I need a cutting solution.

[lovetofix]

Most of my welding projects are structural, doors, gates, security bars, racks of all kinds, etc. Most of what I am cutting is tubing, angle, and solid stock. So far my only option is use either my reciprocating saw or cutoff wheel in the grinder. Most of my cuts need to be precise so I am thinking either a small band saw or chop saw but I don't know which will be more versatile.
If there is another option I am not thinking of please let me know. I am open for any kind of advice, I'm just tired of free handing everything. Cost is part of the equation but I know that you get what you pay for and will pay more for something that will do the job properly.

[piniongear]

Buy a Makita 1230LC saw and your worries are done. This saw cuts metal like a chop saw cuts wood.
Nice square cuts with zero slag. The secret to the saw is the low speed of the circular blade.... about 1300 rpm as I recall.
I have owned one for years.

The other choice is to buy a Makita portable band saw and weld yourself up a stand for it. This turns it into a very portable band saw. The Makita comes with a handle built in and 2 tapped holes for 8mm bolts to fasten it to the stand you make.
Had one of these for years as well and ust it every day.
Perry

[piniongear]

Here are pics of my band saw stand and the stand I built for it...... along with a pic of the 1230LC saw.

[D Auger]

That stand is pretty slick !What kind of blade is that on your chop saw ?
Looks like a wood cutting blade ?

[Ltbadd]

piniongear is right about the metal cutting "chop" saw. If you've ever used the chop saws with abrasive blade you know what a PITA they are, loud, dust everywhere, and not very accurate. The dry cut saws are more then worth what you'll pay, and if your budget is limited for the Makita then look at the Evolution Power Tools RAGE2

[piniongear]

That stand is pretty slick !What kind of blade is that on your chop saw ?
Looks like a wood cutting blade ?

The blade on the saw is the one that came on it.
It is a 100 tooth carbide tipped metal cutting blade which has different shaped teeth than that found on a wood blade.
I was an early adopter of this saw and the advertised cut is 5000 cuts and the blade can then be resharpened.
When I bought the saw I also bought an extra blade. That extra blade has not been needed and the original blade is still cutting fine.

When this saw first came out, there were incidents of the arbor breaking and a recall was issued.
The replacement model now has a 1 inch diameter arbor and the saw turns at a slow speed of 1300 rpm approx.
The saw cuts at 90° cleanly, leaving no slag at all.
The saw costs about $400 when I bought mine and the extra blade was $100. This is an excellent value and I would not use anything but a cold cut saw for my needs.
Perry.

[tackit]

I wish I had one of these. http://www.trick-tools.com/Femi-ABS1...g-Bandsaw-6948

[lovetofix]

Wow, thank you for those pictures. I never saw a cold cut chop saw before, I think that might be my solution as long as I can rig something up to cut angles. I often need to cut many pieces at the same length so I like being able to clamp multiple pieces together and make one cut. What is the thickest metal that you have cut with this blade, and does the blade get hot with multiple cuts?

[lovetofix]

That Hem Saw is pretty sweet looking too and both these options would fit well into my tiny (8'x16') workshop. Which is going to handle heavy cutting better (like 1/4" and 3/8" angle), and last the longest. I want to get something that I only have to ship to Haiti once.

[Aeronca41]

Buy a Makita 1230LC saw and your worries are done. This saw cuts metal like a chop saw cuts wood.
Nice square cuts with zero slag. The secret to the saw is the low speed of the circular blade.... about 1300 rpm as I recall.
I have owned one for years.
Perry

I'll second that, Perry. I have a Milwaukee abrasive chop saw as well as a Milwaukee portable band saw. Since I bought the Makita 1230LC, I seldom use either of the others. I always lubricate the 100-tooth blade while it's cutting, and have cut a lot of stock with no hint of the blade wearing out yet. Cuts on tubing are just amazing-looks like a machined surface, which I guess it really is. I found a deal at CPO on line with an extra blade for free. Haven't needed it yet. Pay attention to the instructions especially when cutting thinner wall tubing--you want the angle between the teeth and stock to be correct.

[lovetofix]

I imagine 5000 cuts is more than you could get out of a bandsaw blade. The bandsaw could cut about any metal though vs being limited to mild steel with the dry cut chop saw. I could see myself building a table that would allow the bandsaw to pivot like the Hem Saw Tackit shared.

[D Auger]

I have one of those porter cable jobs with the abrasive can't stand the deflection , I'm going to start looking for that makita setup .D

[ryanjones2150]

The abrasive blade cuts are just OK. The deflection is a problem, so you generally have to cut much slower. It's a trade off of cost vs accuracy. If I had to do it again, I would get the dry cut chop saw over the abrasive blade chop saw.

[piniongear]

I have a DeWalt abrasive chop saw and the deflection and grinding dust everywhere is what drove me to the cold cut saw.
That saw is so much better that I cannot even compare the two.
FYI: The fence is marked with degrees but I always use an adjustable triangle (drafting type) to set my degrees of desired cut, then lay it between the blade and the fence to obtain a correct angle.

Also, if you bolt a longer wood board to the face of the fence, you can use a stop block and clamp it in place.
The stop block will allow you to make multiple cuts, one after another and the result will be all pieces are the same exact length with the identical angle on each end.
Such as needing 12 pieces 24 inches long to make three frames with mitered ends..
Wood workers do the same thing on their wood chop saws.
Perry

[lovetofix]

That is exactly what my dad has in his shop where they build storage buildings. He has the chopsaw mounted in the bench with a wood guide going out 16 feet with a measuring tape fixed to it and a clamp stop. <br />
When I get a bigger shop built I want to do the same thing. The problem is I will have to figure out some kind of a locking turntable to mount the saw on since it doesn't pivot to cut angles.