I have built a few of these saws to easily cut blanks or any of many different materials very easily.
I began with an inexpensive 8 inch miter saw. Locked the saw to cut at only 90 degrees. Added a channel steel base and aluminum backing stop to allow usage of the cutting wheel as it is worn away.
Then, a very thin, high quality machinest cutting wheel with its standard 5/8th center is added to the saw.

This saw is a very useful tool around the rod building shop, as well as the general work shop to cut everything from blanks, arbors, cork handles, eva, steel, plastic, aluminum, etc. etc. etc.
I really haven't found any material that the cut off wheel won't cut through in a fairly timely fashion.

The only catch, with this saw is that the abrasive very thin cut off wheels are relatively expensive.

[www.grainger.com]

The upside, is that if you are only going to be cutting blanks, you will be able to cut hundreds of blanks before wearing down the wheel.
If, however, you are cutting solid steel bars - which it will easily do - then you will go through cut off wheels more quickly.

A picture is loaded into the equipment section of this site:

[www.rodbuilding.org]


Build one up, you might like it.
Take care
Roger

Now THAT is a good idea. I doubt I would use one for blanks but for other stuff around the workshop it would be a difinite goer.

Thanks Roger!

Jason,
P.S.
Here is an on line source for an inexpensive miter saw if you can't find one locally.
I have not used this source. It is just one that I found by doing some searching, so I can't speak for this source one way or another.

[www.homier.com]

Take care
Roger

What size blanks are you cutting? Man I cut my blanks when I need to with a dremel

Rolly Beenen
Rovic Custom Rods

I got one of harbor fright mini chop saws and put a fine tooth saw blade on it and I have cut everything from fiberglass to hyplon all with a very smooth cut, all for about 29 bucks.

Actually, the saw is used for virtually everything in the work shop to cut and trip.
I use it all the time when I am making parts for a power wrapper - shearing off 1/4 inch thick aluminum or 1/2 inch steel.
The saw will also work very well for blanks, but it works very well for many of those applications where a person wants something cut or chopped and simply doesn't have the time or energy to use a hack saw, dremel, or smaller saw.

I also use one of the small harbor freight mini chop saws and I put on a 3 inch abrasive wheel to cut material.
I wasn't happy with the cutting speed of this saw and I found a 10,000 rpm motor in my junk box and swapped out the original 5,000 rpm motor with the 10,000 rpm motor.
Since I don't need the 10,000 rpm motor for some of my cutting, I added a speed control (ac lamp dimmer) in series with the saw. This allows me to slow the motor from 10,000 on down to 0 if necessary.
I also ground off the base plate of this motor to remove all of the angle markings to make a smooth deck. Then, I installed a 1/4X1/4 aluminum angle to use as a work stop behind the wheel.
I use this small saw for much of my routine blank cutting and nearly all of my arbor cutting, since it is so small and compact.

Lots of different ways to get the job done.

Take care
Roger

Roger
I need to look through your "junkbox" - LOL. I too use the harbor freight mini cut off / chop saw with the 3" abrasive wheel for blank trimming - much faster and neater than a hack saw, dremel or triangular file.

Dremel, diamond cut off wheel, fast, easy and clean.

DR

Roger, not to change subjects or hijact this thread but your ref( "I added a speed control (ac lamp dimmer) in series with the saw.) i wonder if that would work with my singer sewing machine motor i am building for my wrapper, does it get the motor hot or it's self?

Roger, not to change subjects or hijact this thread but your ref( "I added a speed control (ac lamp dimmer) in series with the saw.) i wonder if that would work with my singer sewing machine motor i am building for my wrapper, does it get the motor hot or it's self?

I just use a wet diamond coated file. The water on the file holds on to the carbon fiber when cutting so it doesn't get in the air.

Does your rig produce any shards of carbon fiber that can become embedded in the eyes? Or does it just turn the carbon fiber into powder?

I would like to be able to cut quicker and a bit straighter.

Thanks,
Mo

Go slow with the abrasive wheel and all you get is powder. That's why I changed from the fine tooth blade that comes with it.

Ditto Terry's question. I'm working on the same thing.

jeremy

Terry and Jeremy, yes a light dimmer can be used to control the speed for a universal motor, AKA ac/dc motor or sewing machine motor.

Most important thing is to do as much speed reducing with your pulley setup and as little as possible with your foot peddle or dimmer. It has to do with back EMF and such.

I am going to try the Homier saw for the price i can cut wooden blocks if nothibg else.
Paul

Paul@soonercustomrod.com

i really dont want to hijack the thread again and i saw no way to do a pm to you but what would you suggest as a ratio on the pulley's?
and thanks for the info Russell..

Terry,
For a power wrapper, figure that the typical sewing machine motor turns up to about 5000 rpm.
Now, lets say that you want your maximum wrapping speed at about 500.
This would mean that you have a ratio of 10:1. Pretty easy to achieve with a double set of pulleys. Tougher to achieve with a single set of pulleys.

I have tried a lot of different maximum speeds and a top speed of about 300 to about 1000 are about the minimum maximum top speeds that work for me.

The advantage of having a top speed of 300 rpm, is that you have super slow speed control and starting torque.
When you go to a top speed of 1000 rpm, it is a bit tougher to get really good slow speed control, necessary for intricate wraps, but the extra speed of a 1000 rpm top speed is about perfect when making long butt wraps on big rods.

That is why I have built up three different motor setups for my wrapper. One with a top speed of 300 rpm.
One with a top speed of 500 rpm. and one with a top speed of 1000 rpm.

For my wrapper motors, I use 24 volt DC gear motors. I then use cogged belts and 1:1 pulleys on both the motor and head stock. I have quick disconnects on the motors so depending on the rods and wraps going on, I will swap motor setups.
To vary the speed of the wrapper, I simply use a 0-30 volt DC power supply that is foot pedal controlled. i.e. 0 volts = no rotation. 24 volts = top motor speed.
The nice thing about using a DC gear motor is that all of the speed reduction is done be a set of small gears that are built into the end of the motor. Most of these motors have a top speed at rated voltage of 10,000 rpm.

Take care
Roger