I need some recommendations on cutting up a log splitter that was fabricated from a steel I beam. The top and bottom plates are one half inch thick by eight inches wide the center piece is about ten inches high. I currently have at my disposal a four and a half inch angle grinder, a saws all and a circular saw.Will abrasive blades for the circular saw work for this? I do not have a torch or welder.
Thanks

Find a torch.

You will have a tough time cutting the center piece with the circ saw. Think of the max depth of the circ saw (probably @ 3" per side) and you're going to have a large 4-5" section of the center part of the beam that won't get cut. The sawzall could finish the job there.

I would strongly recommend renting a torch for a job like this.

Is this cut needing to be pretty, or just cut? Sawzall would do it all with enough blades and time. It may or may not be pretty either way.

Take a bunch of grinding. You would probably get way tired of this project before you finally got it cut.

If it was mine, I'd cart it down to a local welding shop and get them to cut it with a torch per my directions. I'd then take it home and smooth it up, using my grinders.

IMHO,

DF

As long as time and lung cancer are of little concern, just buy about 100 thin discs and proceed with caution.

You need a torch or a demo saw.

The Sawzall will take forever and a 4.5" grinder with cutoff discs will be only marginally faster. Your circular saw will work with abrasive blades but they're rather thick and they will take some time as well. You'll also go through several of then making one cut.
I'd look into one of the dedicated metal cutting carbide tooth blades for your circular saw. Barring a torch that will be your quickest option but it will put a lot of wear and tear on your saw.

I'd borrow or rent a torch.

hack saw
and you'll have an arm like Popeye!
My cobra torch will make short work of any beam!
And leave a cut as smooth as any saw.

This ^^^^^ is how it needs to be done.

I'd sell the log splitter complete and get a new beam cut to your specs.

This unit is getting cut up for scrap.It is in a tough location or I would just drag it out whole.
The circular saw is an elcheapo that I bought many moons ago so if it dies oh well.I never thought of renting torches. That may be FUN!!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Find Chuck Norris. He'll do it with his bare hands.

A few more years in the weather and I might be able to do that my self!

Torch, but I've had good luck with a sawzall blade called "The Torch". Cut some 2'' angle iron really well.

If you need any tips, let me know. I did the job professionally before (hence my handle) and can provide advice if necessary.

Yes, those "torch" blades are good...I forget what brand they are, Milwaukee perhaps?

I believe Milwaukee is the brand.

a cheap ( diposable ) circular saw and an abrasive blade will worry through it.


It beats a hack saw....

A.) Torch (best option)

B.) Stihl "Demolition saw" with a 20" Abrasive cut off wheel.

WEAR a dust mask !

GTC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ima2ITyMV4c

That's not "Torch Cutting" in that vid,....it's metal butchery.

Over 50 years into metal trades, I'm just not real big on grinders.

Few Louisiana pipe fitters are, actually.

GTC

Good advice! Actually I find myself wearing a dust mask/safety goggles for almost all sanding/grinding projects.

See if you can rent a plasma cutter.

C4 and a ribbon charge. It'll look like it was done with a torch, but be a lot louder.

torch

.270 Winchester w/ Barnes boolits

Funny thing, and you've likely seen it too...many a great welder have I worked with, bit those who were truly good with a torch were few. It seems everyone wants a #4 tip to chew through sched 40.....lol.

why even do anything to it all beside drag it to the scrape yard and sell it...at the price of scrape iron, you will not get any less out of it being in one big peice, than it will be worth your time and cost to cut it up.

Torch cutting is an art as much as a science. I did it for over a year. I'm not an expert, but before I left, one of the guys at the yard told me "You're the second best torch-cutter we've ever had," next to a guy who had done it for @ 8 years. It takes patience, skill, and forethought. I enjoyed the work while I did it.

Well I may have very well been the guy that your yard man was talkin about.....

As a welding instructor for the last 25 years, I can tell you that circular saw and abrasive wheel is going to get old real quick on thick I-beam. A torch will make short work of that project.In any event, good luck with whatever you choose.

Wy Ya,....thats about as close as you can get to screwin a monkey with a football...

Having half assed my way through any number of projects like this before, I can tell you from experience. Rent the torch, or take it to a professional. It'll be cheaper in the long run.

You can cheap out and go oxy/propane to save a buck. I would expect to use up about $50 worth of cut off wheels....not including the lung cancer or time at the eye Dr......and should you drop, crack, run one out of balance.....just throw it away.

What's the problem? 2 or 3 cut of blades for the circular saw, cut through on top and bottom.

Couple cut-off blades for the 4-1/2" grinder, remove the guard and cut through the web...

Nothing to it, just takes time and a little patience...

Be prepared to get covered with grinding dust.

Phil

Do yourself a favor and rent a oxy/acet torch if necessary.

By the time you worry through that beam with circular saw and 4.5" grinder, you'll need a new one of each along with having a pile of spent wheels/blades.

Has anyone suggested finding a torch yet?

If you have the ability to use a cutting outfit, and want to spend the money and time to rent a cutting out fit to cut one beam for scrap have at it.

Otherwise what you have will cut through it in less than 20 minutes and most of that will be tied up in changing wheels.

Place your marks and make a lite cut first 1/8" to 1/4", then set the saw for a 1" cut and have at it... the lite cut will guide the saw.

Same in cutting the web.

Have done it quite offten... and blades for the two are fairly cheap.

Phil

Cheap is the idea.
I am doing this as a favor for a neighbor and I fear it is going to end up costing me money that I don't want to spend right now!

No good deed goes unpunished!

I just didn't want to start into this and end up not being able to finish it with the equipment at hand.

You want cheap? Get that neighbor to do it himself!

I am afraid that the sparks would ignite his oxygen!

Care to make a wager on that statement?

This is what i use works every time, !!! Don

By the sounds of it the best route would be to just give the thing to a scrapper to remove it

An 8" I-beam, 1/2" thick, with a 10" web in 20 minutes, with an abrasive blade on a circular saw? I don't think so!

Winner!

Can't happen.

Yeah, that is wishful thinking. Cut off wheels for grinders are a great thing but to a I beam as described they are but a decent air rifle on a water buff hunt.

LOL!!!,..I bet i does!

Can you get the thing in a pickup? Just take it to any metal shop and have them torch or saw it in half. Won't take them 10 min and is a lot easier than renting a torch.

Put an ad in craigslist and sell it. Let the buyer worry about moving it.

Zip discs. Take it apart weld by weld until it managable enough to man handle it.



Or find a fawking torch.

Kind of obvious that not many have had to pay for the disks to cut some POS like this apart with a grinder, or anything short of a gas axe, nor had to do it. Russ

If you could get it in a truck, why would you pay to have it cut???

Mix up a bit of thermite.......

That will work.
Can I borrow it this weekend?

I'll probably be using it tomorrow!! with the economy the way it is,Saturdays are a busy day in the scrapyard !!!

Smoke wrench.

Cut it yet? Gonna cost a fortune in cut off wheels.

More than obvious ive cut a [bleep] ton of steel using various techniques and given the OPs options, dismantling the [bleep] splitter via welds is the best option short of letting the son of bitch rust over the course of 175 years.

Gas axe.

I used a 4.5" angle grinder to cut a 10" I-beam whilst building my house 3 years ago. If I remember right it took three of the 1/16" disks. Possibly four, but I'm pretty sure it was three. They were the cheap $0.99 disks. I was impressed with them. Seems like it took 10-15 minutes, if you don't rush them along they'll last a while longer.

Shovel.

HOle.

Backfill.

Not sure if you were serious or not, but that's actually not a terrible idea.

Though imo the craigslist / let the buyer take care of it is the best route if you can pull it off.

I was being serious........

use a file

Does this imply that cutting it where it was welded would be easier?
we were surveying the situation and if I can cut it into three smaller pieces I could winch them onto a truck.

I like the thermite suggestions!

Sure, think of it as reverse-engineering it.

I used to torch-cut things along bolt holes or areas of welds if possible rather than making a new cut. If I can lop off the head of a couple of bolts (or smear a couple of welds) it's easier than making a new cut.