Damon Hill
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| posted on 22/1/05 at 04:47 PM |
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Is there such a thing as a mitre saw for steel tube?
Most people would probably say use a grinder for it, but I hate using it, and I can't cut angles well with it! So is there a metalwork version
of a mitre saw?
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monkey69
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| posted on 22/1/05 at 06:21 PM |
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Yes, it's called a chop saw or "metal cut-off saw".
Screwfix and Toolstation do them, they have big grinder discs, and an angle clamp for mitres. Very useful, in fact some would say an essential.
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chunkielad
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| posted on 22/1/05 at 08:15 PM |
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I bought a compound mitre saw from B&Q a fewe months back to cut the joists for my attic conversion. I thoroughly plan on getting a metal cuytting
blade for it and getting my cuts as acurate as possible. So yes they do exist mate 
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Jon Ison
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| posted on 22/1/05 at 08:18 PM |
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what is it with LCB and loft conversions ? Thats 4 i know of now.....
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 22/1/05 at 08:23 PM |
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Perhaps some people have no garage? Rusty
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Rorty
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| posted on 23/1/05 at 04:35 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by monkey69
Yes, it's called a chop saw or "metal cut-off saw".
Screwfix and Toolstation do them, they have big grinder discs, and an angle clamp for mitres. Very useful, in fact some would say an essential.
It's Sunday, I'm bored and I feel like being pedantic.
A chop saw is the type that uses abrasive discs. A cold saw or metal cut off saw has a steel toothed blade.
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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britishtrident
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| posted on 23/1/05 at 09:44 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Damon Hill
Most people would probably say use a grinder for it, but I hate using it, and I can't cut angles well with it! So is there a metalwork version
of a mitre saw?
A hacksaw is all that is required to cut 1.5mm just mark it off carefully on all 4 sides. Get a bog standard Ecillipse frame --- the fancy ones
which claim to be "improved design" are worse than useless, use 24 or 32 tpi HSS blade.
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NS Dev
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| posted on 23/1/05 at 11:27 PM |
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Couldn't agree more britishtrident, apart from one thing, you assume patience, a property I don't posess much of!
You're right though, new Eclipse frame and a fine pitch blade on 16g tube can cut perfectly to any angle.
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Fred W B
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| posted on 24/1/05 at 11:50 AM |
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Amazing how often this comes up!
Once your abrasive cut off saw is set up dead square, it is too much trouble to keep resetting it when you want to cut miters.
So, what I do:
Quick, dirty, noisy and expensive way:
Mark tube on two adjacent sides,
Clamp tube in vice so you can see the two marked sides with the cut line horizontal and the tube angling away from you,
Push thin slitting disc on small grinder through tube, just above marked line. If you brace your lower hand on the vice you can cut quite
accurately.
Polish back to line and make cut face flat with a polyfan abrasive disc, checking by eye and or angle gauge.
Slow, clean, and cheap way:
Mark tube on four sides,
Clamp tube in vice.
Cut with hacksaw, turning tube over once you have cut the "top" and "front", so you can see the lines on the other faces .
Finish with file, checking with square and angle gauge.
Which method I use depends on the thickness of the material, time of day (noise factor) and if I have stock of discs.
What I find very useful is a carpenters angle gauge. This is a slotted block of plastic which has a pivoting steel blade secured with a wing nut. You
can hold it into the area where you want the part to fit to set the angle, or set it with a protractor, and then use it to mark the tube and check it
once cut. Stanly do a good one cheap.
Cheers
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locoboy
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| posted on 25/1/05 at 12:45 PM |
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i have looked in B&Q for the metal blades for a mitre saw and they dont stock them.
I have not looked anywhere else to be fair but they stock the saws, replacement and fine tooth wood blades for them but no metal cutting ones - are
they really available?
ATB
Locoboy
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DaveFJ
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| posted on 25/1/05 at 01:10 PM |
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I have a B&Q woodworking type mitre saw and have replaced the wood cutting blade with a standard hacksaw blade (decent quality one). Of course the
blade was the wrong length but it was fairly simple to make up a couple of brackets to adapt the fittings.
Will try to get a picture tonight
Dave
"In Support of Help the Heroes" - Always
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Damon Hill
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| posted on 25/1/05 at 01:23 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by colmaccoll
i have looked in B&Q for the metal blades for a mitre saw and they dont stock them.
I have not looked anywhere else to be fair but they stock the saws, replacement and fine tooth wood blades for them but no metal cutting ones - are
they really available?
Yeah, I was in B&Q yesterday, trying to get a metal-cutting blade, but the problem is the one they do (350mm) is
too short for the 550mm mitre saw (the only one they've got). So the guy said to me, either try and find a 350mm saw, or see if there are any
companies on the net that do 550mm blades... I'm still searching! Cheers, Ben
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locoboy
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| posted on 25/1/05 at 01:39 PM |
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Damon, Thats what i noticed now you mention it.
Dave,
Would like to see pics of your modded saw.
ATB
Locoboy
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Damon Hill
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| posted on 25/1/05 at 05:18 PM |
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Found some Kent ones>> Kent blades
Anyone recommend these?
[Edited on 25/1/05 by Damon Hill]
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britishtrident
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| posted on 25/1/05 at 05:36 PM |
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Looks like a plain carbon steel --- won't last long by "metal" they I suspect mean aluminium alloy extrusion for window frames and
the like.
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sgraber
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| posted on 25/1/05 at 07:19 PM |
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I much prefer my bandsaw to any other steel tube cutting method.
It's like a hacksaw on steroids. I clamp the tube in, start it up and walk away to work on other things. When it is finished cutting, it shuts
off. See here for the specs on a common unit. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20784&item=4352096477&rd=1
Plus they are much more quiet than a cutoff saw.
Graber
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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