Seems like most the cold cut saws all list their max capacity for walled tubing and angle. What would be the best option for cutting steel up to around 2" solid round and square? I have a bandsaw, its just a little slow, maybe just need a bigger bandsaw?

I have cut that size stock in one of the cheap 64 1/2" band saws,,,yep it is slow,,real slow,,i found other things to do near the saw while it cut. Good to keep and eye on the cheap saws. A scrap metal place I visit has a hot saw about 40" in diameter i guess with a long handle on it. they whack large stock with an employee putting a lot of weight on the handle. Another shop where I get tool steel has a large bandsaw and overhead cranes, they cut steel up to about ten inches in diameter with it. Have never seen any mild steel in the shop. have not stayed there long enough to see how long it takes for the thick cuts.

More thoughts: If you do only a few pieces this size just pay your supplier to cut to size.

There are horizontal bandsaws that would work well on what you want to do, Look on craigslist or even harbor frieght...better to find a used one unless you have an active shop and can afford a better model like a grizzly

OA can cut 2" and larger!

I'd use my large hot cut top tool. A RR cut devil ought to do it... not much more mass there than in RR rail. Usually when I forge such large stock I draw it down and then cut what I need off. Any power hammer with a nipper should do it in a single heat (maybe even in one bite).

Thanks for the replies. Looks like a bigger bandsaw is going to be what ill look for, the steel supplier I go to uses a few large ones.

OA is a little too messy for what i want.

Power hammer with nipper might be an option, I would be using a hydraulic press though, so id just make the nippers for it.

Ive melted bars in half easy with the induction forge, going to play with calibrating one with a super thin coil to cut some different sizes.

What tpi blade are you running? That will make the difference in the time it takes to cut. As long as it clears the throat on your saw your saw is big enough. A 4 tpi blade should cut it in less than a minute.

Im just using a 4x6 bandsaw now, 18 raker blades. Im right by the grizzly showroom and have been looking at their larger ones, the G0561.

If i can find a good deal on a used one that fits what I need when I really start looking that would be fine.

I dont cut too much right now but early next year I'll be needing a better cutting system.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=aTyh47ft3u4&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DaTyh47ft3u4

curved hot-cut with a striker and a curved top cut! 1-heat job!

Those little bandsaws work just fine if you keep sharp blades in them and set up the rollers so the cut is square. Get a quality grade such as Starrett, Lenox or Morse and use black sulfurized cutting oil in a flood then turn up the feed rate. They'll breeze right thru if properly tuned.

A bigger bandsaw only cuts larger stock - it doesn't cut markedly faster than a small one.

Keep an eye out for a used bandsaw. I found a used German built saw that will cut about 12x16 for $500 on Craigslist. Watching for used saws on Kijiji or Craigslist will get you a far better saw than a grizzly saw and probably cheaper. I recently bought a Morse cut devil chop saw which uses a carbide blade to cut. I bought it for cutting pieces that are tricky to hold in the bandsaw and stuff less than 3/4 but it did cut through an 1.75 inch bar the other day fairly quickly.

An 18 tooth blade is really only good for cutting light tube. like less than 1/4" thick. It's not the proper blade for solid stock. You should only have 3-4 teeth in the material at a time or the chips will load and it wont cut. I would at least try an 6 or 8 tooth blade before giving up on that saw.

Thanks for the tip, I will look for the proper blades for the larger stuff. I had a been cutting a lot of 1/2" and smaller so I just had more of the 18 tooth blades.

I used one of thoes small saws for years. The right blade will help, but the other issue is that they are not that rigid, and low power to start with. Putting a large 4tpi blade on it will probably end up with the blade skipping ,and bouncing unless you weigh down the head. We had weights we would either set on the head, or hang off the tensioner to get it to stop bouncing.

I have used a PortaBand with a new blad on thicker stock with good results.

We have a DoAll 916 at work, and I cut through a forklift tine in 45 seconds. A bigger saw with more horsepower, rigidity, weight, and proper blade does make a difference.

Daniel: The rule of thumb for band saw blades/stock is "3 teeth on the work." It's not likely you're going to find a 1 1/2 TPI bandsaw blade unless you have an industrial saw. If you're doing a lot in this size stock buy the coarsest blade available and be patient.

From some of your advise in other threads I get the feeling you're pretty new to the craft. IDing an anvil as a PW or Trenton then saying it had a cast body being a fundamental error and a case in point. Nothing wrong with being new to a craft but it's better to keep your own council and sponge all the info you can.

Frosty the Lucky.

Thanks for the info.

Ya Im pretty new to this still, only really started learning in January this year, I thought those anvils had a cast body with steel face plate welded to the top, oh well, more learning for me.

I have one of the small band saws I set it up and let it run while I am doing other things. with 2" solid stock you should be using a blade with less teeth like a 10.

I used a 4x6 band saw and deep throat Milwaukee port-o-band for years with various tooth blades. worked well.
For harder or hotter things I used a Milwaukee chop saw. I have burned through two of those (gear teeth shear off near the motor).

I bought a used Everett chop saw..10" wheels with 3Hp motor...I liked it very much other than the cost of the 10" wheels.
Now I have a 5hp Kalamazoo chop saw and it uses 14" wheels..when they get small I put them on the 10" Everett so no more issues there.
I upgraded the bandsaw to a model 1600 Ellis band saw. I like it for horizontal and angle cuts, but not for vertical.

If you have a lot of 2" to cut I suggest a used belt driven chop saw...like the Kalamazoo or Everett.
I like the option of the abrasive should the bar I buy be harder than it should (I have sheared teeth off of the band saw blades on occasion by using mystery metal found at the local yards).

A press would work as well, but leave a bad end...or not as good as a saw.

Ric

I had a large bandsaw for years. I think the blade was a 96". Worst part was cutting at an angle. Reach underneath, lose nut, bang on vise, reach underneath, tight nut, do a test cut and of course it was off so start all over again. I was turned onto a Grizzly rotating head band saw. The head moves instead of the vise.



Once it's calabrated in it takes seconds to loosen the lock, turn the head and cut right on the money. It was only $600.00 including shipping. Paid for itself with the first mitred corners job I had. It's only a 52" blade and cuts through in half the time of my old saw. Oh, and I cut 2-1/2" wrought iron and mild steel with it often. Takes about 5 minutes with a well used blade.

I love it!

I have a 15 year old Makita chop saw. the dust is hard on me and the plasma and mig BUT, it cuts what i want. Top cutter and bottom hardy (with a striker) works well too for the bigger stuff.

That was the 4x6 saw I mentioned in my posting.
The Ellis is a better saw for the same work...got mine used for $500.

I agree with Randy...the above is a good saw for the money.
I still think a good chop saw with 3HP or larger motor is a handy tool for what the band saws can not cut.

Both the modern blacksmith and modern fab shop makes a lot of pieces and a lot of holes.
Ric

What Ten and Richard said; 14" abrasive chop saw. They're noisy and throw sparks but no where near as messy an O/A torch and compared to a bad saw, FAST. I got my McColough (sp?) on sale for less than $100 (albeit 10 years or so ago) 3 cons to consider however, are heat; the material gets hot quickly, very sharp burs that need to be removed immediately, and the 1/8 kerf lost on each cut.

I'd really like to hear more about cutting the stock with the induction coil, that's new to me and sounds like capital fun.