Posts: 2,344
Threads: 53
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Spencer MA USA
A cold saw with a 14" saw blade (round cutter) would be ideal, though pricey to get into one. It would also be faster than a bandsaw by quite a bit, andquieter than an abrasive chop saw but wider kerf for more loss of stock/pieces per bar.
Posts: 691
Threads: 14
Joined: Feb 2015
Location: Oakland, California
Another question is what do the cosmetics of the cut end need to look like?
An abrasive chop saw will leave a very thin, sharp flash which is hard to remove from the ID of the tube.
A cold saw and band saw are probably about equal in surface finish.
There's also an ironworker - they have a big shearing capacity. That should leave a very clean edge, but might distort the tube wall at the cut.
Also, try your tube vendor - they may do the cuts for you on an automatic feed band saw for a modest fee.
Last thought... Look at the internet for laser tube cutting service. That'll have very nice surface finish. If you can relieve yourself of doing any hand-work, it might be worthwhile.
Posts: 9
Threads: 2
Joined: Feb 2015
Location: NY
Yes, I was just looking at that. It would cost me about $2.75 for a cut piece. I may be able to get a price break on quantities. Thats just the first place I looked at.
Seems pretty good to have the material supplied and not have to worry about time spent cutting, stocking and cleaning.
This is the place I found so far
http://www.speedymetals.com/
If anyone knows of another place let me know. I am in the Long Island,NY area.
Thanks!
Posts: 691
Threads: 14
Joined: Feb 2015
Location: Oakland, California
Speedy is one of my favorite mail-order places for stuff I either can't get locally, or can't get locally in less than full stick length.
Do shop around, though.