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.

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.

DON'T use the abrasive blade for aluminum, use a fine tooth carbide
blade. Try and find one with negative hook (blade is tilted back from
the direction of travel) or at least one with a minimum of forward hook.
Wear safety glasses, it throws hot metal chips everwhere! Not the best
for everyday work but a lot of folks cut aluminum this way.

Cutting steel with an abrasive blade has a few more issues: The sparks
are all shot in a line, they can get hot enough to start a small fire in
the back of your machine. The old Sears units were not very well
shielded from the fine abrasive grit, they tend to die a quick death
from toasted bearings. If yours is 30 years old, the grease and seals
are not too good already. And yes, the stink is bad.

For steel, I'd suggest getting a cheap 14" cutoff saw and use it outside
on the driveway. They look like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47003
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91938
If you are patient, you can usually find them on sale for well under
$100, I've seen HF advertise them for $49


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.

Cutting steel with wood working machines is a no-no, especially
with abrasive blades. The grit gets into everything and
ultimately hurts the machine. That being said, it's your saw, go
ahead as long as you understand the long term consequences. Watch
where the sparks are going!!!!

For the aluminum, get rid of that d____d abrasive blade. Use a
good carbide wood cutting blade and cut what you want. Radial
arms are very prone to climb cutting (running toward you). Have a
good grip on the stock and keep control of the saw head. A touch
of wax stick helps keep the aluminum from gumming up the saw
teeth.

(top posted for your convenience)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




wrote in message
oups.com...
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.

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

I've sliced up 4 inch thick slabs of solid 6061 aluminum with a 10 inch 80-
tooth carbide woodworking blade on a 12-inch radial saw. It works, but my
advice is to absolutely clamp the work securely on each side. Don't try to
hand-hold the work, even something light.

I keep a small museum of "oops" souvenirs on the shop shelf. One of them
is a small end of 4x4x1/4 square aluminum tubing that I didn't clamp on the
radial saw. It caught on a tooth at the end of the cut, and flew several
hundred feet (the saw is on wheels and I cut outdoors). Don't wanna think
about getting hit with that kind of large sharp-edged shrapnel.

A Sears (Emerson) radial arm saw has a lot of wiggle and slop in the table,
carriage, bearings, etc. This, plus the high speed blade, makes for a
rather risky metal-cutting experience. But I do it.

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.

The abrasive grit from cutting steel will play heck with the rollers
and any sliding interfaces. You can either accept the damage or take
extraordinary measures to protect these areas, and suffer the damage
anyway.

Aluminum cuts way better with a saw blade. Negative rake or zero rake
teeth are better, as they will not dig in or self feed. Nice clean cuts.
Clamp everything. There are abrasive blades for aluminum, but they are a
poor second choice to a saw blade.

You can pretty much give up on ever cutting wood for fine projects with
the saw. There will be bits of grit finding their way to the wood
forever. Worse than trying to do varnishing in the driveway during fly
season. :-)

There was an article in Home Shop Machinist a while back on the use of
a RA saw in this manner.


Cheers
Trevor Jones