My latest plasma CNC cut.

[matteh99]

I wonder what would happen if you put a cermet blade in a table saw or regular skill saw. The only two problems I can see are getting the right RPM and keeping metal chips out of the motor.

I am having trouble winning the lottery also. Darn it.

[arandall]

My dad has one of these:

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/Product...+Circular+Saws

It is basically a metal cutting skill saw. For straight cuts it is awesome. It says it can cut up to 3/4 if you are careful but it will cutt 1/4 inch stuff all day. My dad has used his to rip metal roofing if the pieces don't quite line up with the width of the roof. It doesn't work well on expanded metal or interrupted cuts because if you start the cut to quickly at the edge of the metal you can chip the blade.

Matteh:

Wish you hadn't showed me this!!

Cheers,
Art R.

[clearchris]

True, the diamond blades hold up much better. How are they on heating the metal?

BTW, sounds like your alternative is cutting with a grinding wheel. It's always worth it to me to switch wheels to a thin cutting wheel (has a thinner kerf than most diamond blades). They can wear pretty fast, but I don't think the thickness would change much if any. Put any lateral pressure on those wheels and you'll be glad you are wearing eye protection.

Sometimes I can get this to work for maintaining a consistent height. Sometimes it ends up being a serious pain instead.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=45921

Hi Clearchris,

I'm not sure if the diamond wheel cuts any faster than an abrasive wheel. My main goal was to have a thin kerf (cut) in the metal with a straight line and the diamond wheel is a consistent thickness that doesn't change through the whole life of the wheel. Even after more than a year of use it is still the same size and width. In a way the 4.5" diamond blades are a good buy for how long they last at around $9.00.

I have a couple of the 4" right angles and I do keep a metal abrasive wheel on one of them, but I use it for grinding welds and wire brushing metal so the wheel becomes worn to different thicknesses from outer rim towards the center of the wheel. At its best or in some ways worst the abrasive wheel would leave a wide or varying width cut as the wheel went deeper or shallower since I use it hand held along a straight bar of metal. In other words the edge would not be a straight line most of the time.
HerbD

[HerbD]

Hi ClearChris,

I hadn't really given much thought to heat buildup with the diamond blade because there is no discoloration and it seems like I can pick up the cut pieces without a glove. I looked at the thin abrasive blades too, but dismissed them because of how fragile they seemed.

Once I get my track/guide device built I may try them. When I cut freehand along a guide I still have to be careful about steering the wheel along the guide and with a thin abrasive I don't think it would take much to have a piece snap off.

Won't be back on the cutting project for a bit. One hundred and six degrees in Arizona has sent us to San Diego and the beach for a few days Sunny and seventy this morning!

HerbD

[clearchris]

No discoloration, no problem! I'll have to try it out.

Thanks!

Hi ClearChris,

I hadn't really given much thought to heat buildup with the diamond blade because there is no discoloration and it seems like I can pick up the cut pieces without a glove. I looked at the thin abrasive blades too, but dismissed them because of how fragile they seemed.

Once I get my track/guide device built I may try them. When I cut freehand along a guide I still have to be careful about steering the wheel along the guide and with a thin abrasive I don't think it would take much to have a piece snap off.

Won't be back on the cutting project for a bit. One hundred and six degrees in Arizona has sent us to San Diego and the beach for a few days Sunny and seventy this morning!

HerbD