On 23 Apr 2005 19:02:34 -0700, wrote:

I own a Sears 10" radial arm saw that I purchased when my son was in
the Cub Scouts. He's now 40 just to give you an age fix on the saw
(which actually still looks like it's new).

Recently I purchased an 8" abrasive metal cutting blade from Home Depot
and used it to cut some thin-wall aluminum tubing to length and it did
a fine job (except for the fact that the hot fiber blade made my shop
smell like a wet dog for about 12-hours). I also chopped some steel
angle stock and, except for all the sparks, that appeared to work fine
too.

Is there a problem with cutting metal on a radial arm saw normally
intended for woodworking?

Why I ask is that I have some 1-1/2" hard aluminum (7075?) bar stock
that I need to cut down to machine on my lathe. Am I in for some
unexpected problems if I try to cut it on this saw using a 10" abrasive
blade?

Thanks in advance.

Harry C.

I bought an old 10" mitre saw at a yard sale, and use it with a 10"
disc for cutting steel. It works well, and as I have only $30
invested, I don't really care too much about it. It has cut a good
amount of steel and shows no signs of wear. The one advantage is that
angle cuts are quick to set up. The only problem I find is that the
swivel table gums up pretty fast with grit. Cutting aluminum should be
easier. tape/cover up the gap around the swivel table to prevent the
grit getting in though.

I should mention that I have a seperate saw for cutting wood, and
could not bring myself to cut metal on it, ... bordering on abuse!

Good Luck.