What to cut plate steel with

[vigsgb]

The project I am going to be working on has 1/4" 3/8" and 1/2" plate steel that I need to layout drill holes and cut to shape.

What do I use to cut out the plate steel shape?

Can I use my jigsaw with bi metal blades or do I need a metal cut off saw?

How do you cut steel parts?

 

[purpleknif]

What kind of steel? Big enough to torch cut to rough dims?

 

[vigsgb]

What kind of steel? Big enough to torch cut to rough dims?

1018 - 4" x 6" and some 12" x 8" pieces.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

You can use an electric jig saw with metal cutting blades or a bandsaw with metal cutting blade. You could use a plasma cutter, or oxy acetylene, which is pretty rough and ragged but will work (leave lots of material for grinding to finished size if you go oxy-acetylene.)---Brian

 

[ninefinger]

I would consider the following options:
1. If the final parts are square sided I'd have the metal supplier cut to rough size for a couple of bucks per cut
2. If I already had the metal or the sides are not straight lines then I would chain drill first, then use the jig saw to cut the remaining webs.

I personally have a vertical bandsaw that I use but it is still slow going cutting thick metal. On my wish list is a horizontal bandsaw with automatic downfeed and coolant for cutting bar stock to length (one day...)

Till then I use the above options and my bandsaw - ie I just recently bought a chunk of 5" diameter 1018 steel, I could have bought more material and cut it at home on my bandsaw all afternoon, or I paid $5 extra for the cut and they did it in 5 minutes while I waited.

Mike

 

[Anko]

I had a 6x4 bandsaw and is good to rough cut some small steel plate, but its slow, and because I broke a few teeth in the blade it jams a lot, so really is not very efective for me...

the method I use more often and is a lot cheap (it only reuqiere a drill press) is to buy some 4mm drills and drill consecutive holes all arround the shape I want to cut, the closest one hole to another the better, then when I finish, depending on the shape I use a angle grinder or a manual saw to cut the remaing metal (the more close one hole is from the other, this task becomes more easy).

the pros of this method is that is very cheap and efective

the cons is that requiere a lot of work and time, and also you end up with a very rough cut that needs to be grind or flathed.

Thats for me, Hope to help, but Im also very interested on finding a better time and effort method to do this

Saludos

 

[terrywerm]

Not knowing what shapes your parts will be makes it a bit tougher to answer your question, but I have done the methods listed below, with varying levels of labor and success:

• Chain drill with a small drill, then 'connect the dots' with a sabre saw with a bi-metal blade. Use file, grinder or vertical mill to smooth up the sides of the cut.
• If cutting out an 'internal piece' and leaving a shaped hole in your part, drill starter holes in the corners, large enough to start a sabre saw blade or even a Sawzalll blade, then saw from corner hole to corner hole. This method involves the least amount of grinding, but the sawing can take quite a while. Hint: sabre saws tend to not last a long time when used this heavily. They tend to get quite hot! Sawzalls fare better, but this is tough work even for them.
• Plasma cutter or a gas ax (cutting torch). As others noted earlier, leaves a very rough edge, requiring lots of grinding.
• Find a local company that can water jet or laser cut the parts for you. Costs a few bucks, but well worth it in my book. Edges are very smooth.
• Used an end mill to cut out internal shapes. Start by putting starter holes in the corners, then mill from hole to hole. Slow, but all in all I think is the best way for the guy that has lots of time and not so much money. I do think this method is faster than the first two methods listed above since no touch up with a grinder or file is required. You might need to deburr along the edges, but that is a minimal consequence.

 

[kvom]

My experience is that cutting steel that thick with a vertical bandsaw is VERY slow. Jigsaw would be worse.

I'd use a plasma torch if you have or can borrow one. The edges can be cleaned up with a roughing endmill pretty easily.

Buying stock that's already the right size is the easiest.

 

[Tin Falcon]

sometimes a hard choice:
band saw clean but slow.
torch faster but lots of clean-up and grinding
chop saw with abrasive blade dirty and noisy

Cold saws are nice but not usually in the home shop shears are fast but again not in the home shop. and usually not more than 1/4 cap.

Tin

 

[Maryak]

As the proud owner of a small single phase plasma cutter I can say it is a worthwhile addition to my shop.

However anything thicker than 3/8" is not possible, (not enough amps), and also a decent supply of air, again beyond that of my small 24l compressor.

Still 2 out of 3 ain't bad

In my limited experience with plasma cutters, the clean up is a lot less arduous than after Oxy/Acetylene cutting. For the thickest, (3/8"), plate, just keep up the air and a slow rate of travel.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Herbiev]

As Bob said. After a few minutes practice a plasma cutter will leave a nice clean cut but you need a decent air supply. Plasma cutters for up to 1/2" steel are available for less than $300. For a few dollars more you can get a 3 in one. Plasma, arc welder and Tig welder. I'd be lost without mine