Where do you buy your metal stock?

[dstig1]

Thanks, MF. It is all solid round stock - a mix of 3/16, 1/4, and 5/16" I used a basic ring roller from HF to form the curves. I had to make new wheels for it as the stock ones were knurled and left marks on the stock. All TIG welded and then electropolished to make it all shiny and passivated.

Rob - that is quite a variation you found. And just to show the website is jacked up, if you get prices from the Coremark website they are $50 and $67, respectively. It is worth it to spend some time google searching in your area for steel suppliers. You might be surprised, but it is not always as easy to find these as a Mickey-D's on the google...

 

[MH8675309]

I get mine at either Sanilac steel here in Sanilac county or used at auctions. Id have to be desperate to by it from a TSC store or similar.

 

[BigBlue1]

Just FYI, I found that Coremark (Minneapolis) will cut 20' pieces in half for free for easier transport. Saves having to bring a portable grinder along and cutting in the parking lot!

 

[coxhaus]

Just FYI, I found that Coremark (Minneapolis) will cut 20' pieces in half for free for easier transport. Saves having to bring a portable grinder along and cutting in the parking lot!

I think if you are going to cut long pieces of steel to fit in a pickup the Sawzall works best when using battery power. Buy the coarse steel blades.

I do have a Milwaukee 28 volt Sawzall I have had for many years back when they were made in the USA. I use it for tree punning or cutting steel or what ever I need to do. It just keeps running.

 

[Diggin It]

I really don't know what that bar stock I mentioned above is, but it took two recip blades to make two cuts. Either they were junk blades (possible, HF), or it's some fairly hard stock.

 

[coxhaus]

I have been using Bosch and Milwaukee blades with no issues. I have cut several 20 foot pieces into short pieces using 1 blade. And the blade was still good. I think some Dewalt blades also. But it has been awhile since I used Dewalt blades. I gave up on HF a long time ago. I was never happy with what I bought.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I really don't know what that bar stock I mentioned above is, but it took two recip blades to make two cuts. Either they were junk blades (possible, HF), or it's some fairly hard stock.

Feeds, speeds and lubrication will keep the blades cutting much longer.

 

[aczlan]

I think if you are going to cut long pieces of steel to fit in a pickup the Sawzall works best when using battery power. Buy the coarse steel blades.

I do have a Milwaukee 28 volt Sawzall I have had for many years back when they were made in the USA. I use it for tree punning or cutting steel or what ever I need to do. It just keeps running.

That depends on the sawzall, we have been taking things apart at work lately and have had several sawzalls that I have used:
1. DeWalt 18v XRP cordless
2. DeWalt 18v XRP cordless with an adapter to use 20v batteries
3. DeWalt 20v brushless
4. DeWalt corded
We have had mix of blades, mostly Lennox fine toothed metal blades and Diablo coarse tooth metal blades (they might have been carbide I'm not sure).
For cutting conduit (mostly schedule 40 steel conduit and hangers to put it on kindorf) the DeWalt 20 volt brushless with the coarse tooth metal blades and the larger 5 or 9 amp hour batteries worked really well.
If I tried to use the same blades in the older two 18v sawzalls, or use the small 2 amp hour 20v batteries in the brushless DeWalt, it was very easy to stall out the motor. When using those we had to switch to the fine tooth blades.
When using the brushless sawzall and the course blades, it was almost unstoppable.

Of course the corded sawzall worked really well, but you had to deal with a cord working around manlifts and demolition debris and that is always exciting.

Aaron Z

 

[Peter 315]

These work good Milwaukee 6" 14 TPI The Torch SAWZALL Blades

 

[dstig1]

Just FYI, I found that Coremark (Minneapolis) will cut 20' pieces in half for free for easier transport. Saves having to bring a portable grinder along and cutting in the parking lot!

Good catch. I thought they had a nominal charge for it but free is better. I think they may have gotten concerned with people cutting steel in the parking lot and decided this might be a wise move. They guarantee no accuracy on the cut in half service, IIRC.