Welding Tips and Tricks

I have an evolution chop saw with a stainless steel blade , and it is pretty much trash in one day of cutting 1 1/2" square tube.
How do I make the next one last?
I tried cutting with no pressure to start, and then shot it with wd-40 , and the blade is cutting pretty bad.

The best thing you can do is to actually use a proper cutting fluid, not WD-40 to lubricate your blade. Something high in sulphur content works well. Heck, even the local Home Centers have Oatey brand cutting fluid (found in the plumbing section, for black pipe threading) and it will save your blades somewhat, and drill bits even more.

Metal cutting saws typically run slower, or have blades that can be re-sharpened. Depending upon wall thickness, your blade/saw combo may not be appropriate.

Thank You! I will take all of the help I can get.

One thing about Stainless Steel. It work hardens like a sombich.
Low speed and good pressure with lube is the ticket.
If the teeth skate on the surface it will harden up . Same goes for a drill bit. If you stop pushing and lose the chip, you will burn the bit up trying to get through the hardened layer you just created.

thespian wrote:I have an evolution chop saw with a stainless steel blade

Bill, what model is your saw, and what was the wall thickness of the square tube?

thespian wrote:I have an evolution chop saw with a stainless steel blade , and it is pretty much trash in one day of cutting 1 1/2" square tube.
How do I make the next one last?
I tried cutting with no pressure to start, and then shot it with wd-40 , and the blade is cutting pretty bad.

I have the Metal Devil at work, and use Evolution blades.

The manual instructs to use as much pressure as you can without "bogging down" the motor. This works. Cut aggressively, and the blade will heat less and last much longer.

Steve S

Erich wrote:One thing about Stainless Steel. It work hardens like a sombich.
Low speed and good pressure with lube is the ticket.
If the teeth skate on the surface it will harden up . Same goes for a drill bit. If you stop pushing and lose the chip, you will burn the bit up trying to get through the hardened layer you just created.

Been there done that. Tig welded a stainless die and drilled after I welded it up. Ran too high of speed and destroyed a few drill bits and had to quit cause I couldn't bare burning more bits. I was drilling with a mill so I probably could have turned the speed lower but I'll live.

Stainless cutting/drilling often follows the rules of 'cutting oil' combined with 'low running speed' and 'high pressure'.

And make sure you use that your tools are HSS/Cobalt or carbide.

Bye, Arno.

my Metal Devil has jaw attachments that let you
angle square tubing so the cut starts on the edge
rather then the flat. i use their stainless blade
and do all on the blade and it works fine.
by starting on the edge you can lean real
hard into the cut. hope this helps.
craig

LtBadd wrote:

thespian wrote:I have an evolution chop saw with a stainless steel blade

Bill, what model is your saw, and what was the wall thickness of the square tube?

It's a Raptor 14" the 304 stainless is 14 gauge , we cut some 1/4" x2 inch bar with it too.