Thread: Which Cold Cut Saw?

(I think this is the right sub-forum...)

G'day chaps, I'll probably need to get a Cold Cut Saw soon, which will used almost exclusively for cutting round tube anywhere from 20-50mm dia. The tube will often, if not always be powder coated.

There are a few offerings to considering, but at least not a bewildering range.

Makita LS1230 $699 1750w 305mm blade, no spec on the tooth count, but a replacement Makita blade appears to be $199 for a 60 tooth

Bayer B355 $469 2400w 355mm blade, no tooth count

Evolution Rage 2 $499 2200w 355mm blade, no tooth count but a replacement is $99 for 36 tooth.


The Fein Slugger seems to be similar to the Makita, but just more expensive at $899.


I doubt I am concerned about runout specs because these are cuts that will be covered up anyway (table legs).

I suppose that a higher tooth count will result in a smoother cut (like a timber mitre saw), but again that's not particularly important to me. Does the higher tooth count result in smaller chips, or anything else?

I am tending to lean towards the Evolution at $499 which is $200 less than the Makita, and replacement blades are $99 vs $199, although I know you get what you pay for with blades.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this please, and has anyone cut powder coated steel with one? (I'm sure the PC will be fine, unless the result from my abrasion saw which knackers the PC).

Cheers
FF

I have the Slugger which is also a 14”, not a 12” like the Makita.

Ive been very happy with the Slugger, I’ve cut everything from 1mm thru to 65mm solid round chrome bar and 100mm by 25mm copper bar plus more.

Mine also came with a spare bonus blade but first blade is still cutting extremely well.

Think I’ve got some PC tube laying around somewhere that I can cut to show you the cut quality, will have a look tomorrow.

I have the Dewalt DW872 - expensive and original blades don't seem to be available so I'm forced to use third party blades anyway. Not my best purchasing decision =)

From what I've read recently in looking for a replacement blade, I would avoid the Evolution and Bayer saws for your usage. The blades that come with them are multi-purpose blades that won't cut mild steel as cleanly as a higher tooth count blade, nor are they rated for thick steel - the Rage 36T blade shows a limit of 6mm thickness in mild steel, where the 70T blade on my Dewalt will chew through as large a solid chunk of steel as will fit in the jaws.

I'd have a look at the Renegade from TradeTools. $348 delivered, 14" (355mm), 1000rpm. The blade isn't specified but it looks to be around ~70T TCT with standard tooth form.

https://www.tradetools.com/product-r...l-saw-cold-cut

I've got the Slugger too - it was $699 when I got it (but no free spare blade tho) and looking at the current range, would still be inclined to go with it, even at $899 as the build quality is significantly better than other machines I've seen - the vice mechanism is very solid, which is really important to ensure the work piece never shifts, no only for safety, but also to avoid damaging the blade.

Carbide cold saws are great machines - they do very nice cuts very quickly, with very little deburring needed.

On the "making sure" front: do you think there would be no problem with the powder coating? As I understand it, PC is a plastic similar to melamine, so I would have thought it wouldn't chip under this blade, and certainly shouldn't melt (like it did on my abrasion saw )

I have a lot of experience with Brobo style cold cut saws and some with smaller carbide metal cutters, but nothing with units in the class you are considering. However, based on the experience with smaller carbide cutters, I would hesitate to class them as cold cut. They don't heat the material to the extent of abrasive saws, but the chips they produce in a cut are generally heat discoloured, indicating significant local heating in the cutting process. If you want to cut powder coated tube, I suspect that there is a significant possibility that any chips that land on prefinished material during cutting will mar the surface in some way. I also wonder what the next phases of the production process would be, welding PC materials generally involves the coating off before welding. I suspect that you would be better off overall to powder coat at the end of the fabrication process when you will receive a uniform coating that can be protected and nit require any touchup.

Last year I installed a bit of security fencing at our place and trimmed about 30 65x65x2.5 powdercoated posts to length - no heat damage, chipping or any other issue with the powercoat at the cut.

Bret you do know these are messy things prone to showering sparks and fine powder like residue about sheds?? You might like to use something less messy slower for sure but at east a magnet will pick up 90% of swarf

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Originally Posted by malb

If you want to cut powder coated tube, I suspect that there is a significant possibility that any chips that land on prefinished material during cutting will mar the surface in some way. I also wonder what the next phases of the production process would be, welding PC materials generally involves the coating off before welding. I suspect that you would be better off overall to powder coat at the end of the fabrication process when you will receive a uniform coating that can be protected and nit require any touchup.

Good thinking Mal, but there is no more processing after cutting - insert leg into tabletop and lock in place with grub screws.

The problem with cutting to length and then doing the PC is that the lengths are not necessarily standardised, so it would be a week's wait (or more) every time I want to get the PC done....and a helluva drive each way every time....

I could consider building a hood/capsule for the saw to stop swarf from flying around. That probably means that more of it might land back on the PC tube for a quick meltdown.

The other thing that has been rolling around in my head for a while is using some steel plate with rare earth magnets on the back. I think that would certainly hold some of the flying chips but equally, I'd be sure that plenty might still bounce of it. Anyone tried something like that?

Would a higher tooth count blade change the size of the chips (presumably a little smaller or thinner)?

Originally Posted by RustyArc

Last year I installed a bit of security fencing at our place and trimmed about 30 65x65x2.5 powdercoated posts to length - no heat damage, chipping or any other issue with the powercoat at the cut.

Thanks RA, that's good to know.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Would a higher tooth count blade change the size of the chips (presumably a little smaller or thinner)?

I have only worded with two tooth counts on the small unit that I use, and the counts were within 10% anyway, so there was no obvious change. I just checked the Evolution blade range and the are also 'limited' blades like the ones for my unit. That means that the disc immediately ahead of the gullet and tooth actually rubs on the material, effectively limiting the depth of cut of the tooth, and hence the chip size. (fairly analogous to rakers and cutters in a chainsaw chain). So the chip size is effectively determined by the tooth protrusion and width, rather than the total number of teeth in the wheel.

I totally agree that the saw should be suitable for PC tube if the area within 10mm or so of the cut can be fully concealed in a socket or cup, I have never had swarf migrate that far from the cut. I thought it was worth mentioning though as you hadn't said what was happening further down the line. There can also be some difference in customer expectation between fence posts and household furniture.

What if you tried a different route, have you considered a small bandsaw instead. With a bandsaw you can gang the material up and cut them all at once to the exact same length... very handy thing for 4 table legs

Originally Posted by malb

I have only worded with two tooth counts on the small unit that I use, and the counts were within 10% anyway, so there was no obvious change. I just checked the Evolution blade range and the are also 'limited' blades like the ones for my unit. That means that the disc immediately ahead of the gullet and tooth actually rubs on the material, effectively limiting the depth of cut of the tooth, and hence the chip size. (fairly analogous to rakers and cutters in a chainsaw chain). So the chip size is effectively determined by the tooth protrusion and width, rather than the total number of teeth in the wheel.

I totally agree that the saw should be suitable for PC tube if the area within 10mm or so of the cut can be fully concealed in a socket or cup, I have never had swarf migrate that far from the cut. I thought it was worth mentioning though as you hadn't said what was happening further down the line. There can also be some difference in customer expectation between fence posts and household furniture.

Hi

I have two Evolution chop saws. Rage 2 and Evosaw 380

Evosaw blades are not limited, and those can be used with cheaper Rage 2 saws too.
Actually those saws are nearly similar, same motor, speed and torque. Only that Evosaw's frame is cast steel, when Rage 2 has body made from plate.

Evolution blades are made to be used with low rpm.
I have used evolution's 185mm circular saw blade with old black and decker that i bought from a flea market at 20$.

It runs with the same speed than evolutions rage 1-b circular saw. It cuts well, and blade has lasted.


Similar saw that i bought:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-and...EAAOSwEzZcqKlw

That's one option if one wants find cheap option.

Originally Posted by Harry72

What if you tried a different route, have you considered a small bandsaw instead. With a bandsaw you can gang the material up and cut them all at once to the exact same length... very handy thing for 4 table legs

Harry, you mean something like this? How warm/hot would the cut get because that is the biggest challenge with the powder coating. I definitely don't want to introduce liquid coolant into the equation.

I can see that a Band Saw would not spray the swarf around the place, which is a good advantage.

Yesterday I did a suggested experiment with my 4400rpm abrasion cut off saw, and I taped the cut with masking tape. It may have improved the cut slightly but of course the PC bubbled as expected, and when I ground the burr off the end the bubbled bit just fractured away, as usual.

I have a bandsaw and a cold saw, there's pros and cons to both, but for routine cut-off tasks, the cold saw is *much* quicker (but noisier, needs very secure work holding, etc.).

As for clouds of smoke or chips, these things aren't abrasive saws (unless the teeth are blunt...) they produce chips, but typically collect in a drawer behind the blade, with only a small proportion scattering around. Nothing at all like a abrasive saw. And they really don't put much heat at all into the work.

An Evolution Rage 2 355mm for $500 jumped into the back of the ute today. Lovely smooth, shiny, cold cuts with PC in tact. Tiniest bur on the bottom of the cut outside, and another tiny more uniform burr around the inside. Both can be removed with 120 grit paper super quickly.

The swarf doesn't really glow or get thrown very far or fast which is good - maybe a metre, so I might investigate building a magnetic trap for it so I can use it in the shed. (btw I sent that same sentence to a mate by SMS, and it turned swarf into dwarf, but I swear I didn't see it until he pointed it out).

Thanks everyone for your input - great result!