Carbon steel is usually cut at a blade speed of 150-200 FPM (feet per minute).

http://metalworking.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNPDFF?PMPAGE=1792&PMITEM=67480871&PMCTLG=00

If you mean 2500 FPM (not RPM), then no, you'll burn up the blade before finishing your first cut.

 

Keep in mind that steel needs to be clamped tightly when being cut. Most wood saws are not designed for this. Also the saws are not designed for the abuse a metal saw gets and die quickly. Bearings, motors etc just are not built for this. I've seen several brands of carbide "metal cutting" blades supposedly designed for higher RPM abrasive saws. Everyone I know who's tried them said the same thing, they worked for a very short while and then were junk. There have been several threads on this topic in the past.

I think you will find that this won't work for you. It's an expensive test if you trash the saw, or worse, have the steel ripped off the bed and tossed at you. I've had enough boards get launched by my chop saws over the years and have been lucky to still have all my fingers. I'd hate to see what would happen if that would have happened with steel.

 

You have to consider both RPM and blade diameter, since the combination of the two will determine how fast the teeth are moving.

Most miter saws rotate a 10" blade at about 5000 RPM.

And as DSW points out, if there isn't anything clamping the material down, when it grabs or kicks back there will be trouble.

 

Hey Jackson,
There are applications that could be done with a high rpm(5800) saw if you know how to set one up. You did not provide any info. regarding the sizes, grades, or configurations of metal you want to cut. Answers can be supplied if you indicate what you want to cut. For my CS & aluminum stock, I use a P-C 14"dry cut saw(1400rpm). With alum. sheetmetal(<.250"), I use a 10" table saw(5800 rpm) w/C5 tung-tipped non-ferrous Irwin metal cutting blade. You must bear in mind the rpm of a saw & what it is capable of doing. Some wood-cutting saws can be used occasionally for metal, although their design may cause issues with the metal chips getting to the interior & cause failure unless their shielded. Every material has an optimum SFM cutting ratio that lends to easy cutting. With a circular saw, the circumference of the blade & the rpm will determine SFM & generally a lower SFM is utilized for metal. Alum. does like to be cut at higher speeds. I have seen good, heavy duty wood bandsaws converted for metal, although pulley configuration changed to reduce SFM. Anyway, if you explain the parameters of your use & needs, the forum members can provide much better data with more concise equip./accessory descriptions.

Denny