Metal Cutting Chop Saw

[The Forge]

I just bought an Evolution Raptor 380 metal cutting chop saw. It has a 15" carbide tipped blade that cuts through metal with ease. I also have an old reliable Abrasive chop saw that I have used for years. This new one out performs the other one hands down. I had an experience where the abrasive's sparks set some paper on fire, so I have been very wary to use it inside my shop. This one cut cold. Even the chips are cold. I have worked with carbide cutting tools for many years and know how they work. It is not just an abrasive saw fitted with a carbide tipped blade. It has been completely redesigned for this purpose. The biggest surprise when I opened the box was that a 15" saw blade is really big in comparison to the 10" one on my radial arm saw. I would not have believed it if I did not get one. Cutting metal is now as easy as cutting wood.:D

[ironman]

Hey forge, how much did that damn thing set you back? Sounds like a nice tool to have.

[grommet]

how would that saw do on grandma's fruitcake???

[evaldart]

I have been using the Jepson version of that thing for ten years or so. Dont cut re-bar or any stock with a wall thickness below 3/8 (unless you bundle it and clamp tightly Pipe, tube angle channels). The garbage steel of the rebar and the chatterring of thinner metal kills the blades quickly. and they aint cheap.
But it likes nothing better than a 2' solid square bar....plows through it in 15 seconds. Also, the sparkling blue chips are quite lovely...I have a few hundred lbs of them saved up for ...for god knows WHAT!:D

Congratulations on an awesome purchase...life just got a bit better for you.:)

[jOe~]

How loud is it?

[evaldart]

How loud is it?

Its as loud as its 14" abraisive
cousin but not as high pitched. It runs at about 1/2 the rpms of the other. It has More torque and MUST be run by ONE firm continuous plunge. Unlike the abraisive version which likes to recover its rpm by multiple plunges throughout the cut.

If you use this thing wrong it will KILL you in blades. You know a blade is eventually fried as the sparks increase. A fresh blade makes VERY FEW sparks...as it loses teeth the substrate steel makes contact and causes more and more sparks. The chips can be nasty, sometimes end up in your mouth....I've damaged more than a few teeth inadvertently biting down on these tiny shards.

But I maintain...its a LOVELY tool.

[grommet]

so the phrase "I eat metal for breakfast" is not hyperbole?

[evaldart]

so the phrase "I eat metal for breakfast" is not hyperbole?


I've been known to sing along with the music as I work....and it aint exactly the kind of music you can hum.

God forbid it Judas Priest...Halford holds a looong note. Plenty of time for all kinds of junk to enter.:D

But I've been going to the dentist often lately (Massachusetts ants favor socialism.... give away FREE dental). It aint gold fillings, mind you (probably Liquid Nails) but it keeps the teeth in your head.

[GlennT]

how would that saw do on grandma's fruitcake???

Use the right tool for the job...in your case, a light saber!

[The Forge]

The saw was $425.00 with free shipping on ebay. If you go to the Evolutiononlineshop site you can choose among a couple different models. I chose the bad boy Raptor 380 which comes with the 15" blade and the higher hp motor. It has a few different name like 'TCT' and 'steel saw 2'. Actually with the right blade it will cut many things.
Here is a tip from my machine shop days- I know it is supposed to be a dry saw; but, carbide can also use a lubricant to cut, so a just a wipe of any cutting fluid on the cut area of the steel before the blade touches it will add to the cutting pleasure. You could also use a little WD40. As for loud- I always use hearing protection when working.:D

[outsider]

70+ year old Rancine power hacksaw bought for 35 bucks at auction cuts all my lengths. Perfect cuts. No sparks. Any thickness up to 8". Long blade life.

[evaldart]

70+ year old Rancine power hacksaw bought for 35 bucks at auction cuts all my lengths. Perfect cuts. No sparks. Any thickness up to 8". Long blade life.


Those things take forever O. I had one for years and only ever used it for the really huge stuff that wouldnt fit into the choppers. Fortunately it was set up so you could walk away and do other things while it took its time cutting. But man what a flow-killer....waiting for that damn thing to get done. I ended up cutting it to pieces and making Art out of it (it provided about 400lbs of good scrap). Yeah, the cuts were nice if you care about such. I wouldnt reccomend that tool.

[GlennT]

Interesting advice from the time transcender to the time traveler.

[outsider]

No matter what I say about anything Evaldork, you'll argue against it. You should have tried a fresh blade on your power hacksaw. Plus, mine has a three phase motor with enough torque to push the blade through to China if you wanted. You must have had one of those pansy assed 1 hp. asian models. I'd rather spend 40 seconds cutting something perfectly then throwing sparks all over the place and buying expensive carbide blades. I go through one or two 12 dollar blades a year and cut every day.

[QUOTE] Yeah, the cuts were nice if you care about such/QUOTE]

ha ha dude! It's called fabrication!

[The Forge]

A powered hacksaw? Now,that's a blast from the past. I would put it up there with a shaper for removing metal. Reminds me of my years of apprenticeship back in 1959. If you want a tool to cut big metal all day, a horizontal bandsaw with power downfeed and coolant would be the ticket. I did consider it; but, it would be way overkill for what I needed. :cool:

[ironman]

Hey Forge, Thanks for the info.
Jeff