Ballast Tractor Weights - How do you cut them

[BobRip]

I was trying to trim some 55 pound Kubota tractor weights with my Sawsall tonight and it was slow going. I gave up after about cutting a 1/16 inch slot across it. I thought they were lead, but they cut like steel and sound like steel when hit with a hammer. They are also attracted by a magnet. I wonder if they might be lead with a steel coating. Maybe they are solid steel or iron.

Bob Rip

 

[MossRoad]

They are probably iron.

 

[J_J]

I was trying to trim some 55 pound Kubota tractor weights with my Sawsall tonight and it was slow going. I gave up after about cutting a 1/16 inch slot across it. I thought they were lead, but they cut like steel and sound like steel when hit with a hammer. They are also attracted by a magnet. I wonder if they might be lead with a steel coating. Maybe they are solid steel or iron.

Bob Rip

Bob, What are you trying to do, cut a slot, or just cut them in half. A cutting torch would do the job if you have one, and much faster. They could be cast iron.

 

[BobRip]

Bob, What are you trying to do, cut a slot, or just cut them in half. A cutting torch would do the job if you have one, and much faster. They could be cast iron.

I am trying to cut off a big section. The weight hangs out over the back of the bumper, and interferes with using the 2 inch receiver. I have a torch, but have no experience using it except for heating up metal so I can bend it. It might be a good time to learn, or I could use some chain as weight.

J_J and Moss, Thanks for the help.

Bob Rip

 

[MossRoad]

Do you have a cutting head for your torch?

 

[BobRip]

Do you have a cutting head for your torch?

I believe so. What do they look like.

Bob Rip

 

[MossRoad]

The cutting head screws onto the handle. It has its own oxygen knob. So, when attached, you have three knobs. One acetylene and oxygen next to each other and another oxygen up high near the tip. The actual tip will have one hole in the center and 5 or 6 holes in a circle around it. There will also be a lever for adding pure oxygen to the cut once it starts.

Here's a link to a picture of one...
http://store.weldingdepot.com/cgi/weldingdepot/62-3Ex.html


You turn off all three knobs and turn on your tanks. The gas should be 5-10 pounds and the oxy should be 20-30 pounds. It all depends on your setup and torches, etc.... ( READ A GOOD BOOK ON OXY/ACETYLENE WELDING AND CUTTING!! I suggest The Oxy-Acetylene Handbook. It is in most libraries.)

Then you turn on the acetylene knob a crack, and light it. Then you adjust it just until the smoke goes away. then you open the oxygen knob that is next to the acetylene knob all the way. Nothing should happen to the flame. Next, you open the oxygen knob near the tip slowly to adjust the flame. the six little circles are controlled by that knob. Adjust it until you see the six individual blue flames very distinctively. These six flames are for pre-heating the metal to be cut. Pre heat the area to be cut. This is important for a good cut. When the metal turns cherry red, you push the thumb lever on the cutting head. What this does is let the full 20-30 pounds of OXY into the cherry red metal. The oxygen burns the metal very fast. Depending on the tip size and PSI of your setup, you can cut some very thick metal very fast. I frequently cut 1/2 inch plate steel at about an inch avery 3-4 seconds.

 

[Piedmont3]

MossRoad,
Are you a Teacher?
I haven't used a cutting torch in 25 or 30 years since I was in high School FFA. An I can remember my Ag teacher (Mr. Goodsen) Telling us almost exactly the same thing when he was trying to teach us how to cut steel the right way.
If you are not a teacher you might consider it...

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks for the kind words. The only reason I am familiar with it is because I have recently been cutting stuff for my backhoe project. Until this year, I hadn't cut with a torch since around 1985. I dug out my Oxy-Acetylene Handbook from school and re-read it a few times. That book is timeless.

 

[BobRip]

Thanks for the kind words. The only reason I am familiar with it is because I have recently been cutting stuff for my backhoe project. Until this year, I hadn't cut with a torch since around 1985. I dug out my Oxy-Acetylene Handbook from school and re-read it a few times. That book is timeless.

Moss, thanks for the instructions. I don't know what I am going to do yet, but it would probably be a good thing to learn this anyway.

Bob Rip