hacksaw wandering

hi there,

was cutting some 1"x2" box section for my boat trailer with a hacksaw.

out of the 6 pieces (12 cuts) i cut today only 1 came out straight.

any pointers on what i am doing wrong?What blade should i use when i want accurate cuts ?i am currently using 8% cobalt blade, hacksaw is round handle type, not pistol grip type.

i am using two hands and putting muscle into both pull and push.blade wanders 1/4 inch away by the time i reach the bottom of cut across the

1" side. i am using oil lube while cutting and the workpiece is secure in a vice. sometimes i cut to the right of the vice sometimes to the left with no improvement. i am right handed.

i am grateful i decided to wear gloves before i started as my hand hit the newly cut edges many times at the end of the cut.

thanks, Sam

Reply to
Sam
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Sometimes I use a little trick when mine wanders on box cuts:

Partially cut one side. Rotate 180 degrees and partially cut again. Rotate 90 degrees and the two partial cuts help keep the final cut straight all the way through.

Reply to
Larry

You need to scribe a line where you intend to cut, then learn to steer the blade left/right to keep it on target as you make the cut.

Sniffer.

Reply to
sniffer

That's the way I do it.

And when cutting a largish piece of bar-stock or tubing, I "ringbark" a groove around the circumference and that acts as a guide for the blade to ensure a nice square cut.

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Reply to
Bruce Simpson

Get a pistol grip frame.

I really wonder about the muscle on push and pull. Bearing down on the blade on the backstroke seems like a good way to knock the edge off of the teeth. That's why I do not do it.

It sounds to me like you are using way more force than necessary on the saw. The blade should cut without a lot of pressure. In forcing the blade, you may be causing it to cut to one side by inadvertently twisting the frame. Your comment about hitting the work also tells me that you are pushing way too hard - hard enough that you do not have full control of the saw. Excessive force causes the teeth to overload, gall, and break. Additional force continues to compound the problem by trying to cut through the broken off tooth. Many years ago, machinist apprentices were given a length of railroad rail and one hacksaw blade. They had to cut through the rail using only the one blade before they could move on to the next level of training. Most of what I'm saying applies to bandsaws as well. A brand new blade with too much pressure will do exactly what you are seeing. Lighten up!

Jerry

Reply to
jerry rausch

I would only put muscle into the push stroke. The blade really isn't meant to cut in both directions. There ought to be at least two teeth contacting the work and if you get over about five the speed of cutting falls off a lot. Do not try to cut fast. Fifty or sixty strokes a minute is as fast as you want to cut. Faster than that will dull the blade.

With good tension on the blade you ought to be able to lean the saw to keep right on the line. If you can't then the blade probably has the teeth on one side dull.

Dan

Reply to
Dan Caster

Since you cross-posted this to the metal-working group, I happened to read it there first. I believe the quality of the answers here is better. However, I stand by the advice I gave there: Do yourself a favor and invest in a portable bandsaw. If you are building a boat trailer, you have a lot of cutting to do. The saw will last a lifetime.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

a sincere thank you to all of you. practised all the techniques mentioned and bought a good hacksaw. that bit on cutting oil vs lube oil was intesting too.

Now happily cutting away excellent fitting pieces.

thanks again, Sam

Reply to
Sam

Learn to use the hacksaw and the bandsaw will magically do a better job.

Jerry

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Reply to
jerry rausch

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