I'm cutting off some fenders that were welded on and bondoed over. Much of it I've done with carbide cut off wheels on angle grinders but there are some areas I can't reach. I'm cutting through the welds (and bondo) so I can re-use what I can. Having little success with sawsall blades. First I went through some cheap Chinese bimetal blades I had, then went to Ace and got one of their bimetal blades (16t), no luck there either. Ace has Milwaukee bimetal blades but they come in a $30 5 pack, which is fine if they work. But are they going to do any better than the Ace brand blade? Non of the teeth have broken off and it still feels sharp enough but it just ain't cutting.
When you cut with sawsall lubricate the blades and keep rpm low , too high an rpm will ruin the blades fasr...I use Milwaukee but that's expensive ....I pay about 3 bucks a blade...
we use carbide tipped Sawzall blades to cut through galvanized and sch 40 and sch 80 pipe up to 2.5" with ease.
Yes Those are better than the china blades. I have tried them all. Lennox are the best but the Milwaukee hold their own for less money. Also it's Sawzall with a Z
I'm back at Ace. No Lenox and no Milwaukee Torch. They do have Milwaukee carbide blades but says for tile. Also the sawzall I'm using is not variable speed. I have one but it's at a job. Wait! Ace did have a Torch, i grabbed it. $16, hope it works. Says for cast iron. Thanks!
I 2nd the "torch" blades. My friend is a volunteer firefighter and that's what they carry to cut you out of your car after you roll it in the ditch and get trapped. They work sweet. Slow speed and old school cutting wax (if you can find it) or cutting oil will help too. Keeps them cutting like new for longer.
if i have to cut through "mixed media" ie bondo welds, rust, tin, braze etc.... i use an air chisel with a tooth. they never dull, cut fast and are reusable. they will dent, twist or fold the edges but are so much cheaper and faster you can fix the damage and still be ahead of the game.
Whoa, just noticed on another sawsall I have here there is a thumb wheel that adjusts the speed. So as soon as the Cubs score on the Dodgers I'm going to try the torch blade.
That's also true, I think I have 24T blades or have had them in the past, they work a lot nicer on steel.
Will make a huge difference. Most any of the following will work, used DoAll brand for years in the machine trade. https://www.google.com/search?q=doa...Q_AUIBygD#tbm=isch&q=+metal+cutting+wax+stick
I agree on the Torch blades they work great. The ones for tile. ..not so much. Mind you I've never tried to cut tile with them.
To add to the life of the blades , I always use Candle Wax or Bees Wax on the cut line for lubrication , works well for me P.S. Wax the Blade too
a bit off the subject but related.... I recently acquired a Milwaukee Orbital Super Sawzall #6521-21 (no longer made) What is this Orbital action? From all the reading I've done on it, I understand that it's use is meant for thicker and/or softer materials. Supposedly good for drywall and thick wood, and where it's sometimes necessary to make a blind cut. They show how to make blind cuts in the manual. But, what exactly is going on with the blade? Is it slightly turned as it moves; then turns back on the return stroke? That would seem to direct the blade off to one side. Or does it alternate CW to CCW from one stroke to the next? On the tool, the amount of Orbiting can be adjusted from 0 which is straight for and aft, to max Orbiting. Found this in an online user's manual showing the parts breakdown. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/103942/Milwaukee-6521-Series.html?page=7#manual Anyone use this type of Milwaukee or know about it?
Milwaukee orbital saws are junk. Broke two of them and they were used less than an hour. Regular, normal milwaukee with a thumb wheel is best. A 4" or larger cutoff disc works great too.
The torch blade is what I use at work. They will even cut through the modern High Strength Steel and Ultra High Strength Steel. That is pretty impressive. They are pricey.
I have a Makita that has the "orbital" feature with three settings. Rather than a straight back and forth motion, the blade moves in a circular motion, so it goes up and down while moving in and out. Don't use it for cutting metal, its just for wood and other soft materials. I've had good luck with these and they aren't too expensive. I like that due their width they don't bend as easy if they catch. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-6-in-14-18-Teeth-per-in-Steel-Demon-Medium-Metal-Cutting-Reciprocating-Saw-Blade-5-Pack-DS0614BF5/203464782 If you are cutting sheet metal you may need something above 18 TPI like this one. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-9-in-20-24-Teeth-per-in-Steel-Demon-Thin-Metal-Cutting-Reciprocating-Saw-Blade-DS0920BF/203464738 Try to move in and out where the blade cuts to equalize the wear on as much as the blade as possible. Cut slow, heat is the enemy of your blade.
I bought a 2HP Delta recip saw mainly for cutting out old exhaust systems. It has a select switch for either straight or orbital mode and using the correct blade for the material you are cutting is important. I haven't found any universal blades yet. One thing I did find is you better be ready to boogie when you pull the trigger.
Exactly. A lot of us who slog around in the trades just assume everyone knows about carpentry. The orbital feature strictly makes cutting through chunks of wood faster. The sawzall will work great on metal, just use the "0" orbital setting. Torch is the best blade. Also don't overlook a jig saw with a nice long metal cutting blade, ditto on the orbital setting, even better on sheet metal IMO, shorter stroke, thinner and more narrow blades give you more control and less damage to sheet metal, if there's a lot of structure to cut through sawzall is better.
OK, ...makes sense now. I was envisioning something else while watching the blade for some sort of movement in addition to in/out.
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