Using a radial arm saw for metal cutting?

A radial saw to cut metal is something you do only if you have no alternative... but sometimes you have no alternative. When I was doing it I didn't have a metal cutting bandsaw or even a mill, it was either the RAS or a sawzall and a file. Even for woodworking the RAS gets a bad rap (undeserved, I think). You just gotta be very careful, and work within its limitations. But (for woodworking) it's still one of the most used tools in my shop, for the kinds of work I do there's nothing that works as well.
 
Yes you can cut metal just fine with a radial arm saw. As I read through the responses to date , it seems I am the ~5% voice against the tide.

In certain LIMITED applications a RAS makes a very good metal cutting tool. I'll still agree with all the comments above that you still need a metal cutting saw for the majority of metal cut off operations that you will encounter in a machine shop. There are LIMITED applications where an RAS (or smaller counterpart - such as a sliding compound miter saw) are very good metal cutting tools. The general application is thin profiled metal. For years Wolfe Machinery bought up the old heavy duty DeWalt RAS tools and refitted them specifically for cutting profiled panels (i.e. roofing, building cladding) - obviously it is not using a conventional wood working blade. Another example is cutting aluminum soffit material - I have probably cut thousands of pieces of soffit material with a SCMS - with a conventional woodworking blade (blade on backwards) and it works very well. It is not a scary task at all. I can't take credit for that idea - it is a common method of cutting thin aluminum.

Jake, I don't know if that answers your question - yes you can cut certain metal products on a RAS. I'm in agreement with the other replies - you still need a proper cut off saw.
 
Jake, I don't know if that answers your question - yes you can cut certain metal products on a RAS. I'm in agreement with the other replies - you still need a proper cut off saw.

I think it does. I will need to look into a metal cutting band saw because the metal I normally would need cut is thick. Right now I could use a piece of aluminum cut down to size and it measures 10"x10"x1". One of the sides needs to be cut down to around 7.5" .

Unfortunately in my area I have a hard time finding any good deals on used equipment. I am better off buying the band saw new and that means I would need to pony up around 1K to make the purchase. So, now it just boils down to how often I think I would use that saw for the money I spent on it. My metal supply usually gives fair rates on my aluminum in precut configuration, but sometimes they have good deals on drop which is where the band saw would come in. I would buy the drop for a better price and then cut it to my liking back at the shop.

I guess one way to think about it is that once I buy one of those saws, then I always have it on hand and my convenience goes up. And I do like convenience. I remember spending around $300 for a full 115pc screw machine drill bit set and at first I thought I had lost my mind paying that amount for some drill bits, but then I saw how quickly I could just walk over to my set and pick out the exact bit I needed for a job and be done with it V.S. having to hop in the car and go to the hardware store. It would appear that peace of mind has a value all its own.
 
I have cut a little aluminum with an RAS. It's nerve wracking, loud and dangerous. The RPMs are way too high for cutting steel, even with carbide. Look at dry cut saws, which are intended for cutting metal.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200641810_200641810

They only turn about 1400 rpm. Depending on your needs, a dry cut might serve you better than a bandsaw.
 
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I definitely would not recommend it. I tried a non-ferrous carbide blade on a 10 miter saw. It worked a few times. Then, when attempting to cut a section off a 2.5" aluminum rod, it grabbed and broke the miter saw in half. It sounded like an exploding bell and scared the crap out of me.

The problem as I diagnosed it was run out and side to side oscillation, and a even a cheap miter saw has way less than an expensive radial arm saw.

I have a good solid Powermatic table saw with almost no blade run out. I use a heavy duty slider with t-slots and clamp downs and the non-ferrous carbide blade cuts aluminum mirror smooth. I make sure as much of me as I can manage is off-line of the blade. I do that with wood, too. If I need to look closely at the cut, I do it from the side, never in line with the blade.
 
I think radial arm saws are the bee's knees for cutting extruded aluminum using a sensible wood cutting blade. I have no other use for mine, since I don't do wood work, and somehow it's still a fixture in my shop even after moving it a dozen or more times over the last 25 years. It's a machine with decent work holding, sharp cutting edges, and a controllable feed rate. I don't think there is any problem with using this tool for alloy. If I'm building things with lots of bevels, miters, or simply need a clean, square cut, it works a treat.
 
Why screw around tempting fate? Like someone said before, sell the RAS and put the proceeds toward a metal cutting bandsaw. Consider for instance a used portaband and then mount it on a home made stand. There are a lot of youtubes showing how to do this. Or if your budget allows purchase a nice heavy duty table made just for portabands from SWAG. These are a bit pricey...$125 or so, but its the route I went because I just wasn't inclined or inspired enough to build one of my own.
 
I still have and use a 7 1/4" worm drive skill saw that I converted to a chop saw with friction disks.. I mostly use it for cutting hss tool blanks but I have cut up to 1 1/4" key stock and square tubing.
 
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