How to Saw Metal?

How to Saw Metal?

If the next project you’re taking on involves cutting metal, you might be wondering how to saw through this seemingly impervious material. While there are numerous hand tools available such as tin snips or a good old-fashioned metal cutting hacksaw, these tools aren’t practical for heavy use, don’t produce clean results, and require a lot of patience and energy.

Instead, you need to look into buying a specially designed cutting saw to tackle the job. Click here to see our full review of the best products. Saws designed to cut metals come in a variety of forms including circular saws, chop saw, miter saws, band saws, and reciprocating saws. While the use and performance of these tools may differ, what they have in common is that they can all quickly and easily saw through almost any metallic material.

Consider the Application

There is a wide variety of cutting saws available on the market today. While they all are capable of cutting through metal, most have certain qualities that make them best suited for particular applications.

Metal cutting saws are specialized saws capable of cutting through almost any material including rebar, steel framing, pipes, conduit, sheet, and angle iron and more importantly, they deliver uniform cuts that don’t require finishing prior to use. But with different levels of versatility, power, and blades, they’re not all created equally.

Chop Saws and Circular Saws

Chop saws and circular saws are the most versatile of metal cutting saws and are capable of taking on a wide variety of applications. Most offer bevel features that allow you to cut metal at a precise angle. They use a spinning metal cutting blade that chops or slices through any metal material with minimal effort and excellent results.

Band Saws and Reciprocating Saws

Band saws and reciprocating saws are more specialized. Reciprocating saws are very flexible, giving you the ability to get into hard to reach spots. But due to the back and forth sawing motion of the blade, they tend to be best suited for demolition projects.

Band saws are often regarded as an electrician’s or plumber’s best friend. They have a narrow cutting depth, usually around 5” but are designed for portable use and are relied on to cut long, heavy stock such as pipes, rebar, and angle iron.

Metal Cutting Blades

Metal saws run are powered by a motor that produces a blade speed (in RPMs) that is ideal for cutting through metal. They are used in conjunction with metal cutting blades. You need to choose a blade that is best suited for the material you are planning to cut.

Blades with fewer teeth and wider spaces between them are ideal for cutting soft metals like aluminium. Blades with a high tooth count and less space between them make thinner cuts that are perfect for cutting through heavier stock such as iron and steel.

There are also abrasive discs that are coated with a mineral grit that allow them to withstand heat build-up and saw through metal cleanly. The main thing to remember is to avoid using a wood cutting blade with large teeth with deep gullets between the teeth, these blades risk damage to the workpiece and the blade since they are designed for wood material.

Conclusion

Sawing through metal is as easy as cutting through any other material. It simply requires you to know what you are planning to do and which type of saw is best suited for the application. Make sure you consider the type of metal you are planning to cut through and choose your metal cutting saw and blade accordingly. This will ensure clean, precise cuts can be produced quickly.