14" abrasive wheels..

admin

Very new to welding, although for 15 years I manufactured, designed and repaired jewelry.  Most of the jewelry work was with solder, but also did some brazing...  But I used a torch and got a good feel for how hot metals are getting and where the heat needs to be applied.....  anyway....I recently got a 14" chop saw, and started with Bullet's 14" carbide blade for metal,, I saw a review here and on another web site, so I though I'd give it a try... Works great.... for about 10 cuts,,, then it starts "burning" through the metal...  I exchanged the blade,, same thing,, so it needs to go back for a refund... I went back to the abrasive blade,, one form HF and the other from a local supplier.... both started out cutting well,, but after 6-10 cuts each, they quit cutting and started to burn through the metal... It started taking alot of pressure and time to get a single cut in 2" square 1/8 material, cutting 45 degree angles.There is some slight wear on each blade and both are doing the same thing... They are still over 13+" in diameter tho....Is there something I can use to "dress" these blades and get them to cut again?... do cheap blades just do this?  anyone have any suggestions?Thanks,BenThis is a great site with an unbelievable amount of information--- Thanks for That!!
Reply:Well this has me stumped...We have a hi-speed abrasive cut-off saw at the shop..I can get a wheel down to 5" or so with no problem.... The only thing that comes to mind is you need more downpressure while cutting..Don't let the wheel "ride" on what your cutting..That may be whats happening here..Your letting the metal "weld" itself to the wheel and we all know what happens when metal goes against metal.. I can even cut 4-5 pcs aluminum with it but then I cut a piece of steel to get the aluminum out of the wheel....Go faster and let us know what happens.......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Sounds like the wheel is glazed.  Put some hard pressure to and it should knock the glaze off and then go through.  I think when it comes to cutting wheels and grinding wheels you get what you pay for.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:Carbide blade - go slow but steady and let the teeth 'nibble' out the cut.Don't just jam the blade into the workpiece.Abrasive blade - go fast and hard and make the blade cut through as quick as it will go.And don't cut other than mild steel with the carbide blade.  Trying to cut alloy steel or anything hard will probably wreck the carbide teeth quickly.And make sure the saw and vise/clamp are stable and not letting things shift or wiggle around.  Wiggle when the blade tries to go through the workpiece is not good for the blades, either carbide or abrasive.
Reply:And make sure the saw and vise/clamp are stable and not letting things shift or wiggle around. Wiggle when the blade tries to go through the workpiece is not good for the blades, either carbide or abrasive.
Reply:Okay,, I'll try the old ones again,, But last night, I was pressing hard enough to almost stall the motor..  I just got back from HD w/ 2 new Norton blades,, One is a Chop Saw blade for metal, the other is slightly thicker metal blade,, they look to have a slightly different composition... I'll try the old ones then give the new ones a try and post the results...Thanks All,Ben
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterWell this has me stumped...We have a hi-speed abrasive cut-off saw at the shop..I can get a wheel down to 5" or so with no problem....
Reply:Hey B8mn1,Is the blade starting to stall as you get almost through?  I found that as the blade gets to the bottom surface, it has a hard time biting into the metal.  It's like it's rolling over the surface, instead of cutting through easily, like it does on the corners.  Like the others have said, add some pressure, and as the motor gets ready to stall, let off and let it build the RPMs up a bit.cricman
Reply:Yea, maybe its my HF chop saw.... It seems to start slowly as its cutting through the flat side, then cut really nice as its going down the sides, then almost stops cutting as it hit the bottom (the inside of the flat). I've tried, as Cricman suggested, to apply more pressure which nearly stops the motor... then back off and let it pick up RPM and attack it again... but its a slow go... The reason I'm leaning toward the saw is it might not have the power to cut as I apply pressure,,, and there seems to be some play in the alignment.. as I apply downward pressure, it feels like the blade tends to start cutting wide.. To better describe: as the blade is coming down, the bottom of the blade allows the cut to get longer at the bottom... so my cuts (of which the last 20 or so) are miters and they are giving me a gap on the top or bottom of the miter,,, I know some of this is due to the inaccuracy of the saw (as well as some due to the miter angle) but, the miter angle usually effects the inside or outside of the cut, the error I'm experiencing is a difference at the top or bottom..I did finish at the 2" square 1/8" stock... The rest of the gate will be 1/16 material.. so it will cut faster and easier...Thanks,Ben
Reply:glad to see im not the only one who uses the blade down to a nub
Reply:Here is a trick I use when cutting square stock.  Make a small set of "V" blocks out of a piece of Angle and flat bar then set your tubing in it and clamp it in the saw.  so you will actually have a corner at the bottom rather than a flat side.  it will cut alot easier like that as you have no flat sides to eat thru.  Hopefully you understand what I mean.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Was the saw designed for a carbide blade? The RPM might be to slow to cut good with abrasive blades
Reply:A saw designed for carbide blades will turn at a different speed than a saw designed for abrasive cutting blades.   Abrasive cutting is very inefficient and requires a large amount of power for every pound of material removed.  The better quality cutting discs are thinner and require less power.  The thicker and cheaper discs are slow cutting, consume more power, and tend to glaze over.  I prefer the Walter brand for proper performance.   If your cheap disc glazes over take an old disc and drag it across the spinning edge of the glazed disc.  The edge will be renewed for a few cuts.A good disc wears away at a steady rate to expose new sharp grains of abrasive.
Reply:Originally Posted by umahunterglad to see im not the only one who uses the blade down to a nub
Reply:hi, try taking a piece of flat stock about 1/8" thick and 1" wide placed in saw vise with 1" vertical so blade cuts through the entire 1" part. This has worked for me and did remove the "GLAZE" . I do not know if it only works on certain manufactures or not. I bet if you try a new blade it will cut for awhile and then plug up.  Hope it works. BOB
Reply:I'll try running the side of the blade with another blade to "de-glaze" it.... The carbide blade I tried was rated to 4400 rpm and designed to be used on a chop saw.. My chop saw is a HF and it was designed for abrasive blades...By the time I posted this, I was nearly through with cutting the frame for me driveway gate,,, so now I am setting it up and doing the fun part,,, welding it,, so it will be until my weekend (Sun or Mon) until I start cutting much more... thanks for the suggestions...Ben