Best way to make a clean cut through high carbon steel

Welding & Fabrication
1

I bought these linear rails:

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They didn’t have the length I needed so I was just going to cut them to length. The mounting bracket is just aluminum but the rail is high carbon steel. I have an Evolution chop saw, plasma cutter, and oxy-acetylene torch available to me. I would normally just cut it with the chop saw for a cleaner cut, however I didn’t know if that would just trash the blade because it is high carbon steel. I was thinking that my plasma cutter probably wouldn’t cut through that odd shape well. The torch would work but I’m thinking it wouldn’t be clean. Has anybody else used the Evolution chop saw to cut high carbon steel? Does it handle it like a champ or no? If no, then how would you cut it?

2

Does a hand file cut the steel or does it skate over it?

3

It just slides over it. I put a little pressure on it and went back and forth a number of times and not even a scratch.

4

If you don’t have that many to do I’d cut the steel off with a carborundum cut off wheel and finish the rest of it with the chop saw.

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5

…and so I go down the rabbit hole of what carborundum is (Silicon Carbide). :grin: Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! I am curious, why finish it off with the chop saw instead of just going through the rest of it with the wheel? Also why not a diamond wheel? Not questioning if that is the right direction, I am always just curious as the reasons behind the choice. I like to think it helps me to know why so the same reasoning can be applied in other similar situations.

6

I don’t think the carborundum blade will like the aluminum. It will get stuck in the pours. You can try it, it won’t hurt anything.

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7

Good to know! Thanks

8

I would use a Metabo Slicer Plus wheel at the correct speed to make that cut. They will cut aluminum decently enough for what you need. High carbon steel shouldn’t be a problem.
I’ve cut some pretty hard shafts with those cut off wheels.

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