cutting metal

[dfkrug]

I bought a metal cutting tool recently that just blows me away every time I use it. It is a Steelmax metal cutting circular saw. I got it on eBay, thinking it might be OK but not really expecting much. When I tried it out, I couldn't believe how well it worked. It will rip through a piece of 3X1/4 channel almost like a regular circular saw cuts a 2X4, and the cut is clean, burr free, and cool to the touch as soon as you finish. It will cut up to 5/16 thickness, and up to 2.5 inch depth (like pipe or tubing). Not sure how long the blade will last, and they are a little pricy (about $40) but I think well worth it if they last a decent time. Several companies make a saw like this, and they even have one from Harbor Freight that comes with a blade for $99. Some of you may want to check these things out.

The Steelmaz is a very impressive "cold saw" that sells for $250 list. I have
considered it as there are never enough ways to cut steel!

Cold saws are basicly low speed circular saws with special carbide-tipped
blades. They have been around for decades, but they were thousands
of $ and generally found only in commercial machine shops until recently.
Now you can even buy the hand-held Evolution for $99 at Harbor Freight.

 

[cp1969]

which is best to cut metal a cutting torch or a hack saw?

Depends.

For a 1/2" dia. steel rod, a hacksaw. For 1/2" thick steel plate, the torch.

I am nowhere near the most knowledgeable person on this board for questions like this, but I think the OA torch gets a bad rap because people try to use the wrong tip or wrong gas pressure for the job. I know the welding tips are divided into 1/16" thickness increments. The cutting torch tips are not that sensitive but there are several sizes of them, too. Try to use too little of a tip and it simply won't cut it. Use too big of a tip (or, again, wrong gas pressure) and you run the risk of melting the pieces in two instead of cutting them.

When a cutting torch is working right, it should leave a fairly clean cut about 1/16 - 1/8" wide without a whole bunch of slag underneath.

Plasma cutters are nice, but not everybody can afford one.

 

[cp1969]

I don't know how many (if any) might be interested in this info, but I'll post it just in case. I have nothing better to do. If you're not interested in OA torches, read no further.

http://www.smithequipment.com/products/smithcatalog2007.pdf

That's a link to the pdf file of the Smith 2007 catalog. If you go to page 45, there is a table for cutting tips for their medium torch. Notice that if you are cutting 1/8" to 3/16" material, it calls for an MC12-00 tip set at 10(acetylene) and 20 (oxygen) psi and it leaves a .050" kerf. Then note that if you want to cut 1/2" material, it takes an MC12-1 tip, set at 10 and 45 psi, leaving an .080" kerf.

Some people may think that if a tip will cut 1/2" material, why wouldn't it cut 1/8"? Well, it will. But it makes a mess. When I was taught the most meager of fundamentals of OA torch cutting long, long ago, it was 10 and 40 for everything, using the one and only tip available. Sometimes it resulted in very good cuts (coincidentally, around 1/2" thickness). Other times, it made a mess.

With the mystery unravelled, now I know why.

 

[Stampeder]

I purchased a Smith OA outfit a while back and personally I can't say enough good things about it. I had a cheap torch and had always thought of getting a Victor outfit until this deal on the Smith came along.
I am extremely glad I purchased it. One of the unique things about the smith torch is that it doesn't mix the gas until right before the tip. The benefit of this is you don't need to add flame arrestors on the hoses. A great safety item.
Buying quality tools is never a waste of money and sure makes the job go easier.

Cheers.