Sawing cast iron bar into bricks

ichudov · Aug 17, 2016

I have some cast iron bars about 3x5 inches and 6 feet long, roughly.

Is that possible at all to cut them on a horizontal bandsaw?

I have a decent sized bandsaw but I am afraid whether cast iron may be abrasive to the blade.

I would need to make about 10 cuts.

The bars 3x5in by 6ft are slides from a huge G&L horizontal mill. I wanted to cut them into pieces that would fit flat rate boxes and sell them.

Sea Farmer · Aug 17, 2016

I've cut cast iron of unknown grade on my horizontal with no problems. Bimetal blade, can't recall the tooth count. I cut it dry.

Red James · Aug 17, 2016

You might try selling them at full length first . . . save you the sawing, and much more usable in longer pieces. The buyer can saw them if he wants, but if he needs an eighteen inch plate he's out of luck.

Danny VanVoorn · Aug 17, 2016

Are you sure they're cast iron? Only ask because a lot of machines are made with hardened steel slides bolted to the castings.
Dan

gwilson · Aug 17, 2016

Use as slow a speed as possible. Cut it dry as suggested. Cast iron is hard on cutting tools. The secret is very low cutting speed.

johnoder · Aug 17, 2016

The bars 3x5in by 6ft are slides from a huge G&L horizontal mill

Just as likely to be hardened tool steel - especially if they were bolted on. FILE TEST before trying to saw them

jhruska · Aug 17, 2016

Those slides look like they were used for the outboard table support. The top surface would have been chrome plated. The outrigger has a roller with wipers front and back to keep the chrome surface clean.
John

ewlsey · Aug 17, 2016

johnoder said:
Just as likely to be hardened tool steel - especially if they were bolted on. FILE TEST before trying to saw them

Never seen slides made from tool steel. That's way over kill.

Most likely they are cast iron and are induction or flame hardened and just have a .03 or so hard skin. They could also be steel like 4140 or even 1018 and case hardened. I doubt they would be through hardened.

ichudov · Aug 17, 2016

ewlsey said:
Never seen slides made from tool steel. That's way over kill.

Most likely they are cast iron and are induction or flame hardened and just have a .03 or so hard skin. They could also be steel like 4140 or even 1018 and case hardened. I doubt they would be through hardened.

This is cast iron, for sure, as a piece chipped off in one place as it would from cast iron.

Monarchist · Aug 17, 2016

ichudov said:
I have some cast iron bars about 3x5 inches and 6 feet long, roughly.

Is that possible at all to cut them on a horizontal bandsaw?

I have a decent sized bandsaw but I am afraid whether cast iron may be abrasive to the blade.

I would need to make about 10 cuts.

The bars 3x5in by 6ft are slides from a huge G&L horizontal mill. I wanted to cut them into pieces that would fit flat rate boxes and sell them.

Igor,

Don't be in a rush. Flat-rate isn't the only affordable way to ship.

PM coming.

Bill

johnoder · Aug 18, 2016

You may not want to call them slides, but Sidney (thumbnail), ATW and L&S all used bolt on tool steel lathe ways

On edit - add Lodge & Shipley thumbnail - this is late forties, just before they reverted to prismatic versions

On edit - add American Tool Works thumbnail. From extant examples, these seem to have first appeared about 1947

ewlsey said:
Never seen slides made from tool steel. That's way over kill.

Most likely they are cast iron and are induction or flame hardened and just have a .03 or so hard skin. They could also be steel like 4140 or even 1018 and case hardened. I doubt they would be through hardened.

stephen thomas · Aug 18, 2016

Like others said, do you have a price in mind for full length bars?

I imagine several of us could be interested in full length. Maybe "if not for shipping".

Perfect size for extended bed Hardinge TL lathe.....

smt

ichudov · Aug 18, 2016

Dimensions of the bars are approx. 86 x 5 x 2-3/4"

Price $300 each

Weight about 330 lbs

stephen thomas · Aug 18, 2016

I saw stuff like that on my shaper. 6 x 4 x 1/2" angle shown, have sawed CI bars, was using it last week to saw 17-4 stainless flats that were killing my 14" BS.

So how much for 5' or 6', shipping "to be determined"?

Or bring it all over, I'll saw it up for a 6' piece.

smt

ichudov · Aug 18, 2016

Dimensions of the bars are approx. 86 x 5 x 2-3/4"

Price $300 each

Weight about 330 lbs

I have good freight rates or free pick-up in Berkeley IL

CountryBoy19 · Aug 18, 2016

Red James said:
You might try selling them at full length first . . . save you the sawing, and much more usable in longer pieces. The buyer can saw them if he wants, but if he needs an eighteen inch plate he's out of luck.

There are flat rate boxes 23-1/2 inches long; creative taping of the flaps can fit a 24" length in there if it doesn't fill the whole cross-section. Of course, that won't help the guy that wants a 30 inch piece.

I could maybe be interested in an 18" piece if we determine this is quality, non-hardened cast iron (would like to make a straight edge).

ichudov · Aug 18, 2016

CountryBoy19 said:
There are flat rate boxes 23-1/2 inches long; creative taping of the flaps can fit a 24" length in there if it doesn't fill the whole cross-section. Of course, that won't help the guy that wants a 30 inch piece.

I could maybe be interested in an 18" piece if we determine this is quality, non-hardened cast iron (would like to make a straight edge).

anything over 17 would be too heavy for a flat rate box

Mcgyver · Aug 18, 2016

ichudov said:
I have a decent sized bandsaw but I am afraid whether cast iron may be abrasive to the blade.
.

well if they are cast iron, this idea of it being abrasive is overused. If its an actual sand casting, there maybe sand in the outer skin that is abrasive, or with durabar the scale might be abrasive but not much worse than hot rolled - certainly nothing to worry bandsawing. The big risk with cast to tooling is hitting a chill spot which are very hard and will wreck tooling almost right away. That's likely with window weights, dumbbells and other garbage, unlikely with durabar and quality made machine tool castings.

gwilson · Aug 18, 2016

I have found it impossible even with 11 RPM to take a truing cut across a 16" face plate with HSS tooling. Sand was not an issue. Carbide is necessary if you want to take the cut in one piece(which you do!) So,run your hacksaw slowly as possible.

Monarchist · Aug 18, 2016

gwilson said:
I have found it impossible even with 11 RPM to take a truing cut across a 16" face plate with HSS tooling. Sand was not an issue. Carbide is necessary if you want to take the cut in one piece(which you do!) So,run your hacksaw slowly as possible.

?? Check the tool for setting, shape, and sharpness, George.

CI is a b****y nuisance as to the mess it makes, but otherwise? Difficult to machine it is not.

Sixteen inches ain't no recycled sash weights, either. Just what WAS your source material on that run?

Industrial, not passenger-car, flywheel or brake rotor with overheat artifacts, perhaps?
"Special case" if so, not CI in general.

Bill

Sawing cast iron bar into bricks

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