The thought crossed my mind to take a cheap mitre saw something like this one and fit it with a blade for cutting steel either with teeth or a carbide disc.

I can't help but think I've missed something painfully obvious as to why this would be a bad idea. So what do you guys think?

I could get a normal chop saw but I like the idea of having adjustable angles and the thought of hacksawing all the bits required is not too exciting to me.

[Edited on 19/3/07 by Doug68]

I have that saw in the link, it's for wood. I don't recommend trying to cut metal with it.

Just buy a cut off saw - not too expensive...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/14-METAL-CUT-OFF-CHOP-SAW-240V_W0QQitemZ330100372508QQcategoryZ22664QQtcZphotoQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item330100372508

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 poly fan 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

Fred WB

I did it a few years ago when chopsaws were more expensive.

I had to machine up a collar for the centre and modify the guard to clear.
As stated the speed is wrong and the saw is not really rigid enough.
Not one of my better ideas, not really worth the effort.

I wouldn't recommend it, or do it again.

Try looking on the Machine Mart website and you will see a similar product for Metal Cutting which includes angle cutting guide for less than £100 inc vat at this link.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cco14-14in-abrasive-cut-off-saw/path/07-mitre-saws-cut-off-saws/brand/clarke

Sorry I have just noticed you are in OZ. I do apologize but there are other make of purpose made metal saws by Evolution and I think Bosch do one as well

Well now I'm educated!
I suspected the speeds would be wrong, I think I'll be tracking down a $99 GMC chop off saw and good supply of hacksaw blades!

I got a cheap chop saw like the first link above, the vice is rubbish for cutting any angle accurately. I ended up using 4.5" angle grinder and thin disks and finish by filing to an accurate fit. As i went on I found that hacksaw was almost as quick and more accurate.

Caber

This thread answered all my questions before I even asked any! must use that search function some more.

(Have noted that the central bores of most metal cutting disc are completly different to the bore on the wood cutting mitre saws)