Thread: Chop Saw Recommendations

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Ive used all the big name saws when doing metal stud framing, and they all work just fine!! They have these new saws out that look like a regular skill saw, but they are for metal. I have not tried one, but the guy at the tool and fastener store was really impressed with it, sayes it cut through 2" solid steel like wood. The down side is its close to 300 bucks.

you can get 7 1/4" metal cutting discs which will fit regular circular saws. no need for a $300 saw... or if your cutting sheet metal and don't mind making a racket.. turn a cheap wood blade around backwards on a circular saw, and it will cut metal.

Matt, i just saw the blades at HD yesterday, im still a little uneasy about that though! Skill saws like to bind up to much, i can do things with a skill saw that scare most men, but cutting metel with one scares me!

Your right about turning the blade around, it works real well on aluminum soffit and siding material, but be carefull!

Thanks for the information, I did not know a chop saw could handle metal. I almost bought one for cutting wooden rafter beams on our recent 20'x30' "Sun Room" addition but after we cut out one pattern beam with the appropriate notches for the edge of the roof I was able to make 34 copies with just a hand circular saw. For steel rectangular tubing on my Brookville frame I made an additional crossmember out of 1 1/2" x 3" rectangular tubing by taking a stock piece to a guy who has a pro fabrication shop who took his Chemistry from me and he cut both ends on an angle for me free on a very neat metal miter hacksaw setup but that looks like it is really expensive since he can saw 4" square (hollow) beams on it! Anyway with the miter angle on the hacksaw I got a really good fit to the bevel on the Model A frame and welded my safety U bracket for the drive shaft to the bottom of the new crossmember.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

Thanks for the information, I did not know a chop saw could handle metal. I almost bought one for cutting wooden rafter beams on our recent 20'x30' "Sun Room" addition but after we cut out one pattern beam with the appropriate notches for the edge of the roof I was able to make 34 copies with just a hand circular saw. For steel rectangular tubing on my Brookville frame I made an additional crossmember out of 1 1/2" x 3" rectangular tubing by taking a stock piece to a guy who has a pro fabrication shop who took his Chemistry from me and he cut both ends on an angle for me free on a very neat metal miter hacksaw setup but that looks like it is really expensive since he can saw 4" square (hollow) beams on it! Anyway with the miter angle on the hacksaw I got a really good fit to the bevel on the Model A frame and welded my safety U bracket for the drive shaft to the bottom of the new crossmember.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don, just make sure you're looking at a chop saw for metal and not a miter saw for wood....... Don't think I'd use a chop saw on wood rafters......

Keep americans working. Buy american made

Dave, My son-in-law used a neat chop saw for all the crazy angles in the interior wood trim, but I see what you mean on notching the rafters. Anyway, I have not seen a chop saw used on metal. Several special pieces I have farmed out locally always used a cut-off hack saw or the fancy miter hack saw.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

Matt, i just saw the blades at HD yesterday, im still a little uneasy about that though! Skill saws like to bind up to much, i can do things with a skill saw that scare most men, but cutting metel with one scares me!

Your right about turning the blade around, it works real well on aluminum soffit and siding material, but be carefull!

i know somone that cut 7075 t6 1inch thick alum with his table saw BUT it can throw hot chunk of alum at you to and for steel it a bad ideal even if they make a saw blade they just scare me to .with all the flying hot steel not fun if it hits you.i have been there done that i just about cried like a small girl the last time i had steel dug out of my eye two day s in a row of them carving on my eye ball one week after that still was sore i think they seen me coming and used all there dull tools on me

Light aluminum - i.e., .25 and under have cut with my radial arm saw, my table saw and my miter saw using a fairly good carbide blade and wearing a pair of goggles as any of those saws really throw chips. Just run it into the blade v-e-r-r-r-y slowly. I've not seen any damage or wear on any of those expen$ive blades. I do use my no name miter saw with a cut off blade for steel occasionally and so far have ruined a bed insert and embedded slivers in the aluminum housing - but no big deal as it still works just fine. I don't do enough fab work to justify a specialty saw.

I also have a HF chop saw and it has performed well, but I am just a hobby guy, pretty light use. What I do have that I highly recomend is a metal blade from www.bulletindustries.com.

Carbide Tooth Metal Cutting Blade 14″ x .09″ x 66 Tooth

Sooo much better than an abrasive blade. Joe