Originally Posted by
alloy2
I use 24 tpi blades for cutting catalytic converters off, the more aggressive blades don't last very long on pipe
I feel like i'm still figuring it out sometimes. They seem to recommend the finer blades for thin metal. Stuff like sheet metal and thin wall pipe. The coarser blades are for thicker wall pieces of metal like brass pipe and black iron.
Ya gotta figure in the hardness of the metal too. Brass and copper are pretty soft. The blades hold up pretty well. Stainless ... like what you would get around a cat ... that's a pretty durable metal that's harder to cut and harder on a blade. You have to take your time with it and not heat up the blade.
It's a long story but i was cutting a 3/4" stainless nipple off a stainless tank last week. Had a brand new coarse blade in the sawzall but i smoked it cause i was in a rush and being impatient. An angle grinder with a 1/16" thick cutting wheel would have been a better choice for that job.
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