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| I'm going to replace wood baluster with iron one. What'd the best tool for cutting Iron baluster? The reseller recommended portable band saw. |
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| Milwaukee makes a real good portaband saw that does a good job on steel using the proper metal cutting blade. Many others (black and decker/portacable etc.) make the same thing. The most versatile tool is a Metabo grinder with the Metabo cutoff wheels, these things cut thru steel/stainless/cast/aluminum etc. like a hot knife cutting thru butter. Note: not something you would use inside your house all pieces would have to be cut outside or in a area where there are no combustibles or surfaces that could be damaged by the hot sparks coming from the cutoff wheel. |
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| Something else to consider is a variable speed sawzall with fine tooth metal cutting blade. Mike A |
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- Posted by davidwczerr (My Page) on Sat, Nov 20, 04 at 13:44
| My suggestion would depend on how many you plan on cutting and if you plan on doing any future projects that would include metal cutting. The way I see it the cheaper options would include: 1. Metal cutting blade in jig saw. Would work for a few cuts, could be very cheap if you've already got a jig saw. 2. Same as #1, but with reciprocating saw. 3. Good old hacksaw. 4. A 4-1/2" angle grinder (DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc.) with a 1/16" thick cut off wheel. Can be difficult to control until you get used to it. Other more expensive, better options would be: 1. Any brand of 14" chop saw, similar to a miter saw for wood, but uses an abrasive blade. $120-$150. 2. Portable bandsaw, notably Milwaukee. Probably close to $300. 3. Small horizontal bandsaw for metal cutting (4"x6" capacity). All foreign made, all the same, choose your brand........probably right at $200. Cheapest available at Harbor Freight Tools. My personal reccomendation if you plan to cut a lot of metal. I have one and could not live without it. Hope that helps.....David |
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| What about one of those 7' abrasive chop saws, such as: http://www.cumminstools.com/browse.cfm/4,166.html I've got about 50 balusters to cut, 1/2' square wrought iron. After that job, I don't see a use for the saw. Since the 7' sells for about the same cost as a rental of a 14', maybe it would make sense to buy it Any thoughts on whether it would work well? |
Here is a link that might be useful: 7
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