Is anybody else chewing up hacksaw blades?
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Since I have been doing a few projects that involve cutting steel (wooden spokeshave, cam clamps for example), I am just eating up hacksaw blades. Granted, I am cutting steel so I would assume the teeth would wear out, just not at the pace that I seem to be going through them. My last set of blades was a 4-pack of DeWalt metal-cutting blades that I thought would be a bit more durable/higher quality. That said, I have torn through them all to the point that trying to cut through a roll-pin on my cam clamps is like rubbing 2 smooth pieces of steel together and I’m almost completely unable to cut.
Does anyone have any blades (current ones are 12″/14tpi I think) that they recommend for cutting steel that last more than a day? Are there hacksaws with better “designs” that function better?
Thanks!
Mine last for years, but I only use them for small general DIY jobs and occasional copper plumbing.
You might have a batch that missed their hardening process. Maybe the Roll-pins are much harder than the blades. It would be worth hardening them yourself.
My new ones are LENOX 218HE 18 tpi HEAVY METAL (USA) Bi-metal, Shatter resistant, Extended life blades. I can’t vouch for them, I haven’t used them yet, but they look and feel substantial.
PM me if you wanna try one.Thanks. I’ll check out what the Amazon is selling…I got the DeWalts at Home Depot and would’ve assumed they’d be up to task. To be fair, the blades they are replacing are probably 20-25 years old (but they are brand new so I’m not sure why they would suck so much unless they’re a crappy brand and weren’t made for metal cutting). Still, that was 4 DeWalt blades that lasted all of 3 weeks…each one probably good for cutting 6-8″ of steel before becoming smooth/worn.
Even the cheap ones I get at ACE last quite a long time. A blade lasts a fair portion of a year, at least. I will typically cut at least a few hunks of (soft) O1 tool steel during that time. I find a high tension hacksaw frame to be preferable.
I ended up ordering a new hacksaw today–they’re cheap and the ones I’ve been using were handed down to me (and pretty low-end from what I can tell). No harm in a cheap upgrade. Heck, I’ve probably been giving my arm too much of a workout as well!
$13 for this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BRL59FW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If you are cutting true roll pins, I would imagine you are knocking the teeth off the blades.
Roll pins are typically hardened, probably close to that of a hacksaw blade.
Right. Roll pins are essentially springs. It might be worth investing in a carbide blade for jobs like this.
Dave
I know the roll pins are hard–I just followed Paul in making the clamps and didn’t necessarily think that they would destroy my blades because he didn’t mention anything like that. Plus, I’ve been making a couple of wooden spokeshaves and have had the same issues cutting regular unhardened tool steel.
My new saw arrived last night and I must say it was a pleasure to use! Nice rigid frame, rubber coated grip, a couple of little bonus features. Not bad for $14. Hopefully I’m in a better place with my hacksawing needs now. Thanks for all of your feedback!
Just in case you don’t know. Blades will last much longer when cutting metal if you make sure to raise the saw on the back stroke. The same with files.
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