The Best Reciprocating Saw Blade for Cast iron Pipes [Top 6 Picks] (2023)

FAQs

What is the best recip blade for cast iron? ›

Carbide grit blades (typically tungsten carbide) don't have teeth like a traditional sawzall blade. They have an abrasive strip that is used for cutting dense materials such as ceramic tile, cement, brick, marble, other stone and masonry, harder metals like cast iron, and fiberglass.

Use 18-24 TPI bi-metal blades. For thicker metals such as steel pipe, angle irons, or tubing, use 14-18 TPI bi-metal blades. For aluminum, an 8-10 TPI blade is best. As far as the best brand of metal cutting blade, we like MK Morse and Diablo.

Ferrous blades are ideal for cutting metals that contain iron, such as stainless steel or cast iron. Choose a non-ferrous blade when cutting softer metals, like aluminum or copper. For the best results, use a diamond blade that's rated to cut the type of metal you are working with.

With a recip saw (also called a Sawzall, the brand name of Milwaukee's tool), you can cut through lumber even if it's embedded with nails. It can also cut all common forms of metal: steel, aluminum, copper, and cast iron.

A hacksaw is a hand-powered, small-toothed saw used for cutting metal pipes, rods, brackets, etc. Hacksaws can also cut through plastic. The hacksaw has a U-shaped frame and a handle at one end. Hacksaws have small pins at each end of the frame that receive a blade.

A fine toothed blade (18 to 32 TPI) should be used for thinner metals and plastics under 1/4″. For general cutting of 3/4″ plywood 4 TPI will provide a fast cut and 14 TPI will cut much slower but leave a smooth finish on the cut. When Selecting TPI Remember: More TPI gives a smoother but slower cut.

Carbide tipped blades cut harder, denser metals like hardened steel, cast iron, alloys including boron steel, and higher grades of stainless steel. These blades are extremely hard, heat-resistant, and impact-resistant. They are typically 8 TPI.

Reciprocating saws fitted with the correct metal cutting blade make easy work of sawing through bolts, rods, rebar, pipes, profiles, and nails in stud work. Reciprocating saws cut by the blade travelling in a backwards and forwards, push- pull movement.

Reciprocating saws can churn through metal, masonry, wood, plaster, fiberglass, stucco, composite materials, drywall and more. The key to a successful cut is using the right type of blade for the material you are cutting.

A circular or miter saw with a metal cutting blade. Save this answer. Show activity on this post. The angle grinder is probably going to be your best bet for making cuts in the cast iron piece.

Can you cut cast iron with a metal blade? ›

In tight spaces where my grinder won't go, I've always used a reciprocating saw and metal-cutting or carbide-grit blade. That works, but not very quickly. And cast iron destroys blades fast; I'd go through two or three blades cutting a 4-in. pipe.

Heavy-duty steel pipe and tube cutters are usually the easiest to use, but for tight spaces, an angle grinder or reciprocating saw may be needed. When using a metal pipe cutter, align the tool around the marked place on the galvanized pipe and rotate so that the wheel cuts deeper into the pipe until severed.

Designed for cutting metals ranging in thickness from 3/16 to 9/16 of an inch, the reciprocating saw blades with the new coating offers performance improvement for 100 times longer life than comparable blades, the company says.

They are actually the same thing. The Milwaukee tool company introduced the first reciprocating saw in 1951, and called it the Sawzall. It has since been so widely copied that the terms reciprocating saw and sawzall are now used interchangeably.

An angle grinder fitted with an abrasive metal-cutting disc works well to cut all kinds of metal, including bolts, angle iron, rebar and even sheet metal. But the discs wear down quickly, cut slowly and shrink in diameter as you use them. Instead, we recommend using a diamond blade that's rated to cut ferrous metal.

Pipe cutters are tools used for slicing or cutting pipes. They are commonly used by plumbers due to their reliability and efficiency. In addition to providing clean, professional-quality cuts, pipe cutters are often more convenient, fast, and easy to use than alternatives such as hacksaws.

A hacksaw is a universally helpful tool that fits in the hand easily and is completely portable. Plumbers use hacksaws to quickly cut plastic and sometimes metal pipes to length.

A pipecutter is a type of tool used by plumbers to cut pipe. Besides producing a clean cut, the tool is often a faster, cleaner, and more convenient way of cutting pipe than using a hacksaw, although this depends on the metal of the pipe.

TPI explained

If you're looking to cut wood or other soft materials, you'll need a blade with a TPI of 6 up to 20. For harder materials like metal, a TPI between 14 up to 36 is more suitable.

32 TPI: For sawing 3mm materials e.g. thin sheet metal and metal trim All Sutton Tools Hacksaw Blades are universal to fit your Hacksaw Frame.

What TPI is good for metal? ›

TPI is measured from gullet to gullet, not tooth tip to tooth tip – this is known as pitch. The general rule of thumb is: For wood and soft materials aim for 3 – 6 teeth in the workpiece. For metals and harder materials aim for 6 – 24 teeth in the workpiece.

The best sawzall blades for wood have a more aggressive tooth pitch of 6-10 TPI that can easily cut though nail embedded wood, 6"x 6" posts, and small tree limbs. A combination blade with 5/8 TPI or 10/14 also works on wood. The blade can vary from 6" to 12" in length.

Torch with Carbide for Thick Metal

The 7 TPI Carbide Torch blade is best for thick metal cutting applications.

The 15.0 Amp Super Sawzall® Recip Saw is the fastest, most durable recip saw in the world. It is the first Sawzall® Recip Saw to include Constant Power Technology™ which maintains constant speed and power under load for unmatched cutting performance.

Yes, reciprocating saw blades have a universal shank that is standardized to fit all reciprocating saws.

You can use almost any kind of saw, but a hacksaw is best as it gives you much more flexibility. To use a handsaw to cut the pipe, simply hold or clamp the pipe over the edge of a counter or workbench and use the saw on the mark where you want to cut. Saw in a back and forth motion, all the way through the pipe.

Brushless motors are electronically commutated, which means that no brushes make contact with the motor's commutator as they do with a brushed motor.

Reciprocating saws with a good quality carbide, bi-metal or diamond grit blade are designed specifically for cutting through tougher materials like rebar.

To strip your cast iron pans in the oven, set them upside down on the middle rack, close the door and run the self-cleaning setting. Allow your pans to cool in the oven, then remove and wash with hot soapy water and, if needed, some steel wool to remove any remaining seasoning, rust or flakes.

Number of Teeth

Generally, blades with more teeth will provide a smoother, finer cut whereas blades with fewer teeth will provide a rougher cut. The benefit of fewer teeth is faster cutting and a lower price.

What is the best blade to use for cutting with the grain? ›

If you're just cutting with the grain, you'll want to use a rip saw blade. For cutting across the grain only, you'll want a crosscut saw blade.

A crosscut blade, on the other hand, is designed to produce a smooth cut across the grain of the wood, without splintering or tearing. This type of blade will usually have 60 to 80 teeth, and the higher tooth count means that each tooth has to remove less material.

Milwaukee beat the Diablo blade cutting the 4-inch cast pipe 38-seconds faster averaging 2:31 minutes [2 cuts] with Diablo averaging 3:09 minutes for the two cuts. The photo below shows the two blades after cutting the 4-inch cast pipe.

Typically made with 24 to 30 wide teeth, ripping blades are designed to help you quick tear through natural wood materials.

An angle grinder with a metal blade will cut most of it, you need access all around the pipe. A sthil saw with a 300mm blade might nearly do it. Dont forget the safety glasses and dust mask.

The graphite structure in cast iron breaks away more easily, and in a more uniform manner. Harder irons, such as white iron, are much more difficult to machine due to their brittleness. Steel isn't as easy to cut with the same consistency, and it causes more tool wear, resulting in higher production costs.

When using an angle grinder or reciprocating saw, start the tool before contacting the pipe, then slowly lower the cutting disc until it contacts the surface. Apply steady pressure until it severs the pipe. When using a hacksaw, slowly draw the blade back and forth, making sure that the cut is straight.

Cuts fine molding, hardwoods, softwoods, veneered plywood, melamine and more.

3TPI blade is best for cutting bone-in or frozen meat since this provides faster production. 4TPI blade is used normally for smoother cutting finishes.

A 40-tooth blade works fine for most cuts through plywood. Blades with 60 or 80 teeth should be used on veneered plywood and melamine, where the thin veneers are likely to blow out on the underside of the cut, a characteristic known as tearout. MDF requires even more teeth (90 to 120) to get the cleanest cut.