pieces
over time if I get it setup on a proper work table built for it and
spend a little time squaring everything up. I do have some miter stands
that are not currently in use, but they don't have enough length of
support in my opinion. Roller stands are definitely not the right
solution. I've used them (and still use them) but they have their issues.

I can very much see somebody buying one of these and never buying a
horizontal band saw.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

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On 6/7/2025 11:36 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 6/7/2025 11:28 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 5/21/2025 1:30 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

I waste a couple inches over the course of chopping blanks from a
12ft (standard stock length) piece of bar stock.  A couple inches of
waste is no big deal, but a couple inches added onto the remnant at
the end of the bar can mean one more blank and one more completed part.

I bought a Fein carbide tooth metal cutting

CIRCULAR SAW

Chop saw style... I already had a metal cutting circular saw.

from Zoro (Grainger retail).  With a 20% off coupon it was fairly
cheap as this type of saw goes.  I used it for the first time today
with the blade it came with. Knowing a bit of issue can occur and
having used carbide toothed blade son faster saws to cut aluminum in
the past I lubricated my cuts with WD40.  I buy WD40 by the case from
MSC after shopping around to find the best price per ounce.

I can't speak to how it will cut steel (mild steel at hardest I would
assume), but it cuts aluminum okay.

Maybe its a free spin vs load thing, but it definitely slows down in
the cut.   I was cutting 2 pieces of 1/2 x 2 6061 at a time into
sections for mold blanks.  I was just working on the ground (concrete
slab) outdoors using scrap metal to support the stock.

Its fast.  Functionally it was cutting one inch wide by 2 inches high,
and it was very quick.  I am reminded why I hate working on the ground
however.  If this becomes part of my regular work flow I'll have to
build a cutting table for it that supports the sock and has a work
step.   This has the disadvantage that I have to stand there to use
this saw, but its so quick compared to the horizontal bands aw that it
might be worth it for the stock that fits in it.

Its not perfectly square cutting, but its pretty close.  I haven't
taken any effort to square anything yet, and cut pieces long for now
like I do with the horizontal band saw.  I can see it saving a few
work pieces over time if I get it setup on a proper work table built
for it and spend a little time squaring everything up.  I do have some
miter stands that are not currently in use, but they don't have enough
length of support in my opinion.  Roller stands are definitely not the
right solution.  I've used them (and still use them) but they have
their issues.

I can very much see somebody buying one of these and never buying a
horizontal band saw.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

--
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