Jeff Wittrock
11-16-2014, 7:46 PM
I started cutting out the saw plate for my panel saw yesterday. I'm using 1095 blue spring steel 0.032" thick.
I dont' have access to a sheer, so in the past, for smaller saws, I just used an angle grinder with a thin cut-off wheel. This works, but I've never been able to cut very straight this way and always have quite a bit of cleanup to do after wards. I also hate using an angle grinder and the shower of sparks.
With a 24" long saw plate, I decided to try something different. I have a small, cheap, tile cutting wet saw I bought a few years back during some remodeling.
I replaced the diamond wheel with a 4-1/2" thin, abrasived metal cutting wheel (the same one I used on my angle grinder). I don't know if it is the best idea to use the cut-off wheel with water, but I decided I would go slow and give it a try, and I figured it was safer than using the angle grinder anyway since it at least had a gaurd over the wheel and only a small part of the wheel is exposed.
I have to say it worked better than I had hoped. The water kept the steel cool, and almost no sparks. I was carefull to not put any side pressure on the thin wheel. The cut came out very clean and straight. This was cutting freehand without using the fence.
I guess for hardened steel of thin thickness this worked well, although I don't think I would ever do it with something I could already cut with a hacksaw. I've never tried it, but I bet mild steel could probably gum up and bind and possible break the wheel?
I dont' have access to a sheer, so in the past, for smaller saws, I just used an angle grinder with a thin cut-off wheel. This works, but I've never been able to cut very straight this way and always have quite a bit of cleanup to do after wards. I also hate using an angle grinder and the shower of sparks.
With a 24" long saw plate, I decided to try something different. I have a small, cheap, tile cutting wet saw I bought a few years back during some remodeling.
I replaced the diamond wheel with a 4-1/2" thin, abrasived metal cutting wheel (the same one I used on my angle grinder). I don't know if it is the best idea to use the cut-off wheel with water, but I decided I would go slow and give it a try, and I figured it was safer than using the angle grinder anyway since it at least had a gaurd over the wheel and only a small part of the wheel is exposed.
I have to say it worked better than I had hoped. The water kept the steel cool, and almost no sparks. I was carefull to not put any side pressure on the thin wheel. The cut came out very clean and straight. This was cutting freehand without using the fence.
I guess for hardened steel of thin thickness this worked well, although I don't think I would ever do it with something I could already cut with a hacksaw. I've never tried it, but I bet mild steel could probably gum up and bind and possible break the wheel?