Using Harbor Freight mini "table" saw?

[bkbville]

I picked one of these up, and I've seen folks here mention its a great tool for cutting brass.

I find I cant hold it when the top comes down to cut, and the little vice won't hold brass secure, so I tend to find I'm cutting a lot crooked, which then becomes a project to true.

I figures others have run into this and maybe came up with an ingenious solution.

The question I have - how are you keeping the brass from being cut crooked?

[GRUMPA]

For me it is good for cutting brass, only because I do so much of it. First thing though is what case are you cutting and how far down are you cutting it?

I get taper in my cuts but I leave them long so I can square them up which hardly takes me anytime at all.

[oneokie]

Make a jig to compensate for the taper in the case, and/or the rim if present.

[Sonnypie]

In a word... a lathe.
Presuming you are talking about cutting down cases......

Using a Lee case trimmer, I put the clamp in the chuck and bring the tail stock in with the depth guide and cutter.
Takes longer to stop the lathe than it does to change casings.
(You could also spin the cutter instead of the case holder. I just prefer to do it my way.)

[bkbville]

if I had a lathe would I have bought the harbor freight tool?

[r1kk1]

I don't have a lathe nor would I buy a Bottom of the chinese Harbor Fright power tool.

Just saying. I like a mini drill press for bulk case trimming.

Take care

r1kk1

[VHoward]

Good luck in finding a power tool not made in china.

[jcwit]

Or a computor that the post was made with.

[r1kk1]

I like festools so I don't know where electronics are made outside Germany, but my computer has lasted longer than any HF tool.

Take care

r1kk1

[shooter93]

If you want top of the line small tools look at Micro Mark.

[jcwit]

I like festools so I don't know where electronics are made outside Germany, but my computer has lasted longer than any HF tool.

Take care

r1kk1

Took a look at some of their tools, seriously doubt many here wish to spend that kind of coin on a little used item, but if you're happy with it, fine.

I checked out a cordless drill for $200/300 bucks. My $20 Black & Decker from the local pawn shop will put in just as many screws as the high priced one would over the last 3 months. Haven't used it for 3 months.

[L1A1Rocker]

Here is a verity of jigs for that chop saw: http://www.300blktalk.com/forum/view...?f=141&t=79581

[bkbville]

Thanks L1A1 - thats where I thought it would go.

I may try casting one out of plaster of paris or something (Lead??)

[Sonnypie]

if I had a lathe would I have bought the harbor freight tool?

(NOTE: The underlined bold type are links to information)
Well, they sell all sorts of spinney tools a Harbor Fright.
Shucks, they use to have some really interesting combination tools. I remember one that was a lathe and a mill in one.
Not that I would buy it, but the concept was neat to look at.
Anyway...
"The question I have - how are you keeping the brass from being cut crooked? "
My answer is to use a lathe to do it. And I use my wood lathes for that sort of stuff, because I put chucks on them.
Just because I have them and everything in my shop has to do two things (or more) or it never gets in the shop in the first place.
So I actually use one, or the other, for light metal work as well as wood turning.
A drill press is another good, and fairly common, way to modify brass casings, or to trim to length.
Shucks, I've even used a drill motor as a medium to turn things. I used a drill motor, trigger locked, held down with my foot, while I filed 1/4" bolts into firing pins for a double barrel shotgun I still use today.
But I've never, ever, used a table saw to trim brass.
I have cut bricks with a diamond saw, and steel with an abrasive saw, and even aluminum with a carbide mitering saw, on my table saws. Even used it as a big disk sander by killing the set and teeth on a shot blade and putting an 10" adhesive sanding disk on it and mounting it to the arbor. Because it was what I had at the time to do the work. (speaking of one tool doing multiple roles)
I just think you need a little help finding the right tool for trimming brass.
A table saw is more apt to take one of your fingers off than successfully trim brass.
Case trimming is better done with a different kind of spinning sharp steel. Or it could be done by hand. Lord knows I've done a lot of case trimming by hand.
Hey, and Lee makes this cool tool called a Zip Trim that you pull like a starting rope. Not my cup of tea, but it might work fine for a lot of folks. Here is a video on YouTube about it.

THAT is how you keep the brass from being cut crooked.

[Any Cal.]

I cut 50 .44 Mags down to special with a Lee case trimmer and drill. Took about an hour and was kind of a pain, but doable. Trimming '06 cases took about 20 seconds apiece or a bit less.

[Reg]

A lathe using collets would be the ticket but lacking one, a simple cut off jig works just fine.
Best to start with a small piece of square or rectangular aluminum or steel that will stay in the crappy vice that comes with the little saw.
If you do not have a drill press then do some careful work with a hand electric drill.
1. cut off your blank about 1 to 1 1/2" long, file it somewhat square.
2. Use the closest drill you have that is oversize to the tube you are trying to cut off and drill in from one end center as you can to a depth you think you need. Drill it slightly deeper than what you think you will need.
3. Continue drilling through with a correct but smaller drill that can be tapped to a common thread size that you have a screw for. This will become your depth stop. It might be smart to cross drill in the threaded section for a holding or locking screw.

What you have done is make a holding jig to hold the tubular shape you are trying to cut off that is adjustable and can be locked as to length.

This little gizmo you set in the sloppy vise thing they supply but then shift things around until you get things to line up and make a square cut, then you can adjust things to get the length you want then lock the whole mess down. It should repeat.

Made up such a simple contraption to cut off de-headed .22's for bullet jackets. Works well and precise but once I got it lined up the way I wanted, I just locked everything down and have left it since. Repeatability is excellent.

[1hole]

"if I had a lathe would I have bought the harbor freight tool?"

No, you wouldn't. But there's never any lack of loopy posts telling what wasn't asked; how I do it on tools you don't have or what you should have done, how the tool you have is junk, etc., none of which is at all helpful but it's the price of working on the web and runs the pretend guru's post count up!

I've been using a Dremel tool with a thin metal cut-off wheel for roughing excess necks but I've looked at that miniture HF cut-off saw and wondered if it wouldn't work much better; I'd try a holding jig too. Your lead casting idea is plausible but it may be easier and should work as well if you drill a block of hardwood to closely match the head/lower case on one end and the surplus neck at the other end. If you can do the boring on a drill press the holes should align well enough for the cut. Maybe?? You might could "C" clamp the jig to the table but it should be easy to drill holes and use machine screws to secure it for volume work.

[o6Patient]

It wouldn't be too difficult to make a jig to run them through a table saw.
Obviously the angle of body taper would have to be compensated for
both the vertical and horizontal planes. It would be appropriate for
getting a consistent length anyway.

[Reg]

It wouldn't be too difficult to make a jig to run them through a table saw.
Obviously the angle of body taper would have to be compensated for
both the vertical and horizontal planes. It would be appropriate for
getting a consistent length anyway.

Tried a vertical band saw with a 22 tpi metal cutting blade. WOW total train wreck. The brass is very thin and "grabby ". You need that very thin metal cutting blade with the super fine teeth on the Harbor Freight saw or a very thin abrasive wheel at high speed.
Am thinking that unless you have a super hold on it , you might put it in low orbit with a regular table saw blade !!!!
Just a thought.

[Mike Hughes]

With a couple of simple mods, the little HF saw works great for cutting brass. I used a small piece of aluminum for a stop. Converting 223 to 300 Blk, the key to getting a straight cut, is removing the small allen screw on the vice jaw. Flip the jaw over and then the V lines up just right to hold the brass straight. Had to grind the top of the jaw, to allow the saw to cut all the way through. Get your rhythm going and you can easily cut 20 per minute