Good tool for cutting lighting track?

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PetrosA

PetrosA

Senior Member
Location
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I've used a hack saw and a sawzall for small jobs in the past, but I'm curious what might work better for cutting metal track on a higher end job that I want to look really good. Any thoughts from your experience? I'd like to be able to cut it nice and square with a minimum of burring and without deforming the track itself.
 
Sawzall with a new fine tooth blade running at high speed. Then file the ends.
 
Thanks for the input. I also talked to a local aluminum fabricator here in Lancaster for advice and they recommended a trim blade in a miter box. He took me back to the shop and gave me a demonstration. The cut was good, even on a relatively thin aluminum profile, but man, what a racket! I'd definitely need ear protection for myself and every other person on the jobsite.

What I'm leaning towards is a horizontal band saw. Basically, it's a portable band saw mounted on a swivel arm on a base with a clamp which will take the responsibility for keeping the saw squared off of me. Idiot proof, just the way I like it ;)

Of course, there are models available for as low as $300 and ones as high as $1000, and the $1000 model is tempting, but I can't see it making economic sense for my needs. Plus, $700 is a decent amount of cash to put toward home repairs, vacation or test equipment ;)
 
If it's aluminum track, a standard chop saw with a fine tooth carbide blade will do nicely. If it's sharp, and you go slow, there should be almost no burr. Just don't try cutting steel track that way. :happysad:

Dewalt has, and Milwaukee had, a tool they call a Multicutter. It's a 14" chop saw with a carbide blade that's designed for cutting steel - cleanly. I use mine for cutting DIN rail and I don't have to do any deburring at all. Steel track should be easy with a fine tooth blade.

With either saw, just cut slowly and gingerly, as the saw can grab the material and bend/destroy/throw it across the room pretty quickly.

And yes - ear and eye protection are mandatory for cutting this stuff. ;)



SceneryDriver
 
PetrosA said:
Thanks for the input. I also talked to a local aluminum fabricator here in Lancaster for advice and they recommended a trim blade in a miter box. He took me back to the shop and gave me a demonstration. The cut was good, even on a relatively thin aluminum profile, but man, what a racket! I'd definitely need ear protection for myself and every other person on the jobsite.

What I'm leaning towards is a horizontal band saw. Basically, it's a portable band saw mounted on a swivel arm on a base with a clamp which will take the responsibility for keeping the saw squared off of me. Idiot proof, just the way I like it ;)

Of course, there are models available for as low as $300 and ones as high as $1000, and the $1000 model is tempting, but I can't see it making economic sense for my needs. Plus, $700 is a decent amount of cash to put toward home repairs, vacation or test equipment ;)
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How much track do you cut? Or do you just want an excuse to buy a new tool?:)

As far as horizontal band saws if keeping the cut square is important think twice about going cheap. All of them will do a good job keeping it straight in one direction but many will not in the other direction. Look at the guide rollers that twist the blade into the vertical position, make sure they are stout and easily adjustable. In a past life I did a lot of metal fab and a horizontal band saw is handy.

For some reason I am having trouble with posting a direct link but Google the following word string for more info.

horizontal band saw not cutting straight
 
I have a tool where the track slides in and is clamped. You take a hacksaw and cut where the guide is located. I cannot find a picture of one but I'll see if I can get a snapshoy of mine later today.

It is similar to a very small miter box but the cut is square.
 
One of my top two or three tools that aren't mandatory, but make life so much easier is a metal cutting mitre saw like this. It will cut through a 4" GRC conduit in about 4 seconds and when you are done there is no burned metal, and a simple plumber's deburring tools will remove the edge. It cuts gutter or 4000 Wiremold perfectly with no burning of the paint so you don't even need to tough an end up. So I imagine it will work perfectly for cutting track as described. After I started using this the ONLY thing I found a Portaband useful for is cutting a conduit that is already installed in the air. Put this and Greenlee Ultra cutters on my job every day, please! Once it is on the job, you will find that you even want to cut your 3/4 conduit with it.
39081d1290982793-cutting-6-gutters-miter-saw-dw872.jpg
 
Strathead said:
One of my top two or three tools that aren't mandatory, but make life so much easier is a metal cutting mitre saw like this. It will cut through a 4" GRC conduit in about 4 seconds and when you are done there is no burned metal, and a simple plumber's deburring tools will remove the edge. It cuts gutter or 4000 Wiremold perfectly with no burning of the paint so you don't even need to tough an end up. So I imagine it will work perfectly for cutting track as described. After I started using this the ONLY thing I found a Portaband useful for is cutting a conduit that is already installed in the air. Put this and Greenlee Ultra cutters on my job every day, please! Once it is on the job, you will find that you even want to cut your 3/4 conduit with it.
39081d1290982793-cutting-6-gutters-miter-saw-dw872.jpg
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:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: If you have many cuts to do, these are fantastic. steel, aluminum, PVC, annoying bill collectors, you name it!
 
I ended up getting one of these from this company:

p46199.jpg

I paid $251 (sent an email in for a 10% discount coupon) plus shipping and PA tax for a total of $290. I've tried it out on some EMT, PVC and Juno 2 circuit track. Once I squared it up, the cuts are good and better than close enough for gub'mint work.

The unit weighs 45 pounds. The clamp is solid. Really solid, and since it's bolted to the base, it can be shimmed to square up with the run of the blade if need be. I'll be gluing some felt or rubber to the clamp faces to protect the track during cutting. For blade guides they use double (stacked) bearings on each side both front and back. I haven't messed with their adjustment for now - maybe when I replace the blade. They do seem a little tight. The degree marks are glued on and not accurate. That's to be expected on a cheap tool, but easy enough to set with a square. Both the adjustable blade guide lock and the miter lock seem solid enough for now. The base appears to be at least 1/8-inch steel while the miter arm and blade housing both are cast of some kind. The drive wheel and pulley are both machined aluminum with foam rubber sleeves and the blade rides 100% on that rubber (unlike some machines where the wheel is narrower than the blade width and the cutting edge never touches it).

There is a speed adjustment from 100-260 feet per minute that works nicely. You also have to squeeze a trigger on the handle to start the motor. That plastic handle and trigger are a little cheap and definitely seem like the weakest link in the unit. I might cobble together an upgrade at some point with a real power tool trigger or momentary contact pushbutton (it's activating a relay in the speed control, so it doesn't have to take the full load of the motor).

As for cutting track, my first attempt was with the track laying slot side up. That's not a good idea because the teeth pull the copper wires out of the track and bend them. Clamping the track with the slot side facing forward or back work fine since the slot then holds the wires in place. I'm going to get some square stock and fine tune the saw to cut square, although it's pretty decent already with a few minor adjustments.

Overall for the price I'm happy. It's way quieter than a miter saw or chop saw and I should be able to use it on plugmold as well with good results.

Thanks to you all for your input!
 
While the metal cutting mitre saw I showed costs more, I feel it cuts better because the blade doesn't drift like the more flexible band saw. Also it is at least three times as fast, probably more. I believe the mitre will cut up to 6" conduit. I would go with the mitre saw.
 
Strathead said:
While the metal cutting mitre saw I showed costs more, I feel it cuts better because the blade doesn't drift like the more flexible band saw. Also it is at least three times as fast, probably more. I believe the mitre will cut up to 6" conduit. I would go with the mitre saw.
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Anything with teeth that big that screams that loud scares me. That's why I divorced my first wife.

Seriously, after getting a demonstration from a local aluminum fabricator on a similar setup, I don't think I would be comfortable using it on track. I saw that it works really well on complicated aluminum profiles, but it's more beast than I'm used to handling and I'd really hate to mess up the high-dollar Lightolier track I need to cut due to my lack of experience with a tool. If I needed to cut a lot of pipe I'd probably go with it since it's seems a lot faster and more accurate than a band saw at that kind of thing. I wish I had had one a few years back when I was working with a crew installing ground mount PVs on GRC frames :)
 
Strathead said:
While the metal cutting mitre saw I showed costs more, I feel it cuts better because the blade doesn't drift like the more flexible band saw. Also it is at least three times as fast, probably more. I believe the mitre will cut up to 6" conduit. I would go with the mitre saw.
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I don't have one but have used one before. I agree it is probably about best thing out there for cutting a big variety of steel products.

I do find myself using my Milwaukee Hackzall for cutting most everything though - no cords, lightweight, can take it right to the work if on a lift... but I don't find myself running much more then one inch raceways real frequently, 1-1/4 to 2-1/2 inch runs often are PVC, for me anyway - it works great for those as well.
 
PetrosA said:
Anything with teeth that big that screams that loud scares me. That's why I divorced my first wife.

Seriously, after getting a demonstration from a local aluminum fabricator on a similar setup, I don't think I would be comfortable using it on track. I saw that it works really well on complicated aluminum profiles, but it's more beast than I'm used to handling and I'd really hate to mess up the high-dollar Lightolier track I need to cut due to my lack of experience with a tool. If I needed to cut a lot of pipe I'd probably go with it since it's seems a lot faster and more accurate than a band saw at that kind of thing. I wish I had had one a few years back when I was working with a crew installing ground mount PVs on GRC frames :)
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I mentioned this earlier; I've cut 7mm x 35mm steel DIN rail with my mitre saw. It will have no issues with lighting track. Just use a fine tooth blade and GO SLOWLY. Leaves a nice cut with practically no burr.

Also, I agree with everyone else - they work great for conduit, PVC, Panduit, and in a pinch, the occasional 2x4.

They're more accurate and repeatable than any band saw, IMO. The blades also last longer if not abused, and can be resharpened when dull (despite what some blade shops will tell you).


SceneryDriver
 
SceneryDriver said:
I mentioned this earlier; I've cut 7mm x 35mm steel DIN rail with my mitre saw. It will have no issues with lighting track. Just use a fine tooth blade and GO SLOWLY. Leaves a nice cut with practically no burr.

Also, I agree with everyone else - they work great for conduit, PVC, Panduit, and in a pinch, the occasional 2x4.

They're more accurate and repeatable than any band saw, IMO. The blades also last longer if not abused, and can be resharpened when dull (despite what some blade shops will tell you).


SceneryDriver
Click to expand...

Resharpening is a lost art, today it costs more to have it done then it does to just replace blades in most instances anyway.
 
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