cutting a little steel

[k0ua]

You mentioned cutting sheet steel. While many methods will work, I like to use my Bosch jigsaw with a metal cutting blade, especially if you need to cut any kind of curves in the steel. The advantages are fairly quick cut (on sheet steel), and not much heat, no sparks, fairly low noise, easy to control and stay on the cut line. Also cheap to operate compared to other methods. Now as you go into thicker steels, you will need to look at another method (torch, plasma) as the jigsaw will just be too slow.

 

[SoGeorgia]

I like to use a metal cutting blade in my circular saw. It's loud, but pretty easy to use and the blades are fairly cheap.

Eddie

Can you elaborate on the fairly cheap blades you use?? ;-)

 

[Oliver1655]

Harbor Freight has a 7-1/4" carbide tipped metal cutting blade for $20. A 20% off coupon drops the price to $16. Stay away from welds & torch cuts & you can get a lot of life from one. They say up to 1/4" thick but I have made an 8' long cut in 1/2" just cut about 18" then let the saw run 15-20 sec without a load to keep the saw from over heating then continued on. Left a very nice edge (2nd Photo). This blade is still going strong. One blade had over 60 cut through 3" channel iron before I cut through an area which had been welded on on the other side.

 

[SoGeorgia]

Harbor Freight has a 7-1/4" carbide tipped metal cutting blade for $20. A 20% off coupon drops the price to $16. Stay away from welds & torch cuts & you can get a lot of life from one. They say up to 1/4" thick but I have made an 8' long cut in 1/2" just cut about 18" then let the saw run 15-20 sec without a load to keep the saw from over heating then continued on. Left a very nice edge (2nd Photo). This blade is still going strong. One blade had over 60 cut through 3" channel iron before I cut through an area which had been welded on on the other side.

Thanks for the info!

 

[SoGeorgia]

Here is a good video on using propane.
http://youtu.be/f2amO0T3vkQ

SO... Can you upgrade an oxy/acet setup to use propane? (acet hose doesn't play well with propane?) From what I've seen so far you can use an acet regulator but will a regular acet regulator attach to a regular propane tank?

I like the idea of using oxy-propane since I would only be using it for heating/cutting and not welding. Propane would be cheaper.

 

[Shield Arc]

SO... Can you upgrade an oxy/acet setup to use propane? (acet hose doesn't play well with propane?) From what I've seen so far you can use an acet regulator but will a regular acet regulator attach to a regular propane tank?

I like the idea of using oxy-propane since I would only be using it for heating/cutting and not welding. Propane would be cheaper.

My Victor journeyman acetylene gauge would not fit on my 100-gallon propane tank. I had to use a smaller hobby style acetylene gauge someone gave to me.
I know it's not recommended, but I've read on Welding Web where guys have used their type R hose for years with propane, and haven't had any issues.:confused3:

 

[Professor Marvel]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Looks like I should start with some 1/16 in disks for my grinder and some metal cutting blades for saws that I already have that I have so far only used for wood. That evolution saw seems to be made specifically to accommodate metal cutting. I think the speed looks to be different than wood circular saws and it has the device that catches metal pieces that might get into the motor. I will take your suggestions and use what I have first and when that isn't enough look into other tools on a case by case basis.

 

[Professor Marvel]

Sorry I see that evolution saw must have been something I saw following through the links you folks have sent me. I see it wasn't brought up here.

 

[Fifelaker]

For light gauge metal turn a regular circular saw around and run it backwards. I have cut miles of it this way.

 

[Oliver1655]

Turning a plywood blade backwards does work for barn steel/corrugated metal but it leaves a rougher edge than the metal cutting carbide blades do. If you do turn a blade backwards, do not use a carbide tipped blade, the teeth will get knocked off & you will have flying shrapnel.