General welding questions that dont fit in TIG, MIG, Stick, or Certification etc.
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:40 pm
  • Location:
    Near New Orleans

There are two issues with using a dry-cut metal blade in a saw not made for it.

The first has been mentioned, RPM. The dry saws (a cold saw is liquid cooled/lubricated), like a lathe or drill press, work best at a certain RPM and feed rate for the material. I don't recommend a simple "dimmer switch" in this application... A light bulb is a constant load while a saw is varying with your feed rate. They do make motor speed controllers that are quite similar but are designed for varying loads.

The blades are extremely hard and stiff, and over-revving them is a dangerous thing. Our Metal Devil at work advises running a new blade with no load and the guard closed for a full minute before making a cut to preclude a failure from a flaw.

This brings up issue #2... How tough is the guard on the saw you intend to use it on? Are you certain it's tough enough to contain a blade that shatters like glass but weighs significantly more?

I'm not going to tell you whether you can or should. I just want to be sure you're weighing the risks.

Steve S
Keith_J
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:55 am
  • Location:
    Central Texas

Tom Osselton wrote:Just wondering if you could use a dimmer switch hooked to a outlet to control the speed like I do for my gas furnace.
Use a router speed control, built to take 15 amperes or more. These are triac voltage controllers and work by chopping off part of the sine wave. Noisy as ever with the sharp cutoff but brushed universal motors, they don't care. They run fine on DC if you have enough voltage since field and rotor are series wound.
ryanjames170
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sun Sep 25, 2016 12:46 pm
  • Location:
    Wisconsin

I ended up bitting the bullet and buying a Evo Rage 3 saw i know its limited to 1/4 inch but its also able to do Wood and steel with miter cuts so killed 2 birds with one stone and also has a 11 3/4 wide cut capacity
Welder/Fitter
RM Fab & Products

Lincoln Invertec V300 pro
Miller 54D Wire Feeder
Miller 2E DC Welder Generator
Everlast Power IMIG 200
Everlast Power ARC 200ST
Klutch Plasma 275i Plasma Cutter
Hobard/Smith Oxy Torch using propane.
User avatar
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Dec 26, 2013 12:41 am
  • Location:
    Laredo, Tx

ryanjames170 wrote:I ended up bitting the bullet and buying a Evo Rage 3 saw i know its limited to 1/4 inch but its also able to do Wood and steel with miter cuts so killed 2 birds with one stone and also has a 11 3/4 wide cut capacity
I've used that one, and it's nice. I went with the 14" Rage 2.
Image
ryanjames170
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Sun Sep 25, 2016 12:46 pm
  • Location:
    Wisconsin

sedanman wrote:Wood saw plus a metal blade is about as much as a dry saw. If you have a Home Depot card, order the Evolution 380 through their website and take 6 months to pay it off with no interest.
Go look up the evolution rage 3..
Welder/Fitter
RM Fab & Products

Lincoln Invertec V300 pro
Miller 54D Wire Feeder
Miller 2E DC Welder Generator
Everlast Power IMIG 200
Everlast Power ARC 200ST
Klutch Plasma 275i Plasma Cutter
Hobard/Smith Oxy Torch using propane.
Admin010
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:32 am

thanks
Poleframer
  • Posts:
  • Joined:
    Wed Feb 01, 2017 12:47 am

The problem with the "dimmer switch" is that you would be decreasing the current available and reducing the power as well as the speed. It would be like taking your foot off the gas pedal instead of gearing down climbing a hill under load in a truck.
Post Reply