Originally Posted by
Blaze
Purchasing a chop saw. I know I should use a different blade for steel and aluminum. Can I use my aluminum blade for stainless or should I buy a third blade for stainless only?
It all depends on the blade. "Chop saw" is a pretty generic term. If it's abrasive, you shouldn't cut aluminum on it at all. If it's a carbide dry cut, you can cut steel and aluminum, but there is a different blade for stainless.
Generally, any tool made for wood can handle aluminum just fine. Add a little WD40 or blade stick lube, to keep metal from sticking to the blade. As far as cross contamination, it's not much of an issue with either type.
Long arc, short arc, heliarc and in-the-dark!