Metal Cutting Power Saw

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

I am thinking of getting myself a power saw but unless anyone knows otherwise what I,m looking for maybe doesnt exist.

My workshop is a tiny 6 ft x 4 ft so I dont have the space to have a saw permanently in situ, it will have to live under a bench and be brought out when needed. So it needs to be quite compact plus ideally I would like something that can cope with a decent depth of cut i.e. not just a couple of inches.

I have been searching but havnt found anything as yet, there are chop saws but I dont fancy one of those. A band saw or small power hacksaw (if they are still available) would be more what I,m looking for.

Aldi do a fairly compact bandsaw which gets very good reviews apart from the built in vice which is said to be rubbish though it can be improved.

If anyone knows of a saw that may fit the bill it would be appreciated if you can let me know.

Thanks

Ron

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

[BufferParticipant @buffer]

Ron what about a kennedy power hacksaw. Its small enough to put under a bench and get out when needed

[donkeyParticipant @donkey]

machine mart item cpmcs1 it is a cold saw slow revving will deep cut through solid steel. box section etc. it has stops for repeatability angle cuts are easy. and I use one all the time.

I also have a few other power saws but that one is very portable, quiet and accurate.

no links to machine mart via this crazy site are possible. but go to machine mart site search for saw and they are on the second page.

I have seen and used other cold saws but they seem no longer available or way too expensive for hobbyists.

i have no connection with machine mart but find with minor improvements their stuff is ok and I usually wait until vat free day for major puchases.

brian

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

**LINK**

I have one of these. It's a lot more usable now I have junked the stand and bolted castors straight to the baseplate – you have to crouch down to use it but the vertical height is not too high and floor area is minimised. It was somewhat cheaper when I bought mine.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

**LINK** these seem to deliver very good performance but not the cheapest machine.

Mike

[IanTParticipant @iant]

A commercial powered hacksaw will probably be too large for you Ron – although my McMaster is on casters and pushes under a bench OK. This was an investment made after having to use an 'Armstrong' to cut up several 2.5" diameter long bars. It turned out my arm wasn't as strong as it used to be…

I've never used a metal bandsaw so cannot comment on them but without the McMaster I'd have looked at the small Myfordboy hacksaw or perhaps the Blackgate one. Blackgates still sell the castings for their design I believe and Myfordboy sells plans to build one from "stock" material (search on YouTube for details).Both will cost money and time to build but they are compact and seem to work well (videos of both also on YT).

Regards,

IanT

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

In a 6 x 4 foot shop, the usual 4 1/2 inch Bandsaw is likely to take up too much space. Mine had problems after a while (since rectified) Its predecessor was a small Bandsaw, intended to fit under the bench when not required, but after two faulty ones (and a lot of money spent replacing broken blades) went for this one.

Being almost too heavy (50 Kg ) to lift in and out of the narrow aisle in the shop, (Mine is not much larger than Ron's ) so lives outside, under a cover made from the material used for curtainsider trailers. The cover reaches almost to the ground, and a spray of oil keeps rust at bay

With little space available, it seems that reciprocating machine is needed.

These have the advantage of using the blades from "normal" hacksaws. But probably means that one will to be manufactured, either from drawings, a kit, or from scratch. When I looked at this, the most expensive component, by far, was the electric motor and integral gearbox.

HTH

Howard

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Both the MB and Blackgates designs use standard motors Howard – with no gearbox required. But they do need time and effort to build them – not so much a problem if you enjoy doing that kind of thing (which I generally do) – but some folk are a lot more focused (then I tend to be) and will not want to get diverted from their main project…

However sometimes the best solutions for specific needs aren't available commercially and then it can be time well invested…

Regards,

IanT

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Posted by Mike Poole on 06/03/2019 10:04:19:

**LINK** these seem to deliver very good performance but not the cheapest machine.

Mike

Plus one for the Femi, had mine for many years and would not be without it, you can also purchase or make -easily – a horizontal table which is very useful.

John

[Pat BraveryParticipant @patbravery]

I have just bought an Aldi bandsaw and can't fault it, I saw the video on youtube regarding the poor quality vice, maybe I was lucky as my one is working perfectly, the wear in the vice is adjustable. There is a 3 year warranty as well. Regards Pat

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

I've sent you a private message Ron.

[Iain DownsParticipant @iaindowns78295]

I've found the Aldi chop saw (an angle grinder on a frame) very good. I suspect it would be easy to overheat it with big cuts, but I've got through 2 inch square steel with it, albeit with a bit of turning round.

It was about 50 quid. Moreover it's fast.

I suspect these aren't in stock now, but there are a bunch on eBay which might do.

Iain

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I can pick my Femi up with one hand and put it under the bench if needed and happy with it's performance, some of the cheaper versions also get reasonable comments

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

How the Hell do you manage to work in a shop that small ?????? I salute you ! My place is 40X20 feet and I still fall over stuff !

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

As many of us have limited access to the recommended machines for certain jobs we have to do things the hard way or improvise.

I purchased years ago from an auto jumble a block 3” x 4.25” x 12” of 6082 Ally and decided could use it for my full size flash steam water and fuel pump bodies two are required.

Thinking it’s going to be a hand hacksaw job I remembered a cheap Aldi electric hand reciprocating saw bought from my local store.

With a metal blade have cut up a 1/4” angle trailer in the past so dug it out and put a coarse long wood blade in it (no carbide teeth on it) with a bit of lube done the Ally cutting.

Have found many of the budget tools from Aldi are OK for occasional use and a lot cheaper than professional ones.

I did this today in about 15 to 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Edited By Windy on 06/03/2019 12:24:56

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

I have Kennedy Hexacut and have just sold my Blackgates Power Hacksaw.

I'm now using this and absolutely love it, £150 delivered from Aldi of all places, 5" capacity off the top of my head. It is primarily a free hand saw but it comes with a stand and produces very accurate cuts and also rotates to cut mitres, the blade is variable speed so you can adjust it to suit but i think is mostly a gimmik, I just run it on minimum all the time.

workzone-240v-portable-bandsaw

A few caveats,

• the cam mechanism on the vice jaw isn't amazing but it's sufficient.
• because this is primarily a free hand saw, when mounted in the stand the blade cuts towards you rather than away
• also, the flex also points towards you – it's not really a problem, just something you wouldn't encounter on a purpose built bandsaw.
• There is no hydraulic mechanism to drop the blade
• you have to keep your finger on the trigger.

Still, prefer it to the Kennedy and the Blackgates as it's quicker, quieter, smoother and more accurate – plus it comes in a nice blow mould case with blade storage that takes standard 1140mm bandsaw blades- Milwaukee manufacture 10, 14, 18 and 25 TPI bimetal blades (£19 for 3) as well as 10/14 and 14/18 variable pitch bimetal blades (£22 for 3) – the saw comes with a very nice M42 bi-metal blade as standard.

Edited By Russ B on 06/03/2019 13:24:13

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

Thanks guys for all the advice and suggestions, quite a bit to think about so will give it some thought.

Ron

[JonParticipant @jon]

Posted by donkey on 06/03/2019 08:58:28:

machine mart item cpmcs1 it is a cold saw slow revving will deep cut through solid steel. box section etc. it has stops for repeatability angle cuts are easy. and I use one all the time.

no links to machine mart via this crazy site are possible. but go to machine mart site

This one very expensive though for diy.

**LINK**

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 06/03/2019 12:10:58:

How the Hell do you manage to work in a shop that small ?????? I salute you ! My place is 40X20 feet and I still fall over stuff !

A few people have asked me that Larry and I suppose the answer is that it is the only space I have so I just have to manage. I have the mini-lathe one end and the mill at the other and a shallow 6 feet of bench space along the back wall. I guess when you think about it standing in front of and operating the lathe or mill only needs a couple of square feet and that doesnt change much in any size of workshop.

It certainly is cosy and without doubt a one person space, two people would never be able to work in there without clashing elbows. Despite its tiny size which does get frustrating at times its my space. I have a small fold up chair and first thing in a morning I,m out there with my mug of coffee, I love it.

Ron

 

Edited By Ron Laden on 06/03/2019 19:28:21

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

After much deliberation I chose the Aldi Chop Saw, because I could stow it away under the bench thereby saving space but I only use it outside the workshop because of the sparks that it generates, wouldn’t be without it though and certainly saves a lot of arm ache.

Dave W

[Philip PowellParticipant @philippowell34749]

+1 for the Femi. I got mine from Stakseys last year, not cheap but works well with a good vice. I keep the saw under the bench a pull it out when needed and it has a surprisingly large capacity for such a small saw.

Phil.

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Ron,

I have a very old and well used Kennedy stuck on a lump of nylon with an antique washing machine motor cobbled on the back to drive it. It's got a lot of wear, no belt guards and an H&S inspectors dream if it were in commercial use but it will sill sit outside on an extension lead and cut 2" steel round bar to a reasonable degree of squareness, unsupervised, while I get on with more interesting stuff! It does have limited capacity though and some of the band saws around now do look nice. I have recently been sawing up lumps of 3/4" and 1" plate up to 3" X 6" slabs by hand so that hand held Aldi saw looks attractive. But I then ask how many lumps that size have I cut in the last 10 years? The Kennedy I think was given to my dad, if he bought it he would not have paid more than £20! Owes me nothing and does most of the usual size bar, box and angle I cut so I think the £150 will stay in the bank and I can save any gym membership as well by doing the occasional big bits by hand lol.

Paul.

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

I have a lot of metal to cut so have ordered the Aldi portable band saw so will get a lot of use just hope is as good as the comments on the Aldi site

[AdrianRParticipant @adrianr18614]

Can you report back on how it goes. Retiring my hacksaw is on my long long list of things to do.

Just for fun, i came across this **LINK**

[Author]

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