greybeard
Well-known member
I have an older porter/cable 14" chop saw for cutting steel. Nothing wrong with the unit itself, but I've been having trouble with the wheels just stop cutting on certain things. Cuts fine on the vertical walls of 5"x 2" x 1/4" channel, but when it gets down to the flat surface, it soon just stops cutting. Same way with 3" X 4" x 1/4" square tubing. It will cut the top section ok, and on down thru the sidewalls, but soon after reaching the bottom, the cutting ceases. Plenty of travel left on the pivot.
The abrasive wheel is fine--I can put a different piece in and it will start cutting the vertical walls right away so I'm not doing anything to the blade itself. Blade is still spinning, but no cuttings being spit out (no sparks) and no matter how much pressure I put on the handle it won't cut any further.
It's almost as if I am putting too much or too little pressure and have changed the metal to a hardness beyond which the wheel can cut. (makes no difference which brand abrasive disc I use--Dewalt, Sait, Morton--all do the same thing.)
It has to be something I am doing---What's happening and what am I doing wrong?
The abrasive wheel is fine--I can put a different piece in and it will start cutting the vertical walls right away so I'm not doing anything to the blade itself. Blade is still spinning, but no cuttings being spit out (no sparks) and no matter how much pressure I put on the handle it won't cut any further.
It's almost as if I am putting too much or too little pressure and have changed the metal to a hardness beyond which the wheel can cut. (makes no difference which brand abrasive disc I use--Dewalt, Sait, Morton--all do the same thing.)
It has to be something I am doing---What's happening and what am I doing wrong?