Cutting Solution

bcall2043 said:
Hello Regis,

Welcome to the friendly forum. Good to see another member from the middle TN area. Looks like you have small plans. What kind of materials and projects do you plan to do. That could make a difference in the solution for your tool needs. One little warning, this hobby can grow on you and you will want bigger and more tools.

Benny
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Hello Benny,
Sure is nice to know that there is someone else into this machining hobby in this area of the country. I do a fair amount of target shooting and always need something like rests, tuners, and other accessories for myself and friends. I once had a very small lathe & mill (shereline) that I gave up on because I was limited to things very small. Believe me, I would be prone to go bigger but, very limited here in a subdivision. Mostly, I will work in aluminum & brass.
Thanks to everyone who offered tips/suggestions.
Regis (in Mount Juliet)
 
I use to shoot a lot years ago but not so much any more. I still keep a place set up for target practice behind the house but it gets uses by friends mostly.

Cutting aluminum kind of rules out an abrasive cutoff but the small saws suggested by kd4gij look promising. I wonder how accurate they are.

I started with a small used Dayton band saw sold by Grainger but then I wanted bigger. I got a bigger older WFWells mounted it on wheels so it can be stored away in the corner of the garage until needed.

Good luck on your search for the "right tool". That is part of the fun with this hobby.

Benny
 
I bought a small power hacksaw (Jefferson, made by Keller) on Craig's List for $100 which didn't need much work (they're all old and considered obsolete for commercial work). It fits easily on a work bench, cuts quite straight, is slow but reliable, and shuts itself off when done. The blades are cheap and hold up fairly well, considering that it's always cutting with the same few inches of blade. Visitors to my shop find it fascinating to watch.

Bill
 
Tony Wells said:
It may be a little on the caveman side, but until you can do better, a cheap (read Horrible Fright) recip saw with a metal cutting blade might get you by.
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Using a bi-metal blade on a Milwaukee recip saw, in about half an hour I cut clean through a piece of very large structural H-beam. It was all 1/4" thick minimum, pics on the shaper thread Here

So yes, if you can deal with the shaking it's a valid way of cutting metal. That blade I used is still going, actually.
 
I'm thinking a light saber would be cool. Bring a touch of the dramatic to the shop. :alien::big grin: Mike
 
Get the best combination horizontal/vertical, metal cutting bandsaw you can afford.
 
I picked up and old Clarke H/V bandsaw on Craigslist for a $100 only 40 Miles from the house. Worked good and still going strong. That was 2 years ago.
 
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