What is a chop saw?

A chop saw is also a power tool which is generally used for cutting mostly metals and woods also. You can call a chop saw as the brother of the miter saw. It is similar to both circular saw and miter saw in appearance and use. But it is not the same as them. Then, what is a chop saw? Its structure and working procedure are not as similar to its appearance with them. Chop saws are mainly used for making straight precise cuts on the workpiece. They are faster to use than a circular saw.

When angle or miter and bevel cutting feature is used in them, then they become miter saw. Their work is completely different from the circular saws. These are stationary saws. It means that they cannot move. But a circular saw can be moved from one place to another. It is very light. It can be carried by your hands. But you cannot carry a miter saw or a chop saw like it. So now there is no way you are going to get confused between the chop saws and circular saws.

Now, I think you want to know what the difference between a chop saw is and a miter saw. Which saw is used for which purpose? Well, a chop saw is a power tool for making accurate cuts on straight lines on mainly metals. It is a bit less versatile than miter saws. Because they are mostly used in building sites, workshops, factories and industries, production shops, etc. On the other hand, although a miter saw can also be used in workshops and other places, they can take less pressure than a chop saw. The chop saw is kind of bold and strong than a miter saw.

Miter saws are designed for general woodworking and DIY works. They are special because only they have the feature making beveled and mitered cuts on the workpiece. These types of verities cuts are required on woods for making crown moldings or angles at different degrees. Some of the types of miter saws have metal cutting features. But not all of them have this same facility. Miter saws mostly make cuts on light substances like woods and plastics and things like them. You can cut metal only with specific miter saws and blades which are designed for metal works.

Make cuts with a chop saw

Making cuts with a chop saw is very easy. You need not do any calculations like you have to do in a miter saw. You have to prepare your workpiece first. Place it on the cutting board after taking all the necessary preparations. The blade of your chop saw only goes upward and downward. And as I have mentioned earlier, they make very precise straight forward cuts. So they are simple to use.

Chop saws are very good at cutting steels and metals. If you need to cut a lot of hard materials like metals and steel or rod or any other ferrous substances at straight lines, a chop saw is the best choice for you here. You will not be able to these materials with a miter saw.

The size of the blade of a chop saw allows the worker to cut in several thicknesses. They have circular abrasive disc cutting blades. They are very powerful blades. They do not have teeth like typical blades. They make cuts while spinning and grinding through the cutting material. They can cut materials like tough metals, ceramics, tiles, concretes, etc.

Another type of special blade has come to the market recently. They are called cold cut blade. They are dominating the recent market and making a lot of profit. These blades are made from tungsten at their tip. The specialty of these blades is that after cutting with these blades, the surface does not get hot. Instead, they remain cold and the friction between the blade and the metal does not produce any sparks or in a very negligible amount. All the other blades which are available in the market produce a lot of sparks and make the workpiece very hot. If you use this cold cutting blade then you can even touch the cutting surface immediately right after cutting. Isn’t that an amazing tool for working!

Apart from their usefulness, there is a small limitation in using a cold cutting blade. These cold cutting blades can cut in low rpm (revolutions per minute). You cannot use them in a high rpm chop saw.

If you still have the question about whether or not you can cut metals with a miter saw and wood with a chop saw, the answer is YES! I have already told you all about miter saws and cutting metals with them. Here, I will only talk about chop saws.

Yes, you can cut woods and plastics with a chop saw. I stated earlier that a chop saw is a far more powerful saw then a miter saw. So you can cut a lot of woods with the chop saws even better than the miter saws. But, you should not. Because, if you use a chop saw for cutting wood, it will reduce the cutting ability of the saw and the saw blade quickly. Chop saw is specially designed for metal works and other heavy cutting works and miter saw is specially designed for wood cutting or plastic or other softer materials other than metals. So, I think I made my point completely clear to you about the use of these saws on their specific individual fields.