Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Fabricators/metal workers,,, little help please.

Can I cut 1/8" (.145 to be exact) metal with an elec cut off wheel?
Don't have a big enough compressor for pneumatic so that out.

If so, I only need to make a couple of cuts about 20" long so what kind/brand of tool and what kind of wheel should I look for?
I'll also need to get a small angle grinder to clean up the cuts. Any thing I should know?
I'm not planning to go into the fabrication business or become a contestant on "Biker Build Off" but at the same time I can't afford to screw these two pieces up so I want a proper tool.

Thanks

If I got this right you want to cut 0.145" thick metal plate (what type?) and 20" long cuts and want to know if you can do it with a cutoff wheel?

You can do that with a circular saw, i.e. skill saw. If you're cutting steel then use an abrasive blade designed for metal. If you're cutting aluminum you can use a fine tooth carbide saw blade. Beware that cutting aluminum with a saw makes a hellacious racket so double hearing protection is highly recomended.

Another option is a jig saw with a metal cutting blade. It'll be slow, but if you already have a jig saw no problem and the blades will work on steel or aluminum.

Go get one'nem $27.50 angle grinders from Harbor Freight and a half dozen wheels.

If it still works when you get done, keep it around.

It not, pitch it in the garbage.

Got a spare one on sale for 12.95 last month. How can you beat that?

Those Harbor Freight angle grinders are one of the best tools they sell.

The 1/2" drive electric impact wrench for 50 bucks is another one,...and those $200 High lift motorcycle stands are da "chit!".

Let's face it.

Everything is made in China these days,...and some of that Harbor Freight stuff is well worth the money!

This unless you have a band saw.

IF you want to use an cut off wheel, Metabo is the best I have come across for the 4 1/2" mini-grinders. We only buy Dewalt grinders, you can find them new for under $100.00.

Jig Saw will work fine.

Depending on your area you can have it cut with a water jet for next to nothing.

If you're making straight cuts in steel those abrasive saw blades work great. Clamp a straight edge along the line and go to work. Don't try to make the cut in one pass; several passes over the same line work better IME. A single 7" wheel (plain old Vermont American work fine) is good for 36" or more of 1/4" plate and thinner will go even further. Sheet metal is probably the worst to work with as these wheels don't hold up well to side abrasion however.

Thanks guys,,,, being a retired carpenter there isn't much I haven't cut with a worm drive circular saw so naturally that was my first thought but I'll be cutting 2" C channel so there's not enough room to clamp a straight edge. Plus, one side would have to start with a plunge cut and that can get away from you pretty fast. Jig saw might work if I could find some metal cutting blades short enough to not bottom out on the other side of the channel. There's also a 45* angle involved so it's pretty intricate for wood framing tools. LOL

I don't mind spending the money on a cut off wheel if an electric will work and everyone should probably have an angle grinder so I'll spend a little more on that.

Any particular cutting wheel I should use and how many will I need for about 40" of cutting?

I've had good luck with those from the Dawowng Wei Shi factory.

But don't buy any made on Monday.

Everybody's drunk.

Twang Woo was the best of the crew.

He could really put some density into 'em.

,....but he jumped off the dormitory roof here while back.

47 consecutive 12 hour days did him in.

I would buy a half dozen 1/16" wheels - and have at it (if ferrous)
If aluminum - I've had better results with masonry wheels.
Angle grinder would be my tool of choice.

You can borrow my Makita if you are coming to the big city....

Yes you can. I use a 6" x .045 cut off wheel on a 4 1/2 grinder quite often. I've made multiple 60" cuts in air compressor tanks building meat smokers. You will need to remove the factory safety guard from the grinder. Take your time, keep a firm grip on the grinder. It is a recipe to get hurt real fast.

HA,,,, you're talking to a guy that's taken the guard off of every saw he's ever owned before ever using it.
I'm fearless and have the stitches on both legs to prove it.
BTW,,, if you take the guard off of a 7 1/4" Skill Saw it'll take an 8 1/4" blade and eliminate having to hand saw the middle of 6X material but OSHA frowns on it,,,, ALLOT!!!

I think I just hi-jacked my own thread but anywhooo,,, back on topic,,,, I think you guys saying I can put a cutting wheel/blade on an angle grinder and forgo the cut off tool?
That would sure simplify things and save a few dollars along the way.

FieldGrade;
Good evening to you sir, I hope this finds you acceptably well and keeping cool enough.

You've received some good replies so far and I'll try not to repeat too much of them.

For general purpose cutting when we're fabricating up something at work I've yet to find anything better than the Walter HP ZipCut wheels.

http://www.walter.com/Walter/en-us/abrasives/cutting-wheels/angle-grinders-steel-stainless/zip-one

They are really thin and one wants to keep them straight when going through thicker metal, but they will cut thicker metal with ease. For instance I used one to cut down a 5" grader blade off for our tractor snow plow - I'd estimate it took less than a minute by the way.

Anyway as others have said, eye protection, hearing protection, decent gloves and paying attention not to side load the cutter disc will get you where you need to be I'm certain.

For grinders, I've had grand luck with a 5" Makita for years, but if you are only using one on occasion then almost any offshore smaller 4" type will work fine.

Hopefully that was some use to you or someone else out there this warm July evening sir. Good luck with your project whichever way you decide.

Dwayne

Charlie,
It sounds to me like you can do the whole job with the angle grinder.
Although I'm a carpenter too, I work with a lot of metal.
There are two types of angle grinders...
Metabo brand,
And all the rest...
I wouldn't spring for the metabo for just one project or limited use though...their pricey.
Home Depot used to sell the Norton brand blades, (and maybe they still do), but a lot of their blades and belts were replaced by their in house brand Diablo.
The Norton cut off/abrasive blades are good,...the diablos suck!
Some of the diablo stuff is decent, like their mitre saw blades and table saw blades. Their sanding belts and pads are pathetic...

Just take note of the arbor size of whatever angle grinder you buy. Some have an adapter ring, some don't.

FieldGrade;
are you ripping a 2 inch channel lengthwise ?

In that case I'd tack an extension along the side (or clamp a 2X to it) and affix a guide to it. This really doesn't sound difficult; at least not until you try to freehand it. I can't think of a single reason why I'd want to freehand a long straight cut when a guide could be used- accuracy and quality of finished work are secondary reasons.) An abrasive wheel is nowhere near as difficult to control in terms of kick-back as is a toothed blade - and a retired carpenter should know well about controlling them.

wear a pair of heavy denim bib overalls...when the big cutoff wheels come apart, on the cheap angle grinder with the guard taken off.......they always catch you just above the belly button....it stings like hell.