Help......What Angle?

[chim]

Guess my explanation wasn't so great. Mebbe two pictures can save the best part of 2000 words?

Here's the first showing the 45 degree cut of one leg. Both legs were cut at 45 degrees..........

 

[chim]

Next shot (OK, a bit fuzzy) shows the less-than-90 degree corner that results with 45 degree cuts. The ends of the angle need cut at 45 degrees while being held at a 45 degree angle...............chim

 

[BXMMCC]

I think I understand the problem. Might be hard to explain how to fix it. Here goes-
Lay a scrap piece of angle on the bed of the chop saw, with the point of the angle facing up, to use as a backstop.
Now put the piece you want to cut against the piece of scrap, so that the point of the angle faces the backstop of the saw (open part faces you). Set the angle of the saw at 45, but keep the blade vertical - no compound cut.

 

[chim]

BXMMCC, that's the way I figured it could work, but my problem is that I have no bandsaw or chopsaw at home. I do have a sawzall, but that doesn't help. What I'm trying to do is make the cuts with a hacksaw, and I haven't been able to determine how to mark the material for cuts. So far, the best idea I can come up with is to measure the acute angle I ended up with, then add half the difference between that angle and 90 to the 45 degrees. Maybe Wifey needs to approve a trip to Harbor Freight for a saw? Thanks..............chim

 

[Deerlope]

Good point and taken in good humor. Years ago when I started fabing& welding my entire day was usually spent filling holes, burn-thru, or gaps. Like someone once said do it right or do it twice.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Good point and taken in good humor.)</font>

Whew!

I almost went back and edited that post because I could see where I was a little more of a smartbutt than I should have been.

Chim's situation is he has more time than tools. I'm sure you and me have been there. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Okay Chim,

Let's do this my way. I hope you have a small angle grinder.

Option one: Put the angle in the vise caddywampus like you want to cut it. Make your cut with the hacksaw making sure you're cutting shy, not enough. Take your piece of angle out of the vise. Lay a piece of flat material, steel glass, stiff paper across the legs of your angle iron. Place your machine square on the flat material across the legs and gauge your cut. Take your angle grinder and trim a bit at a time until your machine square says you have the cut you want.

You now have a pattern. You can lay it on a piece of your angle iron back to back and mark your cut. Do it each side. Hack saw away.

Don't be shy about using a hack saw. For many years I shied from sawsalls and portabands because I liked the control and feel of a good hacksaw. But I had a problem. Middle finger right hand was broken in a dirt track car accident many years ago. The last knuckle seems to have twisted at about a fifteen degree angle. It's not painful. But if I flip someone off it does add a little character to the gesture. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway that angle of the dangle of that knuckle puts it about an eighth of an inch out in trajectory while hacksawing. So invariably the last pass I'd take off a little hide. It was a sore I just learned to live with. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

It drove me crazy to say the least. I've always taken pride in learning. And you'd think that such a painful lesson wouldn't have to be taught more than once. But.........

 

[ns_in_tex]

Chim,

Are you talking a hand hack saw? You might even do it with your sawzall if the blade is long enough. Try building a small wooden mitre box like carpentars used years ago. Make both of the 45 degree cuts in it, plus 90 degree if you like.

Then you can lay your angle in it and cut at an exact 45. If you need a compound 45, then rip a wood block at the desired angle to lay in mitre box, under the angle iron you are cutting.

Hope this helps.

 

[hockeyhead]

sounds like a great reason to get your chop saw, but in the meantime you do have tapemeasure , what you need to know is the hypotonuse of a of a right-angle, triangle of 45degrees. or what the corner to corner measurement should be. what is the most outside length of each leg of your box??? all 4 pieces need to be exact in length (overall length) you will need a grinder, to fit pieces once you get your numbers together. Clamp pieces down close to 90 degrees measure corner to corner adjust or grind to get the number required tack it together.

 

[DocHeb]

I had a hard time telling what you want to do, but after seeing the finshed part you had already made, I think I understand. I don't know much about metalworking, but this problem is simimiliar to the "crown-molding-cornundrum", which is that you will always run out of crown molding before you finish the room. The trick is to mark the layout lines while the material is in the position it will reside when finished.

The attached pic show the first piece marked up.

 

[DocHeb]

First piece cut. Note one face is perpendicular to the length, and one is at 45 degrees.