Chop saw use

Duner Wi

Well-known Member
I have a chop saw with 12 inch abrasive cut-off wheel that works fine for metal
Could I install a 12 inch wood blade and cut off 6 inch beveled cedar siding.
Arbors are both 1 inch I think. 12inch blades are far more expensive than I am used too for my skilsaw or 10 inch radial arm saw. If I can't use the 12 in. blade in my chop saw I have nothing else to use it in. Thanks
 
First thing I'll say on this is, if you try that, do so at your own risk!

Chop saws are not set up for cutting wood. Safety devices that are on miter saws are not necessary on chop saws, and vice versa.

"Can" it be done? Probably. If you choose to try (and I wouldn't), PLEASE be careful.
 
Sure you can. The problem occurs when someone installs a metal blade in a saw that's not designed to deal with sparks. It will probably create much more dust than necessary and will not be as versatile, that is, not have as many different angle adjustments as a saw designed for wood, but it will work for one job or even two. If you plan to make a living doing this I'd spring for the real thing.
 
As kcm.MN said "try at own risk"
Abrasive saws run at a higher RPM usually I think. The wood blade might not handle it, and fly apart. Then if it does works, you now have flammable dust everywhere, so next time you use for metal (with lots of pretty, hot sparks) ...poof.
 
Not sure how much wood you want to cut but I use my chop saw to cut rubber hoses and hyd hoses and even from time to time a piece of wood all with the metal cutting blade
 
(quoted from post at 18:32:22 09/16/17) Not sure how much wood you want to cut but I use my chop saw to cut rubber hoses and hyd hoses and even from time to time a piece of wood all with the metal cutting blade
Is your blade abrasive or toothed? I haven't used them, but they have those Diablo blades out there for chop saws. Not sure how the tooth design would work for wood, but I would imagine it would do OK. Still, the right tool for the right job. :wink:
 
Abrasive cut off wheel has no teeth.
I will be working out doors on the lawn so dust is not a problem.
I need to make 100 or so 90 degree cuts.
I was thinking maybe this is something everyone did but me.
I do have a fancy non electric miter saw that would have been the hot setup 75 years ago. Thank you for all the replies.
 
Here's a couple of alternative ideas before resorting to the chop saw. First, you could make your mark on the "backside" of the siding pieces and, using a good straightedge and a VERY sharp utility knife (keep lots of fresh blades handy), score in as deep as you can without the pressure splitting the wood. Cedar likes to split. Once scored, flip over, line up the score at a solid edge and snap the end off. Can then use a file, sander, or the knife to take care of any splinters if needed.

Second, if you have a handheld circular saw, you could make a simple cutting jig. Couldn't find the exact thing I had in mind, but is similar to what's in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZMhufzFwyI

Your jig won't have to be this long - only need about 2' to 3'. You will also need another board to mount at one end, making a T-shape. This can be made from 1x4, strip-of-plywood, etc. Using a square, secure the cross piece to the saw guide. ...When I said T-shape, have most (but not all) of your 1x4 on the motor side of the jig (saw blade to outer edge). Once the saw guide and cross piece are secured, use your saw and, keeping the base next to the guide fence, cut off the excess from the T piece.

To use, mark your siding (bottom side will splinter less) and line up your mark with the cut portion of your T-bar. Lay the jig over your siding (one at a time) and make your cuts. Pay attention to keep the saw base flat against the guide.

I hope this is worded clearly enough. Am fighting a sinus infection (again!) and not thinking real clear.
 
It's not completely clear what your situation is. It sounds like you have a 10" radial arm saw that would be the right tool for what you need to do, but you bought a 12" wood cutting blade for your chop saw, or for no particular reason, and now you want to know if you can use it. Is that an accurate description? Your main reason for wanting to use the 12" blade in a saw that it wasn't intended for is because you've got it? I feel like I'm missing something here because if I've described the situation accurately, your motivation is, to put it kindly, not reasonable. Using the wrong tool to get a job done when you've got no other way to do it can be clever and practical. Using the wrong tool when you've got the right tool is something else.

Stan
 
Are you sure you have 12 inch chop saw? Most are 14. It looks to me like the speeds of 12 inch miter saws and 14 inch chop saws are comparable, but you might not be able to adjust the stop far enough to cut the width of your siding.

The prices of miter saws have really come down in recent years (thanks to Chinese imports). I use mine all the time, not just for wood and plastic but also for aluminum. The best tool for cutting pvc pipe, I think. You might consider getting a 10 inch sliding miter saw. They take up less space than a 12 inch, use much cheaper 10 inch blades, but can cut the same width as a regular 12 inch saw. These are available for less than 200 bucks.
 
If your 12 inch blade is unused, you can probably return it and buy two or three new 10 inch blades of the same quality for the same money. For only 100 cuts through thin siding, an inexpensive fine tooth steel blade will easily do the job well. A good carbide blade can last for decades, they only require cleaning when a steel blade would need sharpening.

If your radial arm saw is set up right, it can be a nearly perfect machine for making square cuts on long pieces of wood. Most people (and lumber yards) set up their radial arm saws for square cuts and leave them in that set up. Portable miter saws are easier to adjust for angled cuts.
 

Here's some information that might be helpful: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-use-a-chop-saw-to-cut-wood
 
First thing I would check is RPM of a miter saw vs chop saw. If the RPM is close I don't see why you can't cut wood. A chop saw with a carbide blade is a tool to respect.
 
I agree with MarkB. I have a 10" sliding miter saw I bought from Harbor Freight for $85 or so about 6 years ago. It's still the same price today. It does everything I need and I use it quite often on a variety of wood widths and thicknesses, including 4x4's.
 
I want to thank every one for the replies. I am thinking my chopsaw has to high a RPM for 12 inch blade. Would probably work with a 10 inch blade except the arbor hole is wrong size on 10 inch blade. Abrasive blade cuts wood ok but does produce some smoke and cut edges might not hold paint as good as I would like them too.
Might build the bridge scheme and use skilsaw.
 
kcm.MN
I made a jig much like you suggested and it works perfect during testing.
Thank you for the idea.I watched the video and it helped too.
 
Duner -- Glad it worked for you. Have been having a horrible time with sinus infections for past month or more, so wasn't sure the idea was coming across clearly enough. ....Then again, maybe it worked for ya' [i:39a0a9c1e8][b:39a0a9c1e8]because[/b:39a0a9c1e8][/i:39a0a9c1e8] I wasn't clear enough! :shock: :lol: :lol:
 

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