peow130

See:
"any diamond toothed cut-off wheel for a grinder or table saw or something should do ok"

Diamond Tooth cut off wheel implies diamond tooth saw blade.
Also, i think that with ANY table saw the chances of kickback are amazing.

If you don't have a catcher, or a good grip on the metal, then i don't think that cutting metal via table saw is necessarily safe.

Matt16

I'd bring it to a metal shop on a Friday afternoon with a six pack on hand... I got my York air pump bracket cut, welded, cut and adjusted and rewelded for $25 worth of beer... way more economical than buying tools IMO.

mick cassidy

you are INSANE to try to cut anything more than a little bit of 1 4 in steel with a cut off wheel accidents happen all the time with bad cut off wheels etc but or rent a plasma cutter
or go to a metal supplier

93YotaMonster

metal skill saw from milwaukee, i have one and the thing works great and has a clean cut.

RMA

Ive been bidding on the henrobs on Ebay for a month now .cant get one cheap.

yoterr

been usin a grinder n a cutoff wheel forever, u just score your cut line, a couple of times to get it straight and ur good to go, and a chop saw works fine for tubing but i dunno about plate, and u could prolly use a table saw with a cutoff disk in it , just a pain cuz ur gonna have to change it a bunch, and would have to go SLOW

peow130

Same.
Grinder/Cutoff wheel can get pretty good results if you take your time.

the table saw thing just doesnt seem right to me

93YotaMonster

the grinder and cut off wheel work well, but if you get them in a bind they tend to blow up in your face, im with Peow130 i dont think the table saw is a good idea.

glenyoshida

You'd be surprised what you can do with an angle grinder ($70) and a stack of 4.5" cut off wheels ($1.50 - $3.00 ea.). Try and get a thin kerf such as a .040" in the cut off wheels. You'll also need a grinding wheel, and a sand flapper wheel. Norton makes good cut off wheels and they are sold at Home Depot.

If you're asking if it's a good idea to put abrasive cut off wheels in a table saw or miter saw designed for wood then the answer is no. I sure as heck wouldn't do that. You can get really hurt not to mention ruining your tools.

Reciprocating saw - works but is pretty slow and you have to keep the blades cool or the temper in the teeth is ruined in a matter of minutes and it gets expensive fast buying new blades

Band saw - Love them. Great for cutting. Keep the blade cool here too but it's not a problem like a reciprocating saw. Cutting oil or coconut oil recommended. Kinda hard to work with large pieces though unless you build a large table or something for it.

Plasma cutter - expensive as heck and you still have to grind/clean up the edges with a grinder for a clean weld. Even if you could afford it there are plenty of other tools that you would get much more use from. I have one and rarely use it.

Acetylene cutting torch - crude cuts and again you have to clean up your edges with a grinder. It's very time consuming grinding the edges until they are clean and true.

Metal Chop saw (not a wood saw) - If you can afford one they make fast and clean cuts. They are great for tube and bar stock but it's not possible to make long cuts in sheet or plate with one.

Angle Grinder (my recommendation) - Inexpensive. Depending on your design you can practically build your entire bumper with this tool and a welder. It was my tool of choice when I built my rear bumper. They are however deceptively dangerous. Like most tools they are most dangerous when you are learning how to use them. Leave the guard on. You will blow up many discs when you start and even after you've used them for a while. Make no mistake, the lack of teeth doesn't stop them from cutting through flesh and bone like a red hot knife to butter. You're just asking for it if you don't wear protective gear such as a face shield and gloves. It's very important to stay out of the cutting path and the path that the broken disc will fly in. Seriously, be smart and wear protective gear. When you start getting lazy and think about trying a cut without the gear ask yourself what you have to gain from it and what you could lose.

Oh, and it doesn't sound like it but just in case, if you're planning on building your entire bumper with 1/4" plate then it's a bit overkill. There's probably only a few parts that need something that thick. Have fun with your build!


My unfinished bumper done with an angle grinder. It's ain't the prettiest thing but it's functional. (I have no idea why the same video show up twice. I only have the one link and set of tags)
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzZP8RaFEQg[/YOUTUBE]

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

If you are getting poor cut quality from your Plasma and Oxy- Acetylene you are not doing it correct or need more practice .

If you did it all the time you would be able to get ready to weld pieces from both processes