ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 981
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Cutting thick(ish) metalferny
@ferny
Club Retro Rides Member 13
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Being a teacher and realistic, I'm expecting a slight amount of time off with little warning soon! With that in mind I'm gearing up to finish (actually, start...) some of the projects I've got. One of these involves cutting sheet steel 4mm and 6mm thick. Can anyone offer any tips on what's quick and accurate? Are there jigsaw blades able to cope and what's best for ripping it down before shaping? I'm going to grab a 115mm diamond blade for the death wheel for experimenting, but I know that'll take an ice age to go through it.
I know there will be people here with far more experience than me and who have tried lots of cutting equipment.
And yep, I'd love a plasma cutter but I can't see me cutting metal this thick in the future other than for this project. Unless those £150 eBay specials are any good?
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Last Edit: Mar 15, 2020 8:53:36 GMT by ferny
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,829
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Cutting thick(ish) metalstealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Skinny cutting disk on a grinder. Just go steady, go along the line 2 or 3 times rather than letting it cut through in one place then going along the line.
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sowen
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,245
Club RR Member Number: 24
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Cutting thick(ish) metalsowen
@sowen
Club Retro Rides Member 24
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Mar 15, 2020 10:03:59 GMT
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Good quality 1mm cutting discs. I like the BlueSpot brand, good value and last well. Can be bought off ebay in quantities upto a 100 if you're that serious!
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Mar 15, 2020 10:09:21 GMT
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As said good quality 1mm slitting discs on your angle grinder. Let the disc do the work, don't force it and move along the cut line slowly back and forth.
Personally i rate the Klingspor brand highly
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Mar 15, 2020 10:50:53 GMT
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1mm discs in an angle grinder.
If you're going to be doing a lot of cuts, then the appropriate blades for your jigsaw will be cheaper. You need to securely clamp both parts of the cut when doing this, and some sort of cooling fluid would be sensible
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Mar 15, 2020 11:35:17 GMT
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As already said, I’d just add that buying a box of 25 parweld discs at my local welding centre is £10, far cheaper than the b&q style retailers or even ‘show’ prices, assuming you can find one that’s still on!
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Badger
Part of things
Posts: 250
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Mar 15, 2020 11:56:27 GMT
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Another one here for slitting discs on the angry grinder.
Other than that a decent plasma cutter or big ass bandsaw, but those require a fair bit of investment!
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Mar 15, 2020 12:29:08 GMT
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Another vote for 1mm slitting disc's. If you want a dead straight cut clamp a section of angle iron across the sheet as a guide.
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1988 Mercedes w124 superturbo diesel 508hp
1996 Mercedes s124 e300 diesel wagon
1990 BMW E30 V8 M60 powered!
1999 BMW E46 323ci project car
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ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 981
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Cutting thick(ish) metalferny
@ferny
Club Retro Rides Member 13
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Mar 15, 2020 16:11:13 GMT
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Thanks for the advice guys. I'll give up on the jigsaw idea then. I bought some Metabo discs and a Dewalt diamond disc (for curiosity) earlier and right now I'm trying to talk myself out of/justify buying one of those Cut50 plasma cutters off eBay. An idea of the shapes I need to cut are below, which is why I was thinking of a jigsaw. A little fella in red on my shoulder is suggesting getting one with pilot arc as I've got to cut out some TR6 sills and a plasma cutter is ideal...  |
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Last Edit: Mar 15, 2020 16:13:45 GMT by ferny
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Mar 15, 2020 16:23:14 GMT
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I think you will need a very long time off skool to cut those out with a slitting disk! to you not know any engineering firms with a laser cutter near by?
Remember you get some real nasty fumes from a plasma so use in a well ventilated area and use a face mask if you can get one!
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Mar 15, 2020 18:21:22 GMT
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Have a look here.https://youtu.be/6XcGELDfCLU Ive been following this guy for a while and he uses his plasma cutter and has good results.
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ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 981
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Cutting thick(ish) metalferny
@ferny
Club Retro Rides Member 13
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Mar 15, 2020 19:09:14 GMT
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I think you will need a very long time off skool to cut those out with a slitting disk! to you not know any engineering firms with a laser cutter near by? Remember you get some real nasty fumes from a plasma so use in a well ventilated area and use a face mask if you can get one! I wasn't aware of the fumes, so thank you. It'd only get used in the garden due to the sparks in all honesty. Have a look here.https://youtu.be/6XcGELDfCLU Ive been following this guy for a while and he uses his plasma cutter and has good results. Well, you've convinced me that I need one. If only so that I get to fit my own plerrg. |
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Mar 15, 2020 19:16:08 GMT
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Yeh, his accent is infectious.
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Mar 15, 2020 19:25:45 GMT
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1mm slitting discs in the grinder.
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alecf
Part of things
Posts: 424 
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you will struggle to cut that out neat enough with a 1mm disc, as for a diamond disc I was under the impression they are for stone not metal.
If I was you I would contact a local laser cutters, Ive just brought a stainless 12mm thick vw 1,8t head flange for £40, perfect fit and not worth the hassle of trying to replicate.
There are plenty of online places which will sell that flange. (search for exhaust building parts in google)
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You could always go "old school" and drill holes around the edge of the mark, then join them. Laser cutter sounds great, when I wanted some doing I struggled to find anyone local that would admit to having one.
Disc manufacturer makes more difference than I thought. I recently cut off a sill, used a new cutting disc, by the time I'd cut along the bottom (so the second ~1.2m cut) the disc was finished. I forget what make it was. I switched to a "Rolson" disc, not exactly the most expensive of manufacturers, and that's lasting much better.
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alecf
Part of things
Posts: 424
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Mar 16, 2020 10:06:23 GMT
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Thanks for the advice guys. I'll give up on the jigsaw idea then. I bought some Metabo discs and a Dewalt diamond disc (for curiosity) earlier and right now I'm trying to talk myself out of/justify buying one of those Cut50 plasma cutters off eBay. An idea of the shapes I need to cut are below, which is why I was thinking of a jigsaw. A little fella in red on my shoulder is suggesting getting one with pilot arc as I've got to cut out some TR6 sills and a plasma cutter is ideal... just as an idea- Ive not purchased from these but gives you a clue as to the cost and time implications and the feasibility. www.turborebuild.co.uk/webshop/prod_5659243-Turbo-to-Downpipe-Outlet-Flange-Subaru-EJ20-TD04-Turbocharger-9mm-Stainless-Steel.html |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Cutting thick(ish) metalDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Mar 16, 2020 10:37:19 GMT
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6mm is too thin for exhaust flanges anyway.
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ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 981
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Cutting thick(ish) metalferny
@ferny
Club Retro Rides Member 13
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Mar 16, 2020 17:08:16 GMT
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Ahh, that was just to give an idea of the shape. It's not an exhaust flange I'm doing, it's all for converting a Subaru diff to fit the Herald. Obviously there aren't any photos of the bits I need as I'm planning on making it all myself. That's also why I can't get a company to do it for me, as I'll not know what I want until I start. 🙂
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ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 981
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Cutting thick(ish) metalferny
@ferny
Club Retro Rides Member 13
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Mar 16, 2020 18:31:33 GMT
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you will struggle to cut that out neat enough with a 1mm disc, as for a diamond disc I was under the impression they are for stone not metal. There are a few diamond discs out there. I'm giving the Dewalt one a go. Mainly to throw in the box for emergencies as they don't expire. They are slow and noisy. www.dewalt.co.uk/products/diamond-cut-off-wheels.html |
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