Should you use oil with an abrasive metal cutting disk?

[cracker39]

First, my question. Should one use oil with an abrasive disk to cut steel, and if so, is there a special oil for this purpose? Or, will oil just ruin the abrasive disk? Anyone have experience with this? Now, the background for my question:

When I made my first chassis, I put a 10â€

[Shadow Catcher]

They are meant to run dry! Just watch out where the sparks go, I can't tell you how many things I have set on fire including myself. This is one case where the cut off blade makes a real difference, aggressive grit cuts faster and HF blades are NOT good quality. Find a local for Norton or one of the other industrial suppliers http://www.nortonindustrial.com/News-No ... heels.aspx

[bobhenry]

My buddy that modified my extended tongue is a metal shop hobbiest. He is always welding grinding and cutting on something. He says he goes thru a chop saw a year sometimes sooner if he has a few bigger projects. The metal shavings and abrasive dust eats saw bearings alive. Stick with your cheapie and try a different abrasive disc. Remember on the flat sides you are removing more metal than the vertical sides it just takes longer.

[cracker39]

Remember on the flat sides you are removing more metal than the vertical sides it just takes longer.

Yeah, does it ever. Funny that my little 4 1/2" angle grinder will cut the same steel 10-20 times faster. I will definitely find a better disk. Thanks to all for that advice.

My chop saw was set up for testing at the edge of my porch/patio workshop in the open. The sparks went out the back into the yard. Hopefully, they'll kill the weeds.

[doug hodder]

If you are cutting flat bar or strap like 1/4" thick on a chop type saw, you can glaze an abrasive disk, it'll quit cutting and the outer perimeter will start to glow nice are red all the way around. I use a chunk of brick or concrete to break the glaze on it. Like mentioned...the HF disks aren't worth it. get a good one and you'll be much happier. I've had the HF ones explode, was out of balance from the get go...gets exciting real fast! Just an idea. Doug

[cracker39]

I've had the HF ones explode, was out of balance from the get go...gets exciting real fast! Just an idea. Doug

The disk does feel like it's out of balance as there's some vibration. In the next couple of days, I'll get a new disk for it and see how it cuts.

[doug hodder]

Dale....I think the HF blade I had was a Russian made one...getting even for that whole Cold War thing I guess....get rid of it. It will want to lock up in the iron and that's when it gets exciting. Get a Norton or a decent quality one, just my opinion. Doug

[Dale M.]

Simple physics say how much material in contact with the blade will determine how fast it cuts..... In relationship to how much blade is in contact with a tube (round or square) the "horizontal" surfaces present more material to blade than "vertical" surfaces there for it cuts slower at top and bottom of a tube cut (also applies to "channel" iron) ....

Feet per minuet also (how fast edge of blade is moving) determines how fast blade cuts... A 14 inch blade at 3000 RPM is probably as fast at the outside edge as a 4.5 inch blade tuning at maybe 6000-7000 rpm ( no I didn't do the numbers) ... Also blade thickness will have an effect on how fast it will cut, typically a 4.5 cutoff wheel is a lot thinner than a 14 inch wheel....

Also on wheel quality , yes get the best quality made, brand names wheels... The last wheels I bought for my 4.5 grinder/cutoff machine where DEWALT cutoff wheels and I get about 5x times usage out of one wheel than cheap harbor freight wheels.... And about only twice the cost (per wheel) as the HF wheels I used to use......

Dale

[Larwyn]

Once I got a band saw designed for metal I never used my abrasive chop saw again, sold it years ago. I do use cut off wheels in a 4 1/2" angle grinder which sees limited use and 3" discs in a pneumatic cutoff tool. I also use my plasma cutter for some cuts in metal up to 1/2" thick and my oxygen/acetylene cutting torch for the heavy stuff. But in my home shop the band saw is king for cutting bar, rod, angle, channel and tube to length.



and this one

[Dale M.]

We had Porta-Bands at work and loved them!!!!!!!

But unfortunately the model your in picture is no longer in production (or at least when I looked recently).....

I personally would go band saw or "porta-band" before a abrasive cutoff wheel if I had to start over in acquiring tools... Really best cutoff wheel is "cold cut" saw but start at about $450 range....

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Prod/Maki ... 6/Cat/1234

Dale

[Larwyn]

We had Porta-Bands at work and loved them!!!!!!!

But unfortunately the model your in picture is no longer in production (or at least when I looked recently).....

I personally would go band saw or "porta-band" before a abrasive cutoff wheel if I had to start over in acquiring tools... Really best cutoff wheel is "cold cut" saw but start at about $450 range....

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/Prod/Maki ... 6/Cat/1234


Dale

Yea, I ordered that worm drive porta-band and Porter Cable's worm drive bayonet saw (jig saw) about the same time just as I was about to retire. They are two tools which I used at work that I did not want to do without once I left the job. Interesting that both were by Porter Cable and that both are now discontinued. It appears that much of the stuff which is now branded as Porter Cable is actually Delta's budget line, formerly known as "Delta Shopmaster". It's a shame what has happened to the quality tool manufacturers. Seems they are being bought out and destroyed by putting the good name on junk tools and killing the brand.

[dh]

I put a dewalt blade on mine and couldn't get an acurate cut. Found a nice wobble in the blade. I stick with norton. Many store brands are norton and labled "by norton". On 4.5" cut off wheels, get metabo.