Miter saw is it possible to cut metal

Is it possible to cut metal with a miter saw?

This is what our guests sometimes ask. For our regular customers, this issue has already been resolved.

Most likely you are already aware of the ability of circular saws to cut metal, especially if you are already familiar with EVOLUTION products. over, industrial circular saws for metal are specifically designed to cut steel or non-ferrous metals on a regular basis. And stainless steel. periodically. But this limitation is due to the capabilities of the discs and the features of dry cutting of chromium-nickel steels.

RAGE professional hand-held circular saws and cut-off machines also successfully cut steel when the sheet thickness does not exceed 6 mm and the profile wall. 3 mm. However, by using the steel cut-off wheel used in the EVO 180 saw or S355CPS cut-off machine, these limitations can be surpassed without damaging the machine.

Serial cutting of steel profiles or pipes with EVOLUTION miter saws used to be ineffective. We have already covered this topic in previous articles. And nevertheless, with infrequent work with steel rolled products, miter saws of this brand show themselves much better than other brands on which a disc for metal was installed. The main advantages of EVOLUTION miter saws over competitive models:

• a robust gearbox originally designed for cutting steel
• reduced rpm, optimized for steel discs
• more than 20 years of experience of the company in the development, production and sale of circular saws for metal

This is without touching the carbide wheel itself on steel. Just a lot of people ask the question “Will I be able to cut steel with a miter saw on wood if I put a metal disc on it??

What has changed in more than 10 years of production of EVOLUTION RAGE metal miter saws?

In 2020, the company introduced a new generation of special cutting discs. Now, the steel discs with a diameter of 185 mm are designed for speeds up to 5800 rpm. A special professional disc R185TCT-20MS is offered for the R185SMS miter saw, and for saws with a 255 mm disc. matching cutting disc for steel.

Thus, in the question “is it possible to cut steel with a miter saw?”.

Follow these guidelines when working with steel workpieces on miter saws:

• securely attach the workpiece to the base, if the standard clamp is not enough, use additional devices
• fold the saw advance to the forward position and secure with the set screw. reduce the number of places where vibration is possible
• do not apply significant force to the saw, let the blade cut at the expense of speed, not pressure

EASILY cut STEEL with a MITER SAW

General information about the tool

Along with jigsaws, circular and circular saws, trimming is capable of cutting metal sheets, profiles, various types of pipes. The design of the device is simple. the main elements are the bed (base), the handle with the start button, the saw blade, the gearbox and the motor. The latter is of two types:

• collector;
• asynchronous.

The advantage of the first is ease of maintenance, the second is a long service life and less noise during operation.

The motor is connected to the saw blade by means of a belt or gear drive. They have advantages and disadvantages. For example, the belt is almost silent, eliminates the vibration of the disc, but it can slide off during long work, forcing the user to stop the process. The cogwheel is rid of this minus, but it makes noise and vibrates slightly.

The working body of the miter saw is a disk. It is made of durable metals, since it is under a serious load. Some detachable elements have wavy lines or cuts on the surfaces. This is done to reduce noise during operation, as well as to compensate for thermal deformation.

Tips for choosing metal miter saws

What are the features of a metal miter saw? What types are there? What to look for before buying? Answers to these questions. further.

There are many tools for cutting metal, but only a pendulum (end) saw makes it possible to obtain an angular cut. With its help, window frames, door frames and much more are produced. However, the article will consider a miter saw for metal. What features does it have? How is it classified? What to look for before buying? Answers to these and other questions. below.

Recommendations for choosing a product brand

• Metabo;
• Makita;
• Bosch;
• DeWALT;
• Hitachi;
• Corvette;
• Interskol.

Most of them offer a table extension to accommodate the workpiece, however, additional supports are sometimes required for cutting bulky parts. These are found by the manufacturer “Makita”, for example, in the LF 1000 model. This simplifies the user’s work. At the same time, the movable part of the Makita metal saw enters a stable bed, which has an area for setting the cutting angle.

The best trims in terms of reliability and stability are those whose frame is made of aluminum or magnesium alloy. They are strong, stable, but weigh acceptable at the same time. Example. Bosch GCM 10, popular among professionals, weighs only 15 kg.

Hitachi is the leader among saws with a possible inclination of the cutting edge to the workpiece. When “Bosch”, “Metabo” or “Makita” for the most part allow you to set the cutting angle only 0, 90 or 45 degrees, the Japanese concern offers the user the ability to turn 15; 22.5; 30 degrees. This option forces to add a rotary device to the structure, due to which, however, the weight of the installation for cutting profiles, sheets or pipes will still not exceed 30 kg. The price increases by 15-25%.

The manufacturer DeWALT is distinguished by the presence of the XPS system (projection of a clear cut line). Before work, a shadow is projected from the saw blade, which makes sawing metal more accurate.

Domestic models “Interskol” are structurally simple (have a disc, handle, base, engine, start button), inexpensive (from 5000 rubles), light. To cut a metal profile, sheet or pipe, you will need to turn the table or disc. The latter can rotate in both directions.

Please pay attention to the manufacturers data models before purchasing. Now. to the recommendations for wisely investing money in equipment.

Varieties of pendulum saws

• appointment;
• the presence of a broach function;
• saw blade parameters.

Household, professional equipment and machine tools are allocated for their intended purpose. The first are distinguished by low power (up to 1500 W), compactness, Example. Bosch GKM 18 V-LI 0 L-BOXX (battery model for 15 thousand rubles), Kolner KMS 210/1400 for 4000 rubles, domestic Caliber PTE-900 / 190M with a power of 900 W at a price of 4500 rubles.

Miter saw. equipment not for household work, used only at enterprises that produce rolled metal and are daily engaged in their cutting or other processing. Such machines cost tens and hundreds of thousands of rubles, their power exceeds 1000 W, and weigh several centners. An example is domestic-made machines TsT 10-4 (3 kW, 360 kg, 105 thousand rubles) or TsKB-40 K (5.5 kW, 700 kg, 340 thousand rubles).

Professional trimming for sheets, profiles and pipes occupies an intermediate position according to the specified parameters. For example, Makita LF 1000 (1650 W, from 60 thousand rubles), DeWALT 27111 (1500 W, from 50 thousand rubles).

The broach option gives the user a slight advantage when processing long sheets or pipes. The models have two parallel rails, on which the cutting disc is mounted and moves freely along them. The broach tool is distinguished by a large kerf width of the part, as well as extremely fine teeth on the disc. Also, the tool sometimes has a laser pointer for easy marking and process control. Trimming for metal with a broach weighs more than usual, and the presence of an option increases the cost by 20-30%.

The parameters of the cutting disc are the most important classification criterion. They have two diameters. external (at least 20 cm) and internal (also known as landing; about 3 cm). The size of the teeth determines the depth and width of the cut, and the material determines the ability to work with one or another metal.

Now. a few words about manufacturers you can trust.

Tips for choosing a miter saw

• For rare and short-term works, choose household equipment (low power, compactness,), for permanent ones. professional (price from 15 thousand and more, power. more than 1 kW).
• The more powerful the engine, the less it will heat up during operation, the higher the performance of the tool and the larger the disc can be supplied by hand if it needs to be replaced.
• Many discs indicate the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the material to be cut or its type (for sheets / pipes / profiles); pay attention to this.
• Models with a spacious blade for work are more expensive, but it is much more convenient to cut metal on them.
• The design encourages the presence of a cutting depth limiter. this is how you can choose a groove for processing a workpiece in width.
• Evaluate if you need laser illumination, broaching and similar options. If not, don’t overpay.
• If the safety guard does not cover the disc during operation, it is a poor tool and it is dangerous to work on it.
• The wider the workpieces will be cut with the miter saw, the larger the diameter of the blade should be.
• The heavy weight of the device during cutting will cause fatigue, although the cost is higher than for compact counterparts.

This material briefly reviews the types of miter saws for metal and tips for choosing. You can describe your experience of using devices or give advice on choosing a tool to visitors to our site.

Rating of the best miter saws for the home workshop

It is worth choosing from the time-tested brands:

Bosch (PCM 8 series)

With a power of 1.2 kW, it will provide a depth of cut of 60 mm, a vertical angle of 120 degrees,

The need for application

The popular hand-held miter saw for wood is used to form the desired ends of the workpieces in the process of cross-cutting a bar perpendicular to the fibers. This is its main difference from a large or small conventional manual circular, which is most often used for longitudinal dissolution of blanks.

Installed powerful electric motors significantly expand the capabilities of this equipment. A miter saw for sheet metal, pipes, plastic or composite materials appears. In such raw materials, transverse or longitudinal operations differ little and relate to a greater extent not to the texture of the material, but to its structural features or the shape of the workpiece.

The Metabo miter saw is characterized by a simple design, which includes: base, saw blade, motor and handle with start button

A circular miter saw is used in different cases due to the convenience of feeding the workpiece. The name of the equipment itself, including the word “trimming” is only a historically entrenched name, however, it does not fully reflect the rich Spectra of possible operations performed.

Miter saws are capable of cutting not only perpendicularly, but also at the angle required by the user. For this reason, this equipment is sometimes referred to as an electric angle miter box. Models of the latest generations provide processing not only in the horizontal plane, but also at different slopes or vertically. It is even possible to cut grooves if necessary.

With a miter saw, you can cut material diagonally with high cutting accuracy

Based on the wide possibilities, such equipment can be found in different places:

• at a carpentry enterprise;
• in the manufacture of furniture;
• at construction sites;
• in repair shops, etc.

As you can see from the presented photos, the machine fits easily into any home workshop or garage. Oftentimes, an electric miter saw turns out to be practically indispensable in the manufacture of window frames, the manufacture of door frames, during the laying of floors and other finishing work.

Selecting a miter saw by engine type

The most popular arrangement is where the wood miter saws have a motor on the right side of the saw. In this case, there are models where the motor is slightly pushed back. This gives you access to a view of the workpiece and does not obstruct the corner cutting process. Similar models have the ability to tilt the working head in both directions.

The miter saw in the mini or conventional version can be equipped by the manufacturer with the following types of electric motors:

• asynchronous;
• collector;
• brushless.

Asynchronous engines are considered the most economical and reliable for facing. Thanks to their design, they are able to operate efficiently for many years without compromising productivity. Only the bearings can wear out in them. At the same time, manufacturers do not strive to introduce this type of electric motors everywhere due to a significant drawback. Their rather large mass is combined with a relatively low power.

Miter saw with a broach Uralmash PT 2900 / 255-2: Asynchronous motor

The two-kilowatt asynchronous type reaches 20 kg. Moving it on the pendulum console will be quite problematic. Also, powering with a current of normal frequency does not allow the rotation to be exceeded more than 2850 rpm.

Brush motors are more acceptable in terms of the ratio of power and external parameters. Approximately equal mass with an asynchronous analog gives torque several times more efficient. In operating mode, the electric motor is capable of rotating at a frequency of up to 10 thousand rpm. Stabilization of revolutions and control system is much simpler.

The disadvantages of collector motors include:

• significant noise during operation;
• the importance of periodic maintenance;
• need to change the brushes on the collectors in a timely manner.

You need to know that most modern miter saws are equipped with collector motors.

The brushless version relies on modern semiconductor technology. It is the optimal balance between the two previous versions. In the international classification, such motors are designated by the word “Brushless”.

Instead of traditional brushes, valve motors are equipped with an electronic unit. It has low resistance and high switching speed of the power valves. Positive factors are high efficiency, low noise level, long-term operation without maintenance.

Manufacturers offer equipment with a capacity ranging from 0.8 to 2.5 kW. For homework or small production, 1.6-1.8 kW is enough.

The permissible speed is 3200-6000 rpm. The higher the value, the cleaner the sawn-off surface. For 260 mm discs, it is advisable to take a trimming with 2800 rpm.

Miter saws for wood and metal

The availability of high-quality processing or construction tools for home use allows you to quickly complete the repair or better and cheaper to carry out restoration, construction or restoration work. For precise cutting of laminate, plastic, wood beams in modern conditions, a miter saw helps.

Both professional carpenters and beginners have to cut all kinds of blanks. The use of all popular equipment options helps to fully assess the quality of the work of such a hand tool.

Machine capabilities and design features

You can understand how wood trimming works even with the usual examination of its image. The cantilever saw can be lowered to the work table with many different rulers, measured scales and graduations, where the workpiece should be attached.

DIY miter saw table

An electric motor provides rotation to the main tool in the form of a heavy-duty steel saw blade. The force from the motor is transmitted through the connecting gear included in the functional block, there is also a handle with a switch.

The working unit is mounted on a bed, which has a flat platform for fixing the workpiece. At the base there is a turntable that rotates while adjusting the desired angle. The system is supplemented with an emphasis.

Most of the premium models from popular catalogs are made using aluminum or magnesium alloys, which provide not only a reliable base, but also a high degree of mobility with a low weight.

The functional unit is securely fixed to the base base through a spring-loaded hinge. Sometimes the swing arm is called a pendulum, and because of this, some users refer to the miter saws as “pendulum”.

The presence of the hinge allows you to move the working unit. To make a cut, you need to move the lever to the lowest position by starting the saw blade teeth in a rigidly fixed workpiece. Technological grooves in the beds help to provide a through-cut. This scheme is the most popular for most models of such machines.

Elitech (PT 1625 series)

Power 1.6 kW, cut. 90 mm, angles 65 and 150 degrees,

Useful options for miter saws

The presence of additional functionality helps to expand the possibilities. It will allow you to maximize all the capabilities of the equipment without resorting to additional costs in the future for new equipment.

• It is advisable to select equipment with a dust collector. Thus, after work in the workshop, cleanliness will be maintained, and the operator will not inhale harmful microparticles during the process.
• The presence of a protective cover allows you to hide the tool, preventing accidents. Working without such protection is strongly discouraged.
• The depth of cut will be effective when machining grooves. The aiming laser beam will also help in the work. It contributes to increased machining accuracy.
• Local illumination will create an excellent visibility area. It will come in handy in rooms with insufficient general illumination.
• The presence of a soft start will keep the motor in working order and will not form jerks at the start. The probability of jamming will be minimal.

We recommend choosing machines with speed control. The option will allow you to fine-tune the sawing process without damaging the workpieces made of plastic or composite material.

Circular saw or miter saw. which one to choose?

You want to make a nice table to match your couch, but can’t decide between a miter saw and a circular saw?

Don’t worry, read our comparison guide to find out all the differences between the two saws and decide which one is the best for your task.

Some people think that one of them is better than the other, others that there is not much difference between them, and one can replace one saw with another. Nevertheless, each of them has its own characteristics and it is better to use the saw precisely for its intended purpose.

So let’s first take a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of both types of saws.

Miter saw

What is a miter saw? Cross-cut is a tool for precise, mainly cross-cutting, cutting of a workpiece. Most miter saws are small and portable. Unlike stationary miter saws, you can pull it out and set it on a temporary base by placing a drop mechanism (sometimes called drip) over your workpiece. Blade sizes most commonly used for miter saws range from 8 “to 12” (20-30 cm).

Converting a 18v Miter saw into a Metal Cutter Easy as a blade? | Tenryu Steel-Pro Stabilizer

What is a miter saw used for? You can use it to create cross cuts on a workpiece in one quick motion. But more importantly, you can do it at your chosen angle. It is the best choice when you need to cut planks and moldings.

Pros The miter saw is useful when you need precise cross-cuts in your workpieces. This saw is also a great option for miter cuts. This is one of the main competitive advantages of this saw over other types of saws. Most importantly, the miter saw is one of the safest.

Cons Despite all the advantages, a miter saw is useless when you are about to cut large workpieces. While it is the best choice for cross-sections, trimming can be ineffective with long cuts (over 15 centimeters). Miter saws are more of a luxury than a necessity.

A circular saw

Also called circular saw, this saw is equipped with a toothed or abrasive disc that allows you to cut various materials in a rotary motion around an axis.

What is a circular saw used for? The circular saw is commonly used in a variety of woodworking projects. However, the cutting tasks depend to a large extent on the type of blade that is mounted on the circular saw. This saw can be produced both for the left and for the right hand. During operation, the circular is largely based on the part of the structure in which the engine is located.

Pros Circular saws are very compact, making them easy to move. Usually, you transfer the circular saw to the workpiece, and conversely, in the case of miter saws, you take the material where the saw is already installed. These saws are capable of making long rip cuts. Cons This type of saw is much more difficult to use than a miter saw. A circular saw requires more skill and a lot of experience is required to use it. From a safety standpoint, a miter saw is a better choice than a circular.