Reciprocating saw blade choices

14 years ago

Blade length - is it preferable to use the shortest blade necessary for the job when using a reciprocating saw?

I have a metal - maybe iron or steel, I don't know - piece of fence or gating that I need to cut up. A tree that I want to save has partially grown into it. I have to cut the fence into pieces in order to extract it.

I'm looking at buying Tungsten Carbide Sawzall Blades. They come in 6 and 9 inch lengths. The 6 inch should be enough since the area is exposed - or is there some other factor involved. Or what about a Diamond Grit Torch Sawzall Blade? Would that make it easier for me?

Here's what I am dealing with:

Here is a link that might be useful: 6 inch diamond grit torch sawzall blade

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

manhattan42
14 years ago
I would use a $5 metal cutting abrasive blade on a circular saw.

It will cut faster.
0
graywings123
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks, but I don't have a circular saw. I have the recip saw, an old jig saw and a dremel tool.
0
Related Discussions
Reciprocating saw blade flexible?
Q
Comments (4)
When you push up on that tab it open a slot that the blade fits into. Inside that opening there should be a very short pin that the blade fits on. My experience is that if I don't get the blade seated properly, it will come out of the seating pocket when I start sawing. So, I normally pull and twist on the blade to make sure it is seated properly. As far as flexible, the shorter blades are rather rigid. I have some 16 inch blades that will bend a bit. What it sounds like is that you have a bit of play in the shaft that drives the blade. I wouldn't worry about it as long as it cuts what you want cut. Bob Central Arizona
...See More
Reciprocating Saw Blades
Q
Comments (13)
Internal stressing is more prevelant on 4x's,6x's, 8x's,etc because your larger dimensional lumbers are taken from the inner part of the log as a rule. The closer to the center, the closer the grain, but depending on the cut of the log, you get cross graining on the larger dimensionals. Depending on your area, pressure treated lumber is typically kiln dried doug fir or southern yellow pine treated. I dont know that you will experience internal stressing with those species and i've never experienced it with redwood, but this is all concerning the use of 2x's. I have experienced it with pressure treated 4x6 doug fir, which is the species used out here in the west. Your idea of scribing each individual joist would be more sound than shimming, but very time consuming. Again, i would use string lines and in the case of scribing, run them an inch or so higher consistent all around , as reference points. Temporarily shim the joists to the line, then make your scribes consistent to the string lines each joist.
...See More
Saw blade for Laminate Flooring
Q
Comments (5)
"Whats the most agressive steel blade I should use w/o getting a lot of chipping?" Agressive and no chipout demand differnet tooth angles. What diameter is the blade? For a 10 inch blade 80 teeth is about the limit for a smooth carbide cuttoff blade. About $60.
...See More
Reciprocating Saw for cutting placed plywood?
Q
Comments (5)
Hello Mat,welcome to houzz and we hope to see you again after your project is complete. It is helpful to know if our advice was good,bad or caused more problems than solved. First off,recip saws are only one in a diy handyman's arsenal of saws and imo least suitable for what you are doing. If dam is nailed to side of joist/truss,a much safer choice would be a Wonder Bar,aka flat bar and pry bar. Place bar at crack between dam and joist,tap hard with hammer while wiggling bar until bar is 1" into crack then pry hard on bar. Work your way back and forth along crack until dam is seperating from joist. At that point push on top of dam with one hand as you continue prying with other hand. That should remove the section of dam. Remember,tell us how it worked. If you mashed a finger or poked an eye out we won't give that same advice again.
...See More
Related Professionals
Emeryville Kitchen & Bathroom Remodelers · Decatur General Contractors · Mountain View General Contractors · Perrysburg General Contractors · Pinewood General Contractors · Redding General Contractors · Fairfield Painters · Caldwell Painters · Coventry Painters · Helena Painters · Lewisville Painters · Melrose Park Painters · North Potomac Painters · Roseville Painters · Paramount Painters
sombreuil_mongrel
14 years ago
Hi,
I'd use a metal cutting blade, bi-metallic, no longer than 6". Use a very slow speed on a variable speed sawzall. A short-stroke saw is best, like the classic milwaukee. At a slow speed it will cut like butter. At high speed you will burn up blades as fast as you can change them. Wrought iron work is made from mild steel. IOW very soft and malleable (for steel, anyway).
Casey
0
mike_kaiser_gw
14 years ago
"Wrought" iron is actually mild (soft) steel and pretty easy to cut. Any old metal cutting blade will work just fine, although a bi-metal blade will last longer. Buy a couple.
0
brickeyee
14 years ago
The issue wot cutting metal is having enough blade teeth in contact with the material being cut to avoid breaking off the teeth.

The lower limit is three teeth in contact with the metal being cut, so choose a high enough tooth count blade to achieve this.

Slow speed and solid blade contact are also needed.
Starting the cut is a little harder in metal.
The contact area can be small resulting in the blade slipping on the material and losing teeth until a decent kerf is established.
Using a triangular file to start the kerf works well.
A few quick strokes with the file and the saw blade can settle in and get to work.

A circular saw would not work well for this job.
You need to be able to get close to the tree without tearing it up.

This job should not need a carbide grit blade.
Just buy a 5 or 10 pack of blades and go to town.
The blades need to be long enough to cut close to the tree without the saw shoe and body hitting it and damaging the bark.

If you start with a file kerf a longer blade length is not nearly as important and can make the job easier.
0
randy427
14 years ago
Not to be to retro, but this job wouldn't take long with a hacksaw and a good blade or two. You might want to have one at hand even if you use the recip.
0
graywings123
Original Author
14 years ago
Well, I wish you were nearby with your hacksaw and blade. My Sawzall and 6 inch Diamond Grit Castiron blade took forever to get through the first three pieces. I'm going to be at this all summer, I fear.
0
brickeyee
14 years ago
Grit blades are not known for speed.

They are usually used only when the material is so hard a regular blade cannot cut at all, and at that point the grit works well.

On softer materials grit blades are very slow since they spend a lot of time smearing the material back and forth before it breaks off.

Soft but 'gummy' material can even rip the grit off the blade in short order (like a concrete diamond blade hitting rebar).

Soft steel just needs the correct tooth count bi-metal blade.
0
graywings123
Original Author
14 years ago
You guys were right. The bi-metal blades worked much better and faster. Thanks!
0

Reciprocating saw blade choices

Comments (9)

manhattan42

graywings123
Original Author

Related Discussions

Related Professionals

sombreuil_mongrel

mike_kaiser_gw

brickeyee

randy427

graywings123
Original Author

brickeyee

graywings123
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Reciprocating saw blade choices

Comments (9)

manhattan42

graywings123Original Author

Related Discussions

Related Professionals

sombreuil_mongrel

mike_kaiser_gw

brickeyee

randy427

graywings123Original Author

brickeyee

graywings123Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

graywings123
Original Author

graywings123
Original Author

graywings123
Original Author