Sorting the garage out at the moment so that I have everything ready to start the Terrapin Chassis ( still not decided on the engine ).
I have been looking at Cut off saws and mitre saws to make cutting the chassis tubes quicker. The problem is I don’t know much about them and cant
decide what’s best to get.
First inclination was towards a Rage 3 mitre saw as it seemed to do everything I would need. BUT some of the reviews indicate that its not very
accurate e.g. Its 90 deg cut position is 89 deg.
What’s the best saw to get for 90 deg cuts and angle cuts for square and round tube?
Max price around £200 -£250 mark
Thanks
Paul
theres an ebay seller who sells used rage 3's (ex demos). i bought one and it was brand new,never used and blade was new. it only cost me £85 too. its superb but ive not checked whether its accurate to 1 deree over 90. i've been cutting exhaust pipes and its brilliant. really really god in fact. 1850w motor i think so it packs a punch.
My rage chop saw cuts superbly, it's accurate and very quick. You will never notice 1 degree
Cheers
David
See discussion here
Cheers
Fred W B
[Edited on 18/3/12 by Fred W B]
Cheers.
Paul
I have a Rage saw too. It cuts cleanly and accurately, but you need to clamp metal work pieces firmly or the blade can jump a bit.
I have a metal cutting band saw, angle grinders with 1mm cutting disks and a metal cutting mitre saw. For 1 inch 16g tube/metric equivalent, I stick
it in the vice and use the hacksaw, as its quicker, quieter, it doesnt produce a red hot piece of metal so you can start the next activity instantly,
and doesnt throw so much muck/metal swarf around the workshop. I alway us a squirt of 'tapping and drilling fluid' on the hacksaw blade
(cheapest you can get) as it reduces the effort enormously. One of the reasons its quicker is that you can adjust for slightly out of alignment
clamping in the vice as you saw, wheras all the 'proper' machines need to be much more carefully checked that the tube hasn't moved
during clamping - producing an out of alignment cut or wrong length (especially if you have a 6m lenth of box sticking out the workshop door!)
For heavier tube the advantages swing the other way (hence all the equipment I've aquired).
If I was only making kit cars I'd buy a hacksaw, decent blades (I use 2*24tpi blades for my whole chassis), cutting spray and put the spare £180
towards something else (Decent vice, better mig/bench drill/bench grinder.....)!
Regards
Hugh
Right.....
decided on a new hacksaw and blades + set square ( adjustable )
rest of the money will buy me some more steel!!!
Thanks for all the input.
Paul
quote:
Originally posted by hughpinder
I have a metal cutting band saw, angle grinders with 1mm cutting disks and a metal cutting mitre saw. For 1 inch 16g tube/metric equivalent, I stick it in the vice and use the hacksaw, as its quicker, quieter, it doesnt produce a red hot piece of metal so you can start the next activity instantly, and doesnt throw so much muck/metal swarf around the workshop. I alway us a squirt of 'tapping and drilling fluid' on the hacksaw blade (cheapest you can get) as it reduces the effort enormously. One of the reasons its quicker is that you can adjust for slightly out of alignment clamping in the vice as you saw, wheras all the 'proper' machines need to be much more carefully checked that the tube hasn't moved during clamping - producing an out of alignment cut or wrong length (especially if you have a 6m lenth of box sticking out the workshop door!)
For heavier tube the advantages swing the other way (hence all the equipment I've aquired).
If I was only making kit cars I'd buy a hacksaw, decent blades (I use 2*24tpi blades for my whole chassis), cutting spray and put the spare £180 towards something else (Decent vice, better mig/bench drill/bench grinder.....)!
Regards
Hugh