"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
You are thinking like a real home shop machinist now! Kudos for
creativity.
Many of us have found that any kind of abrasive saw is suboptimal for home
use. They are loud and messy and unsuitable for stock of much thickness. I
have had offered to me 2 different metal-cutting chop saws. I brought one
home and ran it a couple of times and then gave it back even though it was
free to me. Those are really made for cutting metal studs, which are
basically
sheet metal. They didn't work at all on 1" steel square bar -- I hit a
hard
spot and it just got harder and in the end the saw wouldn't cut it. The
little
4x6" band saws are much quieter, cleaner and safer.

You might have work hardened the material, or loaded up the abrasive wheel.
Everett suggests using a piece of an old abrasive blade, firmly clamped, to
dress the wheel. I prefer a band saw, of course, but have cut solid stock
with abrasive saws without a problem (unless you count the noise, smell,
sparks, etc.!). There is also the fact that some materials are too hard to
be cut on a band saw.