Slotting Saw advice please

And if the arbor has a key, remove it. Also make sure the direction you are turning it will loosen the screw holding it together, not tighten it up if it should get in a bind. A brand new, sharp saw will tend to sing a little if you're running it fast, so take it slow until it breaks in, just like a bandsaw blade. Run a little drag on the moving axis, even if you are up-milling.
 
Hey, I just so happened to be using a saw cutter today so I was reminded about this thread. Since I was cutting nylon it was not a big deal. Real easy to cut that suff is.
 
JBrentMac said:
Hey, I just so happened to be using a saw cutter today so I was reminded about this thread. Since I was cutting nylon it was not a big deal. Real easy to cut that suff is.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I bet it is! I wouldn't be worried if I had to cut nylon:lmao:

This is a long weekend for me, as is next weekend so I hope to get this done soon.
 
Hey Ken,
I'm not sure I should be responding to this one because I only use a Sherline mill but I've cut steel heavier than 1/4" many times on that little mill without problems, including square tubing, so maybe this might help.

1. Be sure your mill is trammed well. If you're off the saw will bind.
2. Keep the stick out from the vise at a bare minimum to reduce resonance.
3. Be sure your saw diameter will allow you to make the cut and that your tooth count will allow at least 3 teeth to be engaged in the wall thickness of the material at all times. Also be sure your slitting saw is a tight fit on the arbor; a loose fit is almost guaranteed to snap a blade.
4. I too would conventional mill this cut. I lock the X and Z axes before the cut.
5. For mild steel and a 3" saw diameter, cutting speed works out to about 125 RPM.
6. I usually go for a full depth cut in a single pass - these saws are made for that.
7. Use a LOT of cutting fluid to reduce cutting temps and clear swarf. Feed by feel and sound as JBrentMac advised. I suggest entering slowly until the teeth are all fully engaged. You will feel the saw cutting and you want to keep up a constant cut without pushing the saw - once you feel it cutting well you'll see what we mean. Feed rates are faster than you might think as a sharp slitting saw is really efficient. In many cases the saw may sound like one or two teeth are doing most of the work; almost like a bumping sound. This is normal. As long as the saw is cutting well I would push on through.

Hope that helps.

Mikey
 
OK, I chickened out...but it's not my fault. I was setting up the mill, put the arbor in the quill and decided to check the blade for runout:
IMG_1872.jpg
Yeeeup, .015"! It was wobbling all over the place, it's actually the whole arbor that's out. No way in he!! was I running that thing:nono:

So, I setup my bandsaw with the table I made to run in vertical mode and a piece of AL angle for a fence:
IMG_1873.jpg

Here is the final result, excellent holding power is achieved with only moderate tightening of the bolts:
IMG_1874.jpg IMG_1876.jpg




Thanks to all for the great advice, I am sure it helped others and it will help me in the future as well. This parts are for the work rest I am building to add to my 2x72 Belt Grinder .

IMG_1872.jpg IMG_1873.jpg IMG_1874.jpg IMG_1876.jpg
 
i wonder if the runout is in the saw or your arbor. If it's the arbor then you could probably true it up.
I know that i found slotting saws really scary:bitingnails: when I first started using them, but as I've said in an earlier post, 'it's just a saw', and after awhile I got the hang of using them, and even enjoy using them.
Maybe grab yourself some scrap and just practice.
 
A saw will cut straighter in climb milling. That is one good reason to use the climb cut mode.However,your machines does need to have a heavy enough slide to avoid the work getting sucked too hard into the saw.

I used to slit steel spinning chucks up to about 6" diameter with a 6" saw,1/32" thick. The biggest issue was that the steel bar wanted to close down on the saw at the end of the first cut. I was sawing a donut shaped piece of steel bar stock. The interior was bored out to receive the center shaft of the chuck. The hole had to be bored before the segments were sawn. With that hole,the steel wanted to close down. After sawing,everything was soft soldered together and the form of the chuck was turned. I made all of the chucks for the PGA trophies for several years.

I stopped using that method and started just bandsawing the sections apart. They tended to "nest" together. I found I could get much more perfect fits by turning down the shape to within 1/32" of finished diameter,then hammer the seams shut,and finish turning the chuck. This yielded the most perfect spinning chucks. However,this last part has nothing to do with circular saw slitting.:)
 
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