[soundmotor]

I picked up a heavy-duty Makita chop-saw at the dump. It is old & weighs at least 50 lbs. It is not a sliding type, just the basic chop with miter table. It needed some fiddling with the switch but runs fine now. The miter feature is broken though and it needs ~$50 in parts to get back to normal and is stuck @ 90-degrees. My thought is to make it into a metal cut-off machine. By seat-of-the-pants it seems to turn at similar RPM to chop-saws I've used previously.

Any downsides on this idea?

[Geof]

Will work fine with what is called a 'triple chip blade' rated for cutting non-ferrous metals. Just make sure you have something to securely clamp the material you are cutting. Use a bit of coolant either with an ait mister or just spray it on before cutting.

[soundmotor]

Will work fine with what is called a 'triple chip blade' rated for cutting non-ferrous metals. Just make sure you have something to securely clamp the material you are cutting. Use a bit of coolant either with an ait mister or just spray it on before cutting.

Thanks Geof, excellent reminder on using clamps!

I should have specified I want to use this on mild steel such as angle & bar stock. I don't think the triple-chip blade would work for that.

Re: coolant, I've never seen it used on a true chop-saw with an abrasive cut-off blade as below. Can you use coolant with an abrasive blade?

[Geof]

You might make one cut on mild steel with a triple chip blade.

Coolant is not needed with the abrasive cut-off blades.

[Welder1]

I have used an old chop saw to cut metal with an abrasive blade before. The one I used was originally made for wood, and it worked just fine. The only issues I had were that the saw had plastic chip shields in the bed and part of the blade guard was plastic too. The hot metal from the abrasive blade melted it a little. No harm though.

[soundmotor]

I have used an old chop saw to cut metal with an abrasive blade before. The one I used was originally made for wood, and it worked just fine. The only issues I had were that the saw had plastic chip shields in the bed and part of the blade guard was plastic too. The hot metal from the abrasive blade melted it a little. No harm though.

Great, that's what I needed to know.

All responses very much appreciated.

I will probably pick up a triple-chip blade for when I do work with non-ferrous stock.