Is it possible to cut metal with a miter saw

Is it possible to cut metal with a miter saw?

This is what our guests sometimes ask. For our regular customers, this issue has already been resolved.

Most likely you are already aware of the ability of circular saws to cut metal, especially if you are already familiar with EVOLUTION products. over, industrial circular saws for metal are specifically designed to cut steel or non-ferrous metals on a regular basis. And stainless steel. periodically. But this limitation is due to the capabilities of the discs and the features of dry cutting of chromium-nickel steels.

RAGE professional hand-held circular saws and cut-off machines also successfully cut steel when the sheet thickness does not exceed 6 mm and the profile wall. 3 mm. However, by using the steel cut-off wheel used in the EVO 180 saw or S355CPS cut-off machine, these limitations can be surpassed without damaging the machine.

Serial cutting of steel profiles or pipes with EVOLUTION miter saws used to be ineffective. We have already covered this topic in previous articles. And nevertheless, with infrequent work with steel rolled products, miter saws of this brand show themselves much better than other brands on which a disc for metal was installed. The main advantages of EVOLUTION miter saws over competitive models:

  • a robust gearbox originally designed for cutting steel
  • reduced rpm, optimized for steel discs
  • more than 20 years of experience of the company in the development, production and sale of circular saws for metal

This is without touching the carbide wheel itself on steel. Just a lot of people ask the question “Will I be able to cut steel with a miter saw on wood if I put a metal disc on it??

What has changed in more than 10 years of production of EVOLUTION RAGE metal miter saws?

In 2020, the company introduced a new generation of special cutting discs. Now, the steel discs with a diameter of 185 mm are designed for speeds up to 5800 rpm. A special professional disc R185TCT-20MS is offered for the R185SMS miter saw, and for saws with a 255 mm disc. matching cutting disc for steel.

Thus, in the question “is it possible to cut steel with a miter saw?”.

Follow these guidelines when working with steel workpieces on miter saws:

possible, metal, miter
  • securely attach the workpiece to the base, if the standard clamp is not enough, use additional devices
  • fold the saw advance to the forward position and secure with the set screw. reduce the number of places where vibration is possible
  • do not apply significant force to the saw, let the blade cut at the expense of speed, not pressure

Marking

The circle label indicates the expiration date, the maximum number of revolutions, the material marking, coded in letters and numbers. After the expiration date, the nozzles become brittle, the abrasive crumbles. The date until which the disc can be used is shown on the label next to the bore hole.

Cutting metal on ryobi miter saw

When buying, you need to pay attention to the maximum number of revolutions. It must be equal to or less than that of the instrument.

Abrasive discs for an angle grinder must have a coded marking of the abrasive material. Material encoding is deciphered as follows:

  • The material from which the abrasive grit is made is denoted by a Latin letter (or two letters). For example, for a circle with a marking starting with the letter A, the abrasive consists of aluminum oxide. White corundum (AS). does not cut stainless steel, silicon carbide (C). generally not suitable for working with metals.
  • The grain size of the abrasive is indicated by the number following the letter designation of the type of abrasive grit. The larger the value, the smaller the particle size. To work with ferrous metals, you need wheels with coarse-grained abrasive (up to 30), for non-ferrous metals, fine-grained (from 40) are suitable.
  • The hardness of the bond of the abrasive is indicated after the grit. It is denoted by a Latin letter. The further the letter is from the beginning of the alphabet, the harder the abrasive is. The softest bond is A, the toughest bond is Z. Soft abrasive tips are used for hard metals. A hard bond overheats the surface to be processed, cuts with difficulty. The soft ligament will wear out quickly.
  • The ligament material is designated by one or two Latin letters at the end of the encoding.

For example, a disc marked A24R BF. alumina abrasive, coarse-grained, soft, bakelite bond.

Pros and cons of carbide discs for metal

I would like to note right away that carbide discs have a lot of advantages compared to abrasive discs, but the price of the equipment and the discs themselves restrains the popularity of their use. Let’s get everything in order!

  • Cutting precision. In order to maintain accuracy when cutting metal workpieces, a carbide blade on a pendulum saw is one of the best options for working.
  • The speed of work. You will be surprised at how fast a carbide blade cuts.
  • Huge disk resource. The average disk resource is five thousand cuts. Compared to abrasive, it is immortal.
  • Lack of harmful emissions. When working with abrasives, a cloud of small particles forms in the working area, which negatively affects human health.
  • The metal does not heat up. After you cut the workpiece, you can safely take it, it will be cold. The main plus is that the properties of the metal do not change without the influence of temperatures.
  • Price. The cost of a carbide disc is tens of times more than an abrasive one. Cut-off assembly saw for metal with a carbide (victorious) Makita lc1230 disc (305 mm). At home, with rare use, such a disk will not pay for itself.
  • Loss of metal. As disk thicker than abrasive, then it should be borne in mind that the cutting line will be thick.
  • Afraid of rust. If you decide to cut rusty metal, remember that the disc will wear out faster.

Drawing a conclusion about all of the above, we can say that carbide wheels are more professional consumables. They have fewer drawbacks than competitors, but the price makes them unaffordable for domestic use.

Hitachi Power Tools, Luga Abrasiv Extra

Producer of JSC “Luga Abrasive Plant”. Excellent value for money. In the assortment, you can find budget options, which does not affect product quality.

disadvantages

Linear characteristics and sizes of different types of discs

For grinders of different sizes and capacities, circles with the corresponding linear characteristics are used:

possible, metal, miter
  • outer diameter: 115, 125, 150, 180, 200, 230, 300, 365 mm;
  • seat ring diameter: 22.2 (most common), 22, 32 mm;
  • thickness: 1.0, 1.2, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.5, 3.2mm.

For thin and even mowing lines, a blade with a thickness of ≈ 1.0 mm is most suitable. But it has a significant drawback. increased flexibility, leading to breakage when over-pressed. The optimum cutting thickness is 1.6 mm on average.

With the help of grinding and polishing discs, you can achieve the desired result in surface treatment. These circles are thicker than those used for cutting metal. Depending on the desired result, replaceable pads are attached to one of the sides:

  • sandpaper;
  • the cloth;
  • felt;
  • spongy material.

A necessary addition are special fine abrasive pastes and liquids.

There are also discs for sharpening tools and roughing bits for an angle grinder:

  • diamond roughing (work on concrete, stone and cement). Cannot be used for metal processing;
  • flap grinding;
  • abrasive sharpening;
  • twisted cutters (stripping dirt from metal, concrete and stone surfaces).

Abrasive grinding wheels are used for rough metal processing:

  • fusion of the weld;
  • sharpening of various cutting tools (e.g. teeth of a circular saw).

Flap discs are much softer than abrasive ones. For this reason, there are difficulties in removing hard protrusions, but the quality of grinding relief surfaces increases.

Husqvarna

A Swiss company known for its high performance and level of product durability. The product range includes a wide selection of diamond and abrasive cutting discs. The negative point is the high price.

Bosch

German company, a leader in the production of power tools and related materials. A wide variety of attachments for grinders: diamond and abrasive cutting wheels for stone, metal and wood. The company’s products meet ISO.

EASILY cut STEEL with a MITER SAW

Characteristics of Bosch wheels on the front of the disc

Canadian manufacturer of professional and household tools. The assortment is represented by a wide selection of cutting discs for metal and stone.

Bosch (PCM series

With a power of 1.2 kW, it will provide a depth of cut of 60 mm, a vertical angle of 120 degrees,

Power 1.6 kW, cut. 90 mm, angles 65 and 150 degrees,

Circular saw or miter saw. which one to choose?

You want to make a nice table to match your couch, but can’t decide between a miter saw and a circular saw?

Don’t worry, read our comparison guide to find out all the differences between the two saws and decide which one is the best for your task.

Some people think that one of them is better than the other, others that there is not much difference between them, and one can replace one saw with another. Nevertheless, each of them has its own characteristics and it is better to use the saw precisely for its intended purpose.

So let’s first take a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of both types of saws.

Miter saw

What is a miter saw? Cross-cut is a tool for precise, mainly cross-cutting, cutting of a workpiece. Most miter saws are small and portable. Unlike stationary miter saws, you can pull it out and set it on a temporary base by placing a drop mechanism (sometimes called drip) over your workpiece. Blade sizes most commonly used for miter saws range from 8 “to 12” (20-30 cm).

What is a miter saw used for? You can use it to create cross cuts on a workpiece in one quick motion. But more importantly, you can do it at your chosen angle. It is the best choice when you need to cut planks and moldings.

Pros The miter saw is useful when you need precise cross-cuts in your workpieces. This saw is also a great option for miter cuts. This is one of the main competitive advantages of this saw over other types of saws. Most importantly, the miter saw is one of the safest.

Cons Despite all the advantages, a miter saw is useless when you are about to cut large workpieces. While it is the best choice for cross-sections, trimming can be ineffective with long cuts (over 15 centimeters). Miter saws are more of a luxury than a necessity.

possible, metal, miter

A circular saw

Also called circular saw, this saw is equipped with a toothed or abrasive disc that allows you to cut various materials in a rotary motion around an axis.

What is a circular saw used for? The circular saw is commonly used in a variety of woodworking projects. However, the cutting tasks depend to a large extent on the type of blade that is mounted on the circular saw. This saw can be produced both for the left and for the right hand. During operation, the circular is largely based on the part of the structure in which the engine is located.

Pros Circular saws are very compact, making them easy to move. Usually, you transfer the circular saw to the workpiece, and conversely, in the case of miter saws, you take the material where the saw is already installed. These saws are capable of making long rip cuts. Cons This type of saw is much more difficult to use than a miter saw. A circular saw requires more skill and a lot of experience is required to use it. From a safety standpoint, a miter saw is a better choice than a circular.