OT - metal chop saw for logs?
 

This may not be a great idea but it has occurred to me that my 14" metal
chop saw, with a 14" *wood* blade, might be useful for cutting up small logs
(4" to 6" or so) into firewood lengths. Anyone ever try something like that
or have any comments??

Laurie Forbes

--

Laurie Forbes wrote:
This may not be a great idea but it has occurred to me that my 14" metal
chop saw, with a 14" *wood* blade, might be useful for cutting up small logs
(4" to 6" or so) into firewood lengths. Anyone ever try something like that
or have any comments??

Laurie Forbes

Compare blade speeds . If the wood blade will run at the speed of your
saw why not . I would not recommend running the wood blade faster then
its rated speed though . Luck
Ken Cutt

Ken Cutt wrote:
Laurie Forbes wrote:

This may not be a great idea but it has occurred to me that my 14"
metal chop saw, with a 14" *wood* blade, might be useful for cutting
up small logs (4" to 6" or so) into firewood lengths. Anyone ever try
something like that or have any comments??

Laurie Forbes

Compare blade speeds . If the wood blade will run at the speed of your
saw why not . I would not recommend running the wood blade faster then
its rated speed though . Luck
Ken Cutt
I have thought about that very thing, if the saw was anchored well it
would be better IMO. I don't want that wood blade binding in a log right
next to my hand. It happens all to much with a skil saw, but at least
the hand held saw has the blade under the cut and away from the operator.

granpaw
who has managed to get his hand into a skil saw, joiner, and sundry
other devices capable of cutting, sliceing, and maiming human flesh.

OT - metal chop saw for logs?
 

Laurie Forbes wrote:
This may not be a great idea but it has occurred to me that my 14" metal
chop saw, with a 14" *wood* blade, might be useful for cutting up small logs
(4" to 6" or so) into firewood lengths. Anyone ever try something like that
or have any comments??

Laurie Forbes

I've used a 10" wood cutting chop saw for making small chunks for the
smoker. Works fine, but can't use anything much larger than about 2
1/2" dia. Chop saws, with all of their blade guards, rigid mounting,
etc tend to impart a false sense of saftety. They are still as
dangerous as a hand held circular saw, even more so when cutting
irregularly shaped firewood. Go slow and remember where your fingers are.

Gary Brady
Austin, TX

OT - metal chop saw for logs?
 

On Sat, 08 Oct 2005 04:17:06 GMT, "Laurie Forbes"
wrote:

This may not be a great idea but it has occurred to me that my 14" metal
chop saw, with a 14" *wood* blade, might be useful for cutting up small logs
(4" to 6" or so) into firewood lengths. Anyone ever try something like that
or have any comments??

Laurie Forbes

I think it would lug down and overheat in short order. Even a 10"
1-HP tablesaw (3450 RPM) will grunt a little cutting thick oak. The
chopsaw has about twice the speed so about half the torque -- and a
14" sawblade will need considerably more torque than a 10" blade does
-- and you're talking thicker wood than can be cut with a 10" saw.

Heavy duty hand-held circular saws have worm drives which reduce speed
and increase torque.

Saw blades need some torque, abrasive wheels need speed. A
chopsaw motor is not well-suited for running a large woodcutting blade
in thick wood.

OT - metal chop saw for logs?
 

Thanks all for your help.

I'm tending to agree with Don about the suitability - tried cutting a few
smallish logs with a 10" mitre saw and it wasn't easy going. If chop saws
are geared *up* (mine has gears alright and the motor label says 3750 RPM -
not sure what the blade RPM is though), it's not going to work, especially
since the logs tend to wiggle around, not having a uniform surface, and bind
on the blade.

Now, I wonder if building a chop saw with a 14 or 16" blade running in
pillowblocks or equivalent on the end of a pivot arm, belt driven by a motor
of suitable size on the other end would work? I would guess a 2 or 3HP 3600
RPM induction motor might be big (and durable) enough (?).

Laurie Forbes

"Don Foreman" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 08 Oct 2005 04:17:06 GMT, "Laurie Forbes"
wrote:

This may not be a great idea but it has occurred to me that my 14" metal
chop saw, with a 14" *wood* blade, might be useful for cutting up small
logs
(4" to 6" or so) into firewood lengths. Anyone ever try something like
that
or have any comments??

Laurie Forbes

I think it would lug down and overheat in short order. Even a 10"
1-HP tablesaw (3450 RPM) will grunt a little cutting thick oak. The
chopsaw has about twice the speed so about half the torque -- and a
14" sawblade will need considerably more torque than a 10" blade does
-- and you're talking thicker wood than can be cut with a 10" saw.

Heavy duty hand-held circular saws have worm drives which reduce speed
and increase torque.

Saw blades need some torque, abrasive wheels need speed. A
chopsaw motor is not well-suited for running a large woodcutting blade
in thick wood.

OT - metal chop saw for logs?
 

On Sat, 08 Oct 2005 20:15:22 GMT, "Laurie Forbes"
wrote:

Thanks all for your help.

I'm tending to agree with Don about the suitability - tried cutting a few
smallish logs with a 10" mitre saw and it wasn't easy going. If chop saws
are geared *up* (mine has gears alright and the motor label says 3750 RPM -
not sure what the blade RPM is though), it's not going to work, especially
since the logs tend to wiggle around, not having a uniform surface, and bind
on the blade.

Now, I wonder if building a chop saw with a 14 or 16" blade running in
pillowblocks or equivalent on the end of a pivot arm, belt driven by a motor
of suitable size on the other end would work? I would guess a 2 or 3HP 3600
RPM induction motor might be big (and durable) enough (?).

Laurie Forbes

"Don Foreman" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 08 Oct 2005 04:17:06 GMT, "Laurie Forbes"
wrote:

This may not be a great idea but it has occurred to me that my 14" metal
chop saw, with a 14" *wood* blade, might be useful for cutting up small
logs
(4" to 6" or so) into firewood lengths. Anyone ever try something like
that
or have any comments??

Laurie Forbes

I think it would lug down and overheat in short order. Even a 10"
1-HP tablesaw (3450 RPM) will grunt a little cutting thick oak. The
chopsaw has about twice the speed so about half the torque -- and a
14" sawblade will need considerably more torque than a 10" blade does
-- and you're talking thicker wood than can be cut with a 10" saw.

Heavy duty hand-held circular saws have worm drives which reduce speed
and increase torque.

Saw blades need some torque, abrasive wheels need speed. A
chopsaw motor is not well-suited for running a large woodcutting blade
in thick wood.


Consider an electric chain saw (16 inch). They are cheap, quiet and
whizz through the small stuff. I'd gladly trade you your "chop" for my
"chain", but postage would be a killer.

Cheers.

OT - metal chop saw for logs?
 

I have used a 4" x 6" horizontal bandsaw to cut long sticks into
firewood. The big problem is that the wood rarely rests flat on the
table near the blade and it sometimes shifts and binds when the cut is
nearly through. The bandsaw blade will simply slip off the drive wheel
but a chop saw reacts much more violently to a jam.

jw