Gap in the tool market?

[TexMex]

Why is it that Angle grinders don't have a facility to follow a straight edge, and manufacturers don't make diamond blades for circular saws. Is there some reason that we shouldn't attempt to get diamond blades to cut in a straight line?

I've been making my own router table and had some nice sheet stainless steel that I wanted cut down to use as a top. As soon as I attempted to cut it, I found that this stuff is diabolically tough, and takes the teeth off every sort of blade you can imagine. Eventually in desperation I took a diamond blade off the angle grinder and (with a bit of a bodge with a washer to make it fit on the arbour) put it into my circular saw.

Clamped the steel to the worktop with a straight edge and run the circular saw up it. Did the job a treat. This stuff is so tough that I couldn't even use a file to take off the burs, (it just skipped over them without any hint of cutting).

Why don't they make these blades for circular saws? Failing that, why don't angle grinders have an attachment to follow a straight edge?

 

[Hitachimad]

Why is it that Angle grinders don't have a facility to follow a straight edge, and manufacturers don't make diamond blades for circular saws. Is there some reason that we shouldn't attempt to get diamond blades to cut in a straight line?

I've been making my own router table and had some nice sheet stainless steel that I wanted cut down to use as a top. As soon as I attempted to cut it, I found that this stuff is diabolically tough, and takes the teeth off every sort of blade you can imagine. Eventually in desperation I took a diamond blade off the angle grinder and (with a bit of a bodge with a washer to make it fit on the arbour) put it into my circular saw.

Clamped the steel to the worktop with a straight edge and run the circular saw up it. Did the job a treat. This stuff is so tough that I couldn't even use a file to take off the burs, (it just skipped over them without any hint of cutting).

Why don't they make these blades for circular saws? Failing that, why don't angle grinders have an attachment to follow a straight edge?

Wrong tool for the job mate, a 5" grinder with a thin metal cutting disc will cut ss clean and controlled with no effort. When i say thin, i mean the 0.8 or 1mm thick ones.
As for a straight edge attachment, i just run the face of the blade along a straightedge clamped to the work if its really necessary.
You can also buy a steel cutting circular saw, which will cut ss too, if you fit the correct blade.

Its all there, just need to find it mate!

 

[Ukwoody]

One point I would make is that Stainless Steel gives off an extremly toxic gas when heated up ( I cant remeber if it's carcegentic or not). When cutting it you should really wear a gas/vapour mask.

Woody

 

[joe-90]

I think that the problem with HSS blades in a saw is that they can shatter and you'll get shrapnel in the goolies. Have you had a vasectomy?


joe

 

[coshhassessor]

You will NOT get stainless steel hot enough for it to give off vapour (I suspect chromium is what you're thinking about) unless you are flame cutting or plasma cutting. If you do, you will most certainly discolour it in to the bargain, so you'll know you're doing it wrong!

Neat cuts with a grinder are quite possible, using the ultra-thin discs. You can do it with a jigsaw, with a new, good quality blade and a decent cooling / cutting oil.

If you intend doing a lot of steel cutting you might be better off with a shear / nibbler, or else a metal cutting bandsaw.

I would advise very strongly against putting metal cutting blades / discs in a wood cutting saw. Most metal cutting tools run at a fraction of the speed that woodworking tools do, and most of the metal-cutting blades are not safe at these speeds.

As for blades shattering, if you've had a 9" wheel go, that can certainly be pretty exciting!

M

 

[Hitachimad]

Toxic gasses from stainless....? you better tell your wife to wear a gas mask when she cooks your dinner

The steel cutting saws i mentioned are similar to normal circular saws, except they have better guarding and run at a slower speed. Various blades are available, for cutting stainless, mild steel, aluminium and wood.
These blades are NOT suitable for use in a normal circular saw. The main manufacturer is 'Evolution'


And you can't flame cut stainless btw coshh.

 

[coshhassessor]

Sorry Hitachi - senior moment

Confusing high alloy (some of which will flame cut) and stainless (which won't, because that's the point...)

Should have put "try" in there re. flame cutting.

My trusty EH40 workplace exposure limits shows controls on many of the constituents of stainless (chromium, cobalt, nickel...), and even iron oxide has a WEL of 5mg/m3. The MSDS for stainless steel I've seen recommend local exhaust and respiratory protection when working with it.

The one exercises people is chromium VI (hexavalent chromium). Apart from welding, you would struggle to oxidise chromium this far outside of a lab (and why you would want to pickle anything in potassium dichromate in your garage I cannot imagine!), so again, local exhaust / ventilation.

And woodworkers think sawdust is nasty stuff

















(Well, actuially, it *IS* nasty stuff, but I've gone on enough...)

 

[wreckedit]

You would be far better off with an electric nibbler. They will cut up to 2mm sheet steel very easily and accurately to a line that is straight or curved. Search the tools sites for one.

 

[Hitachimad]

Yes, Nibblers are great, but they do have a lot of limitations. And not to mention the comparison in cost