I'm having some issues cutting 1/8" thick angle iron with my HF cutoff saw
(44829). When the blade is running at full speed, it is okay, but when it
is slowed down (ie, when it is doing any work) it wobbles back and forth,
loud enough to hear it, making the kerf it cuts about three times the blade
width (the cut ends up looking like a "V").

I checked the abrasive wheel arbor, and it doesn't seem to have any play in
it, so I'm guessing it is the abrasive wheel itself. The one I'm using is
Norton 89399; should I try a different wheel, or is there something else I
can do to keep it from wobbling about?

Thanks,

Jon

"Jon Danniken" wrote: (clip) I checked the abrasive wheel arbor, and it
doesn't seem to have any play in
it, so I'm guessing it is the abrasive wheel itself. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm betting it's not the wheel. Since you don't feel play in the arbor
bearings, it is likely due to flexibility/vibration in the entire saw.
While this is going on, do you feel vibration in the handle?

"Leo Lichtman" wrote:
I'm betting it's not the wheel. Since you don't feel play in the arbor
bearings, it is likely due to flexibility/vibration in the entire saw.
While this is going on, do you feel vibration in the handle?

Hi Leo, yes, I can feel it, I can even see the motor vibrating. It feels
pretty smooth when it is up to speed, but at a slightly slower speed (I
notice it when it is speeding up) it vibrates noticably.

Jon

I've had problems with various blades. Some run much truer than others.
I'm surprised the Norton is giving you problems. You might try
remounting the wheel, perhaps giving it a slight spin from where it is now.

Jon Danniken wrote:
I'm having some issues cutting 1/8" thick angle iron with my HF cutoff saw
(44829). When the blade is running at full speed, it is okay, but when it
is slowed down (ie, when it is doing any work) it wobbles back and forth,
loud enough to hear it, making the kerf it cuts about three times the blade
width (the cut ends up looking like a "V").

I checked the abrasive wheel arbor, and it doesn't seem to have any play in
it, so I'm guessing it is the abrasive wheel itself. The one I'm using is
Norton 89399; should I try a different wheel, or is there something else I
can do to keep it from wobbling about?

Thanks,

Jon

"Jon Danniken" wrote: Hi Leo, yes, I can feel it, I can even see the motor
vibrating. It feels
pretty smooth when it is up to speed, but at a slightly slower speed (I
notice it when it is speeding up) it vibrates noticably.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The fact that it occurs as the saw is speeding up, AND when you slow it down
by loading it suggest that it is a resonant condition. I'm not sure how you
can correct this, except maybe attach some weights to the saw. (Doesn't
sound too practical, does it?)

It's possible, that, as Roy J suggested, the wheel may be out of balance,
contributing to the problem. Rotating the wheel, as he suggested,
recentering it, or trying a different wheel might be worthwhile. I was able
to balance a fan, once, by holding a vibrating engraving tool against it
while it was not running. The vibration overcame the friction in the
bearings, and the heavy blade slowly drifted to the bottom. If you have an
engraver you might try this trick. Or maybe a Dremel tool with an
unbalanced stone or burr would work.

"RoyJ" wrote:
I've had problems with various blades. Some run much truer than others.
I'm surprised the Norton is giving you problems. You might try remounting
the wheel, perhaps giving it a slight spin from where it is now.

Thanks for that, Roy, it made a difference. Make sense, there's enough slop
in there between the wheel and the arbor.

I also noticed that the hinge pin supporting the motor goes through a hole
that feels a bit too big. I'm starting to think it might be a magnifier of
sorts when the blade's imperfection is noticable, giving it a pivot point to
translate into a sway that is perpendicular to the plane of the wheel. I'm
guessing better quality saws might have a more precise hinge at that point
than a pin and a hole through a cast yoke.

Jon

"Leo Lichtman" wrote:

The fact that it occurs as the saw is speeding up, AND when you slow it
down by loading it suggest that it is a resonant condition. I'm not sure
how you can correct this, except maybe attach some weights to the saw.
(Doesn't sound too practical, does it?)

It's possible, that, as Roy J suggested, the wheel may be out of balance,
contributing to the problem. Rotating the wheel, as he suggested,
recentering it, or trying a different wheel might be worthwhile. I was
able to balance a fan, once, by holding a vibrating engraving tool against
it while it was not running. The vibration overcame the friction in the
bearings, and the heavy blade slowly drifted to the bottom. If you have
an engraver you might try this trick. Or maybe a Dremel tool with an
unbalanced stone or burr would work.

Thanks Leo. After I get the wheel as good as I can, I might put some shot
in the recess to see if that stiffens it up a bit.

Here's a pic of what I think the culprit is, the sloppy hingepin holes:
http://danniken.home.comcast.net/~da...44829Hinge.jpg

I don't know how shiny I can get this turd, but I wonder if putting an epoxy
concoction in the hingepin holes might stiffen it up a bit.

Jon

I use cut off saws all the time and they do not vibrate at all . This is an
very dangerous situation , I've seen blades explode like an grenade and cut
you all to hell. Return the saw if pivot pins or arbor bearings have too
much play as this is not permissible.

Sal

"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...
I'm having some issues cutting 1/8" thick angle iron with my HF cutoff saw
(44829). When the blade is running at full speed, it is okay, but when it
is slowed down (ie, when it is doing any work) it wobbles back and forth,
loud enough to hear it, making the kerf it cuts about three times the
blade width (the cut ends up looking like a "V").

I checked the abrasive wheel arbor, and it doesn't seem to have any play
in it, so I'm guessing it is the abrasive wheel itself. The one I'm using
is Norton 89399; should I try a different wheel, or is there something
else I can do to keep it from wobbling about?

Thanks,

Jon

You might also try running the blade backwards from it's current
orientation. It obviously has a resonant issue since it only does it at
certain speeds. I doubt it the pivot has much to do with it.

You might also want to take some scrap steel and do a lightweight cut on
it to true up the wheel.

Jon Danniken wrote:
"RoyJ" wrote:
I've had problems with various blades. Some run much truer than others.
I'm surprised the Norton is giving you problems. You might try remounting
the wheel, perhaps giving it a slight spin from where it is now.

Thanks for that, Roy, it made a difference. Make sense, there's enough slop
in there between the wheel and the arbor.

I also noticed that the hinge pin supporting the motor goes through a hole
that feels a bit too big. I'm starting to think it might be a magnifier of
sorts when the blade's imperfection is noticable, giving it a pivot point to
translate into a sway that is perpendicular to the plane of the wheel. I'm
guessing better quality saws might have a more precise hinge at that point
than a pin and a hole through a cast yoke.

Jon

Jon Danniken wrote:

"Leo Lichtman" wrote:

The fact that it occurs as the saw is speeding up, AND when you slow it
down by loading it suggest that it is a resonant condition. I'm not sure
how you can correct this, except maybe attach some weights to the saw.
(Doesn't sound too practical, does it?)

It's possible, that, as Roy J suggested, the wheel may be out of balance,
contributing to the problem. Rotating the wheel, as he suggested,
recentering it, or trying a different wheel might be worthwhile. I was
able to balance a fan, once, by holding a vibrating engraving tool against
it while it was not running. The vibration overcame the friction in the
bearings, and the heavy blade slowly drifted to the bottom. If you have
an engraver you might try this trick. Or maybe a Dremel tool with an
unbalanced stone or burr would work.

Thanks Leo. After I get the wheel as good as I can, I might put some shot
in the recess to see if that stiffens it up a bit.

Here's a pic of what I think the culprit is, the sloppy hingepin holes:
http://danniken.home.comcast.net/~da...44829Hinge.jpg

I don't know how shiny I can get this turd, but I wonder if putting an epoxy
concoction in the hingepin holes might stiffen it up a bit.

Jon

Bronze bushings perhaps? Readily available in standard sizes at even
Depot or Lowe's.

On Nov 27, 9:33 am, "Jon Danniken"
wrote:
I'm having some issues cutting 1/8" thick angle iron with my HF cutoff saw
(44829). When the blade is running at full speed, it is okay, but when it
is slowed down (ie, when it is doing any work) it wobbles back and forth,
loud enough to hear it, making the kerf it cuts about three times the blade
width (the cut ends up looking like a "V").

I checked the abrasive wheel arbor, and it doesn't seem to have any play in
it, so I'm guessing it is the abrasive wheel itself. The one I'm using is
Norton 89399; should I try a different wheel, or is there something else I
can do to keep it from wobbling about?

Thanks,

Jon

Hey - first things first. I been using these things for years, from el
cheapo Chinese ones to really expensive precision engineered ones.
From your pictures, yours looks better than the one I have now.

In EVERY case of vibration as you describe, its either the wrong
cutoff blade (ie, centre hub hole wrong size, too big) or it isnt
fitted correctly, vis the blade must be a snug fit on the motor
spindle, the screw on flat washer MUST be oriented correctly to clamp
the blade but not stress it. Easy to get wrong. Check the instruction
leaflet.

And check the blade you are now using, if its been damaged, smash it
in half and bin it (so no one else can use it in error) - Actually, I
usually buy them by the half dozen, their cheap, means you are likely
to have one close at hand when you need it..and I have never had
problems like yours even with cheap chines ones.

And its never going to be a precision tool anyway, as its name
implies, all it is used for is cutting things to approx length and
approx angle....

Hope this helps, if you could hold it up to the monitor so I can get a
good look at it....remote diagnosis fills in the time but sometimes is
totally wrong.

Andrew VK3BFA.

"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...
I'm having some issues cutting 1/8" thick angle iron with my HF cutoff saw
(44829). When the blade is running at full speed, it is okay, but when it
is slowed down (ie, when it is doing any work) it wobbles back and forth,
loud enough to hear it, making the kerf it cuts about three times the
blade width (the cut ends up looking like a "V").

I checked the abrasive wheel arbor, and it doesn't seem to have any play
in it, so I'm guessing it is the abrasive wheel itself. The one I'm using
is Norton 89399; should I try a different wheel, or is there something
else I can do to keep it from wobbling about?

Thanks,

Jon

Put a new blade on it, and pay serious attention to all the details to make
sure you got the spacers, nuts, etc, all right. If it still does it, take
it back. A blade fracture can be catastrophic. They're supposed to work
and work right. Yours obviously isn't for some reason, and if it is in the
machine, you're entitled to a new one. Just be sure you got it right. If
it still don't work, don't put yourself in harms way.

Steve

"RoyJ" wrote in message
m...
I've had problems with various blades. Some run much truer than others.
I'm surprised the Norton is giving you problems. You might try remounting
the wheel, perhaps giving it a slight spin from where it is now.

When I'd change blades, I'd put the spacers and bolts on there, and with the
wheel loose, give it a spin to make sure it was centered on the spindle.
Then tighten it down. More than once over the years, I'd have it askew, and
if I had tightened it down, it would have spun askew.

Steve

"sal" wrote in message
...
I use cut off saws all the time and they do not vibrate at all . This is an
very dangerous situation , I've seen blades explode like an grenade and
cut you all to hell. Return the saw if pivot pins or arbor bearings have
too much play as this is not permissible.

Sal

Some one stole my last cut off saw, and if I ever find out who, I'll send
them a Christmas turkey free. I got a band saw, and haven't looked back.

Steve

Jon Danniken wrote:
I'm having some issues cutting 1/8" thick angle iron with my HF cutoff saw
(44829). When the blade is running at full speed, it is okay, but when it
is slowed down (ie, when it is doing any work) it wobbles back and forth,
loud enough to hear it, making the kerf it cuts about three times the blade
width (the cut ends up looking like a "V").

I checked the abrasive wheel arbor, and it doesn't seem to have any play in
it, so I'm guessing it is the abrasive wheel itself. The one I'm using is
Norton 89399; should I try a different wheel, or is there something else I
can do to keep it from wobbling about?

Thanks,

Jon



Hi Jon;

When your're using one of these don't push hard enough to bog the motor
down (maybe 10% at most), experience will allow you to cut quick enough
with a narrow kerf, and your saw and wheels will last a lot longer.
You'll get done just about as fast and your wheel changes will be far
less frequent.

The dry cutoff saws have a couple of issues (not a deal breaker though)
especially if you're cutting cylinder rod or very thin sections.

Surface speed is the key to any abrasive wheel and the constant torque
biased DC motor allows the wheel to cut at lower than optimum speeds
without shutting down. A few things then happen.

First the wheel cools poorly and looses strength (also wheel breakdown
occurs much faster).

Second and most important is that "at speed the wheel centers about its
own axis by centrifical force".

Third the combination of the wheel making the transition through
"critical speed" (changing the center of rotation and axis plane) over
and over and losing strength (like pushing paper through a slot) it will
displace a larger area. This causes the wider kerf.

Last is without coolant (wet machine) the wheel sharpens by the binder
breaking down instead of abrasive fracture so a lot of free (sharp)
abrasive ends up side cutting instead of face cutting.

Matt

"Pete C." wrote:
Bronze bushings perhaps? Readily available in standard sizes at even
Depot or Lowe's.

Hey thanks Pete, I didn't think of bushings. I'll keep that in mind should
I try to stiffen up the mounts.

Jon

wrote
Hey - first things first. I been using these things for years, from el
cheapo Chinese ones to really expensive precision engineered ones.
From your pictures, yours looks better than the one I have now.

In EVERY case of vibration as you describe, its either the wrong
cutoff blade (ie, centre hub hole wrong size, too big) or it isnt
fitted correctly, vis the blade must be a snug fit on the motor
spindle, the screw on flat washer MUST be oriented correctly to clamp
the blade but not stress it. Easy to get wrong. Check the instruction
leaflet.

And check the blade you are now using, if its been damaged, smash it
in half and bin it (so no one else can use it in error) - Actually, I
usually buy them by the half dozen, their cheap, means you are likely
to have one close at hand when you need it..and I have never had
problems like yours even with cheap chines ones.

And its never going to be a precision tool anyway, as its name
implies, all it is used for is cutting things to approx length and
approx angle....

Hope this helps, if you could hold it up to the monitor so I can get a
good look at it....remote diagnosis fills in the time but sometimes is
totally wrong.

Andrew VK3BFA.

THanks Andrew. I've checked and rechecked that mounting assembly, both
clamshells and the washer/screw. I'm pretty darn sure I've got it right at
this point, but I'm going to pick up another couple of wheels to try next.

Jon

"SteveB"
Put a new blade on it, and pay serious attention to all the details to
make sure you got the spacers, nuts, etc, all right. If it still does it,
take it back. A blade fracture can be catastrophic. They're supposed to
work and work right. Yours obviously isn't for some reason, and if it is
in the machine, you're entitled to a new one. Just be sure you got it
right. If it still don't work, don't put yourself in harms way.

Thanks Steve, a new wheel or two is going to be my next step to investigate.
I spun it up last night and noticed that the wobble in the current wheel is
enough to generate a few sparks when it rubs up against the guard. Yikes!

Jon

That's a junk wheel or a junk arbor on the saw.

Jon Danniken wrote:
"SteveB"
Put a new blade on it, and pay serious attention to all the details to
make sure you got the spacers, nuts, etc, all right. If it still does it,
take it back. A blade fracture can be catastrophic. They're supposed to
work and work right. Yours obviously isn't for some reason, and if it is
in the machine, you're entitled to a new one. Just be sure you got it
right. If it still don't work, don't put yourself in harms way.

Thanks Steve, a new wheel or two is going to be my next step to investigate.
I spun it up last night and noticed that the wobble in the current wheel is
enough to generate a few sparks when it rubs up against the guard. Yikes!

Jon

"Jon Danniken" wrote

THanks Andrew. I've checked and rechecked that mounting assembly, both
clamshells and the washer/screw. I'm pretty darn sure I've got it right
at this point, but I'm going to pick up another couple of wheels to try
next.

Jon

I wore out four chop saws before I went to a band saw. In that time, I had
about half a dozen wheels that were just screwed up from the factory,
particularly Pearl brand, which were the cheapos of the day.

Bottom line, if everything's right, it should work. If it don't, the wheel
is out of kilter, mounted out of kilter, or something else is throwing it
out of kilter.

Stop and figger it out before you launch yourself into the next zip code.

Steve

How about temp. of the bearings? Had a circular saw tht cut great for the
first couple minuets, when the bearings warmed up, look out, kerf just like
you see.

"SteveB" wrote:
I wore out four chop saws before I went to a band saw. In that time, I
had about half a dozen wheels that were just screwed up from the factory,
particularly Pearl brand, which were the cheapos of the day.

Bottom line, if everything's right, it should work. If it don't, the
wheel is out of kilter, mounted out of kilter, or something else is
throwing it out of kilter.

Stop and figger it out before you launch yourself into the next zip code.

Thanks Steve, and everyone else who helped me on this as well. I picked two
other wheels, both of them Nortons, but the thicker model (89359). The
vibration was greatly reduced, and my cuts improved, but it still felt a
little "loose".

I decided to do some measuring, and what I found was that the wheels
themselves are not in a perfect plane, but they have some error in them. I
determined this by measuring the runout of the wheel at the circumference.
By loosening the mounts and rotating the wheel; no matter where I rotated
the wheel, the error occured at the same place each time.

What I also noticed, however, was that the error would be decreased or
increased depending on how I rotated the wheel, which suggests that
something besides the wheel is contributing to the error (the shaft arbot
isn't true).

Considering these two error sources, they are magnified by the flimsy nature
of the machine itself. Holding the base with one arm, and rocking the
motor/blade assembly with the other, there is a large "twisting" motion
observed, due to the less than optimal solidity of the machine.

In other words, I think it's a cheap piece of tin that isn't fit to rotate a
24oz 14" disk at 3600RPM, much less create anything approaching a square
cut, and that is the significant source of my problem.

So, it's back in it's box, with the receipt in my wallet, and will be
returned to HF. I'm going to exchange it for their model 1624 (on sale)
which, from what I can tell in the store, feels a heckuva lot more solid.
At least I hope so.

Jon

Jon, among other endeavours, there is one particular act for me that
led to lasting happiness. It involved no psychics and no meditation.

What made me very happy was replacing my abrasive saw with a cold saw.
It was a profound transformational event.

As for abrasive saws, my experience with a cheap one was not too good,
as mine burned out in the middle of making a trailer. So buying
something more expensive is justified, I think that you are on the
right track with returning your cheap saw.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...
"SteveB" wrote:
I wore out four chop saws before I went to a band saw. In that time, I
had about half a dozen wheels that were just screwed up from the factory,
particularly Pearl brand, which were the cheapos of the day.

Bottom line, if everything's right, it should work. If it don't, the
wheel is out of kilter, mounted out of kilter, or something else is
throwing it out of kilter.

Stop and figger it out before you launch yourself into the next zip code.

Thanks Steve, and everyone else who helped me on this as well. I picked
two other wheels, both of them Nortons, but the thicker model (89359).
The vibration was greatly reduced, and my cuts improved, but it still felt
a little "loose".

I decided to do some measuring, and what I found was that the wheels
themselves are not in a perfect plane, but they have some error in them.
I determined this by measuring the runout of the wheel at the
circumference. By loosening the mounts and rotating the wheel; no matter
where I rotated the wheel, the error occured at the same place each time.

What I also noticed, however, was that the error would be decreased or
increased depending on how I rotated the wheel, which suggests that
something besides the wheel is contributing to the error (the shaft arbot
isn't true).

Considering these two error sources, they are magnified by the flimsy
nature of the machine itself. Holding the base with one arm, and rocking
the motor/blade assembly with the other, there is a large "twisting"
motion observed, due to the less than optimal solidity of the machine.

In other words, I think it's a cheap piece of tin that isn't fit to rotate
a 24oz 14" disk at 3600RPM, much less create anything approaching a square
cut, and that is the significant source of my problem.

So, it's back in it's box, with the receipt in my wallet, and will be
returned to HF. I'm going to exchange it for their model 1624 (on sale)
which, from what I can tell in the store, feels a heckuva lot more solid.
At least I hope so.

Jon

All of the saws I owned were Makita. Other major brands are good, too. I
even used most cheap wheels, but there were a brand or two that just weren't
very good. Consider biting the bullet and getting a brand name. Or get two
or three or four cheap ones in the same time span. The good ones DO cut a
slight bit better, having better jaws systems, IMHO.

Steve

"Ignoramus13690" wrote in message
...
Jon, among other endeavours, there is one particular act for me that
led to lasting happiness. It involved no psychics and no meditation.

What made me very happy was replacing my abrasive saw with a cold saw.
It was a profound transformational event.

As for abrasive saws, my experience with a cheap one was not too good,
as mine burned out in the middle of making a trailer. So buying
something more expensive is justified, I think that you are on the
right track with returning your cheap saw.

If I ever hit that damn Lotto thing, I think the first thing I'm buying is a
cold saw. They are a pure D pleasure, aren't they?

Steve

On 2008-11-30, SteveB toquerville@zionvistas wrote:

"Ignoramus13690" wrote in message
...
Jon, among other endeavours, there is one particular act for me that
led to lasting happiness. It involved no psychics and no meditation.

What made me very happy was replacing my abrasive saw with a cold saw.
It was a profound transformational event.

As for abrasive saws, my experience with a cheap one was not too good,
as mine burned out in the middle of making a trailer. So buying
something more expensive is justified, I think that you are on the
right track with returning your cheap saw.

If I ever hit that damn Lotto thing, I think the first thing I'm buying is a
cold saw. They are a pure D pleasure, aren't they?

My cold saw is a little baby cold saw. I believe that it has a 10"
blade. It is small enough that I can lift it if I need to. It cuts
metal cleanly and (relatively) quietly.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

SteveB wrote:
"Jon Danniken" wrote in message
...
"SteveB" wrote:
I wore out four chop saws before I went to a band saw. In that
time, I had about half a dozen wheels that were just screwed up
from the factory, particularly Pearl brand, which were the cheapos
of the day. Bottom line, if everything's right, it should work. If it
don't,
the wheel is out of kilter, mounted out of kilter, or something
else is throwing it out of kilter.

Stop and figger it out before you launch yourself into the next zip
code.

Thanks Steve, and everyone else who helped me on this as well. I
picked two other wheels, both of them Nortons, but the thicker model
(89359). The vibration was greatly reduced, and my cuts improved,
but it still felt a little "loose".

I decided to do some measuring, and what I found was that the wheels
themselves are not in a perfect plane, but they have some error in
them. I determined this by measuring the runout of the wheel at the
circumference. By loosening the mounts and rotating the wheel; no
matter where I rotated the wheel, the error occured at the same
place each time. What I also noticed, however, was that the error would
be decreased
or increased depending on how I rotated the wheel, which suggests
that something besides the wheel is contributing to the error (the
shaft arbot isn't true).

Considering these two error sources, they are magnified by the flimsy
nature of the machine itself. Holding the base with one arm, and
rocking the motor/blade assembly with the other, there is a large
"twisting" motion observed, due to the less than optimal solidity of
the machine. In other words, I think it's a cheap piece of tin that isn't
fit to
rotate a 24oz 14" disk at 3600RPM, much less create anything
approaching a square cut, and that is the significant source of my
problem. So, it's back in it's box, with the receipt in my wallet, and
will be
returned to HF. I'm going to exchange it for their model 1624 (on
sale) which, from what I can tell in the store, feels a heckuva lot
more solid. At least I hope so.

Jon

All of the saws I owned were Makita. Other major brands are good,
too. I even used most cheap wheels, but there were a brand or two
that just weren't very good. Consider biting the bullet and getting
a brand name. Or get two or three or four cheap ones in the same
time span. The good ones DO cut a slight bit better, having better
jaws systems, IMHO.
Steve

My "new" saw is a 10" Delta chopsaw I got at the pawnshop for 35 bucks ,
meant to cut wood . I'm using 5-for-$4.99" HF 7" abrasive cutoff wheels . It
ain't optimum , but with a total of 40 bucks invested , it'll do for now .
It makes better square and miter cuts than my portaband-in-a-homemade-stand
, which is the reason I bought it . Might borrow (doubt he'll sell it) a
10" cold saw from my buddy BillTheMachinist . Time will tell - if I need it
he's already said I could use it .
--
Snag
sometimes ya gotta
shovel manure
to pay the bills

"Ignoramus13690" wrote:
Jon, among other endeavours, there is one particular act for me that
led to lasting happiness. It involved no psychics and no meditation.

What made me very happy was replacing my abrasive saw with a cold saw.
It was a profound transformational event.

As for abrasive saws, my experience with a cheap one was not too good,
as mine burned out in the middle of making a trailer. So buying
something more expensive is justified, I think that you are on the
right track with returning your cheap saw.

I sure would like a cold saw, but for now I'm limited to an abrasive saw for
my cutoff needs.

Speaking of which, I returned the flimsy unit and bought the HF model 1624
(on sale for $110). It's good points include more weight (42# vs 36#) a
much more rigid motor to table interface, and a much stronger motor; it also
has a way to loosen the mounting bolts and adjust the arm angle to ensure
that the blade is at the proper angle WRT the table and work. The plug-in
cord is 14 gauge, (other saw used a 16 gauge cord), which is nice to see.

On the few cuts I made yesterday, they were all square, and the tool didn't
seem like it was about to bend into a pretzel as the other one did.
Additionally, the motor didn't bog down on the cut, but kept right on
spinning into the cut, the way I would expect it to.

The downside is that the threaded clamp thing is a POS, and is pretty much
useless for anything other than a 90 degree cut on square stock. Not a big
deal for me, as the miter fence is sturdy, and I can just clamp my material
to the miter fence like I probably would anyway. The angle marks on the
miter fence are completely useless, as I expected, but then again it's no
big deal to use an angle finder to make sure that miter cuts are done to the
desired angle. Oh yeah, the "1 inch arbor" is actually a 1 inch bushing
placed on the 1/2" shaft from the motor, but it didn't seem to cause any
trouble.

So I'll be keeping this one to use as my cutoff saw. It is about the
minimum I am willing to settle for as far as quality goes when spinning a
24oz abrasive disk at 3800RPM, and as long as the motor doesn't poop out on
me I'll continue to be happy with it for my purposes.

Thanks again to everyone for guidance on this, I'm glad I ditched the first
unit.

Jon

"Pete C." wrote:

Bronze bushings perhaps? Readily available in standard sizes at even
Depot or Lowe's.


There were a lot of those bearings used in old computer printers. The
wide carriage had lager sizes, and he faster printers had more than the
cheap printers. I have removed a lot of them and reused them over the
years. I also have a car door hinge repair kit I bought years ago from
JC Whitney that has various sized sets of bearings & pins.


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