Welding Tips and Tricks

Is it just me, or are there no real affordable options for being able to cut metal stock precisely in order to get a gap free fit-up on metal parts (for TIG welding) without having to do a bunch of sanding / grinding? I have an Evolution 7 1/4 metal saw and a decent horizontal band saw but I have to use a small speed square to set 90 and 45 degree angles. For everything else I have to trust the built in "gauges" and we know how accurate they are.

What I would love to find would a good double miter saw designed for metal cutting without having to break the bank. I have an older DeWalt double miter saw, but it spins waaaay to fast (3600 RPM) for metal cutting unless I use an abrasive blade, but they throw a ton of sparks and wear quickly.

Any suggestions?

Depending upon the material thickness (thin) a decent bandsaw with a quality blade works well. For thick material, there is no “affordable” option as it takes a larger, much more expensive bandsaw.

What you can do, is to fabricate for yourself a good quality belt grinder (lots of YT videos on those) that will allow you to use a lower cost saw and get professional results very quickly. Grinding is more a part of welding and fabrication than hood times is, so get used to it unless you land a job sitting a bench with CNC prepped pieces dropped into a hopper beside you.

Evolution does make a 10" sliding miter saw for steel, well actually multi-material. The RPM is slow enough that you can replace the low tooth-count blade that it comes with in favor of a steel cutting blade with a tooth-count that matches the material you are trying to cut. It has plenty of adjustability, so if you take your time to set everything up, I'm sure it can be made to give you the tolerances you need. Just IMO of course.

Oscar,

That's too funny. I just stopped by to say that I found Evolution's 2500 RPM 10" sliding miter saw. It looks like exactly what I've been looking for. Now of course the other half says that I have to sell my barely used Evolution 7 1/4" chop saw before I can get that one.

Why do you seem to have multiple accounts Wingnut/tim8888?

Pretty sure that Evo 10 sliding miter is what I bought years back when we moved into our house and redid trim and woodwork etc.

It does the task adequately enough, I've used it to cut a couple chunks of steel and copper with the standard blade that comes with it. Whatta a racket it makes and the cut wasn't that clean if memory serves.

Keep in mind I've never changed the blade after laying laminate flooring in 4+ rooms and re trimming+ crown moulding my entire house.

One thing I highly suggest you look at in person is the clamping mechanism it has for metal, in my opinion it is severely lacking but you may find it adequate for your needs.

Gdarc21 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2022 8:43 am Why do you seem to have multiple accounts Wingnut/tim8888?

I have no idea...honestly.