Game changer

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of the trailers the local utilities use to haul telephone poles, I guess that’s what you are calling a pole trailer. Set it up to make it easy to chain down stuff with ratchets.

On the other hand, my main vendor tells me that when we get moved they will deliver full length material to us. We will be right off a main road they use to get to other customers so they will waive the minimum order fee. Right now we can’t get a 20’ piece into shop so it has to get cut anyway. In future we will be able to handle, saw, and otherwise process material much more easily.

Still gonna need a trailer for when I buy from other vendors.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
depending on the amount of material you need you can build a smaller half rack set up for your pick-up.
they drop into the slots on the bed of the truck and C-Clamp on the front of the bed and tail gate and the third piece drops into a piece of square tubing on the front bumper.
this is usually big enough to carry like 8-10 pieces of 2" pipe with no grief and can be taken off and stored in the bed of the truck or whatever.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of the trailers the local utilities use to haul telephone poles, I guess that’s what you are calling a pole trailer. Set it up to make it easy to chain down stuff with ratchets.

.

Exactly, a smaller version of what utility co's use. Alternative is something some of the commercial plumbing outfits use up here. You have a glorified ladder rack on a pickup with a extendable "U" shaped rig that come out the back. Then off a receiver hitch on the front you have another "U" shaped rig that secures the front of the load. Again, flag the load regardless of height and away you go!
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
I too think that for most of what Brad is likely to be cutting a chop saw would be the way to go. Far faster and less expensive too.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
There are a couple different bandsaws out there, designs I mean. The hand held portable jobs I've never even used. Never saw why anyone would even try one myself. Must be they work cuz the have a loyal following. The older style reciprocating type I still see locally. I've never used one but I've watched a lot run and they do work. The endless blade type is what I've got. Mine came from Tractor Supply and has cut a lot of metal. But it doesn't cut straight at all and if there are any "hard spots" in the stock they'll cut to either side no matter how tight the blade is. A better quality machine would do better no doubt, but the TSC/Harbor Freight type can be had for under $200.00 on sale. Mines been great for cutting using the supplied table, so it's set up like a vertical wood band saw. Just the ticket for hogging off excess for odd shaped objects.
 

Ian

Notorious member
The abrasive chop saw will cut dang near any steel as long as you don't glaze the cutting edge, but is useless for aluminum or brass.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
you can change the blade on them and cut wood and all kinds of stuff though.

I have an electric powered porta-band that has been used pretty hard over the years.
it excels in soft iron and has cut a couple of miles 3-8" of pipe.
if you have what you want to cut up in the air and held in a vice straight it does a good job, if your holding stuff on the ground and resting it on your foot it's gonna cut crooked.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
You can get chop saw blades to cut just about anything. The abrasive wheels not for aluminum.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
Brad would be well served by a chop saw. Harbor freight sells a cheap one plus they have 20%off coupons now.

I could make him a stand with a spark guard like mine if he got one. Have an old craftsman bandsaw, and an antique electric hacksaw. I go straight to the chop saw most times. Mine cuts aluminum fine, never tried brass. Steel is butter to it.
 

Ian

Notorious member
+1 on spark guards. I mounted mine on an old bathroom-height base cabinet with plywood top covered in 16-gauge steel, and plated the wall behind it with enameled sheet metal panels cut from old appliances. I also built a special shop just for cutting/welding/grinding stuff so that it's all quarantined from the stuff I don't want covered in metal/abrasive dust.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
rps20181119_181223.jpg
That's the old Milwaukee. Bought that at a swap meet when I was about 13-14yrs old. The bearings make a little noise now but she still works great. The guard shoots 90% of the sparks down in the coffee can.

I figured if Brad had one on a rolling stand it would be very convenient. Roll outside, make cuts, roll back in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ian

Ian

Notorious member
Oh yeah, that would be great for him to just roll it outside to use. I still drag mine out and set it on wood blocks when working with really long stuff, and of course it dusts everything for half s mile due to no cool guard system like you made.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
If I need big stuff cut down I can just to see FB.
A bandsaw is best for my needs, upright by choice. I want to be able to cut shapes from flat stock and such.
 
F

freebullet

Guest
Thanks guys, I was proud of it as a teen. I'd make it a little different today, hindsight...

Brad, I'm not saying you couldn't do it safely. I will say metal cutting bandsaws are best left to pros & young fellers working under someone's workmans comp policy. They are wickedly unforgiving & dangerous. One tool to really think about if you need one & if your in a good place(physically, attention, & awareness) to run it every time. It's a different kind of got ya.
 

Ian

Notorious member
You could say the same thing about lathes, mills, and chainsaws. Clear yer head and engage brain fully before hitting the power switch, and be 100% prepared at all times for it to explode. It took 32 stitches to put a little over one square inch of my index finger back together after just grazing a 7/16" spiral flute end mill. Bit sucked my finger right under and spit it out, luckily the mill was about half an inch above the work or I would now only be able to count to nine. That was a case of tunnel vision and mental fatigue from hours of focusing on one thing and not taking a break.