[TowerTalk] Cutting tubing

[Charlie Gallo]

On 8/9/2010 Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:

> Wow, I never would have guessed that.  Thanks for posting this
> important information.  Do you have a recommendation
> for or against a carbide grit coated blade?

> Rick N6RK

What tool are you using to drive the saw?  

The issue with ANY "grit blade" is that the "tooth" of the blade is fairly fine, so it's going to actually tend to both clog, and cut fairly slowly, BUT the blade will tend NOT to wear out

In a shop, we'd use a bandsaw, and based upon a 1/2" wall thickness, somewhere around a 6-10 TPI blade, because you tend to want 3-4 teeth "in the work" at a time, probably up on the finer end because when you're first cutting in, you don't have much in the cut.  a Carbide TOOTHed saw would be a good thing, but expensive as heck, and really only applicable in a BIG bandsaw (ever watch someone cut 18" diameter Titanium rod?  I don't work on anything that big, but I've seen it done).

 A Good bimetal blade will tend to work, and be my choice in something like a sawsall (or for that matter, in my basement shop).  I tend to keep a 10-14 tooth varipitch blade in the saw (bandsaw)

Just go at it with a GOOD quality bimetal blade, preferably with a bit of cutting fluid (oil), and it'll cut.  Grab something like a 8TPI Lenox blade (or similar) (look at either their Lazer or Gold lines - the Lazer is designed for cutting thick structural steel) - 



-- 
73 de KG2V - Charles Gallo
Quality Custom Machine-shop work for the radio amateur (sm)