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Re: [TCML] Machining Question - Techniques for Cut-Off Sawing



Dan -

It all depends what you are cutting.

If you are working with structural steel tubing, then a cheap abrasive-wheel cut-off saw ("chop saw") will do. Length tolerance will be no better than +/- 1/16", if you are very careful. Surface finish will be pretty rough but OK if you are welding the tubing into a frame, etc.

A good quality vertical or horizontal band saw (the latter a "cut-off saw") will give better accuracy and surface finish, but will be much more expensive than a chopsaw.

Best finish & perpendicularity will be obtained with a preliminary rough cut with any of these tools, finished up by a milling operation.

Brass, copper, aluminum, plastic, etc cannot be cut with an abrasive cut-off saw.

Thin gage aluminum plate or extrusions can be cut with a conventional wood-working chop or table saw, as long as a special metal-cutting blade is used. Plastic sheet (Acrylic, Delrin, polycarbonate, etc.) can be cut quite precisely on a table saw with a special zero-rake angle saw blade. See www.freudtools.com for special-purpose blades.

Regards,
Scott Hanson


----- Original Message ----- From: "Mccauley, Daniel H" <daniel.h.mccauley@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 7:44 AM
Subject: [TCML] Machining Question - Techniques for Cut-Off Sawing



Just getting around to finally investing in a vertical mill, and am
looking at what options there are for a cut-off saw.
Do you typically just make a rough cut and then use the mill to
"perfect" the cut, or get the best possible cut right off the bat
using a cut-off saw?

Dewalt and Milwaukee (as well as others) sell some inexpensive metal
chop-saws, but not sure how well they work for soft metals like
aluminum, brass, etc... and plastics.

Any help appreciated!
Thanks!
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