OT - metal chop saw for logs?

Compare blade speeds . If the wood blade will run at the speed of your saw why not . I would not recommend running the wood blade faster then its rated speed though . Luck Ken Cutt

I have thought about that very thing, if the saw was anchored well it would be better IMO. I don't want that wood blade binding in a log right next to my hand. It happens all to much with a skil saw, but at least the hand held saw has the blade under the cut and away from the operator.

granpaw who has managed to get his hand into a skil saw, joiner, and sundry other devices capable of cutting, sliceing, and maiming human flesh.

I've used a 10" wood cutting chop saw for making small chunks for the smoker. Works fine, but can't use anything much larger than about 2

1/2" dia. Chop saws, with all of their blade guards, rigid mounting, etc tend to impart a false sense of saftety. They are still as dangerous as a hand held circular saw, even more so when cutting irregularly shaped firewood. Go slow and remember where your fingers are.

Gary Brady Austin, TX

I think it would lug down and overheat in short order. Even a 10"

1-HP tablesaw (3450 RPM) will grunt a little cutting thick oak. The chopsaw has about twice the speed so about half the torque -- and a 14" sawblade will need considerably more torque than a 10" blade does

-- and you're talking thicker wood than can be cut with a 10" saw.

Heavy duty hand-held circular saws have worm drives which reduce speed and increase torque.

Saw blades need some torque, abrasive wheels need speed. A chopsaw motor is not well-suited for running a large woodcutting blade in thick wood.

Thanks all for your help.

I'm tending to agree with Don about the suitability - tried cutting a few smallish logs with a 10" mitre saw and it wasn't easy going. If chop saws are geared *up* (mine has gears alright and the motor label says 3750 RPM - not sure what the blade RPM is though), it's not going to work, especially since the logs tend to wiggle around, not having a uniform surface, and bind on the blade.

Now, I wonder if building a chop saw with a 14 or 16" blade running in pillowblocks or equivalent on the end of a pivot arm, belt driven by a motor of suitable size on the other end would work? I would guess a 2 or 3HP 3600 RPM induction motor might be big (and durable) enough (?).

Laurie Forbes

Consider an electric chain saw (16 inch). They are cheap, quiet and whizz through the small stuff. I'd gladly trade you your "chop" for my "chain", but postage would be a killer.

Cheers.

I have used a 4" x 6" horizontal bandsaw to cut long sticks into firewood. The big problem is that the wood rarely rests flat on the table near the blade and it sometimes shifts and binds when the cut is nearly through. The bandsaw blade will simply slip off the drive wheel but a chop saw reacts much more violently to a jam.

jw