Diamond METAL cutting skilsaw blades???

A

alinwa

oft dis'd member
I've been trying to find a good way to cut 1" steel plate. I acquired a pile of 1ftX2ftX1" A36 steel plates that've been painted and are a little rusty. I've been cutting them into baseplate weights for my front rests, cuts from 12" long to 18" long thru the 1" thick plate.

So far I've tried;
- my little plasma cutter, not enough power......
- water jet, too expensive.....
- laser, too expensive.......
- Oxy/Acet, too raggedy.......-
- hotsaw/fiber blade, too slow.......
- hotsaw, diamond blade, no go.......
- 14" chopsaw w/fiber blade, I've burnt up two chopsaws.....
- Bridgeport, kinda' fiddly but best yet......

Too wide for my bandsaw

That's all I can think of right now.

I've got a friend with one a' them German machines with like a 36"-40" circular blade but I ain't going there.

And lately the suppliers have been pushing 7 1/2" diamond-tipped circular saw blades on me that are purported to slice thru the metal. I've been too cheap to risk 65.00 on something I don't think will work.

Has anyone tried a diamond tipped metal-cutting blade?
 
I have used diamond tipped blades in a chopsaw to cut rebar, it worked well. I doubt the skilsaw version cutting 1" plate would.

I would find a bigger bandsaw. I have a Wells 8M and when I remove the factory stationary jaw and install the MAXI plate jaw I made I can cut up to 18" plate, and do with a coarse toothed bimetal blade.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcPjyQGh7EU

Been following this guy, JD Brewer at APEX Welding, for a couple years now and he does a lot of heavy cutting with the German Metabo side angle grinder using the Metabo Super Slicer cutting wheels. Near the end of this vid he runs a timed test between Oxy/Acc and the Metabo on I think 1/2" I beam. I don't think I would want to attempt grinding thru 1" plate but if I had to it would be with a Metabo… Sounds like an opportunity to purchase a larger plasma cutter. But probably would do best just buying a box of Norton 60 Grit flap disks and torch cutt'n them. Those Norton flap disks will make short work out of cleaning up the torch cuts
 
Carbide tipped circular saw

I picked up a Milwaukee circular saw for cutting plate steel (1/4 and thinner mostly) It will cut 1/2 plate surprisingly well. I have cut a little 1 in plate but it’s a bit slow and hard on blades. It dose leave a nice cut edge with no bur.
 
Al, I use the crap out of my carbide chop saw/cold saw. They are pretty impressive as to how well they will cut and nearly no heat transfers to the part. Blades are a little expensive and blade life is mostly what you make it. If you abuse it, it'll cost ya and if you take care of it, life is still only fair, at best....But they are very nice.

That said, I think you need to contract with someone who has a cnc plasma cutter big enough for the job. It should leave an edge that is nearly as smooth as a water jet cut but lots cheaper.
 
I've got a guy about 15mi up the road that does plasma cutting (He's got a 10?X18?) table...... big enough to fork sheets onto..... my problem is, #1 I want to be able to do one-offs and #2 the guy doesn't want to take my money..... and I guess #3 HOW DOES a shop charge for a single 18" cut? Takes longer to program the head than to make the cut....

I think one 'a them cold saws would be useful just not worth the price right now, for me.

A bigger bandsaw is also thousands.....

Problem is, I've got a dozen chopsaws, hotsaws, right angle grinders but they're all high-speed, non-rigid designed to spark the metal away......and all my diamond blades are concrete/asphalt blades. We all perty much assume that finding much rebar will toast a blade.....

Thank you to those of you who've input re diamond blades.......I be gonna' try these metal-rated diamondy thingies.
 
Dans40X said:
Al,
ACA /Air Carbon Arc would be the most economical & fastest option.
Click to expand...


friggin' ROCK'D IT!!! I've got old grungy industrial stick welders that'll light up Manhatten but I didn't know anything about this use of a carbon rod to melt and blow out material.....

Heck.... I got two hands and and limitless 160psi air.... might just buy some ROD fer cryin' out loud!

Thanks Dan..... be tryin' this
 
JEEEPERS just ONCE I'd like to be surprised.... :)

Well'p....... the metal-cutting skilsaw blade proved to be pretty much as expected, ie NOT so very-very cost-effective LOL!

;) I'll give it, conservatively, "38.00/inch" . . . . . . and I'm being gracious

I think I'm back to Oxy/Acet and clean 'er up altho I did order me some Arcair 1/4X12 DCCC Pointed (PKG 50) 22043003 stick to see if it cuts cleaner than the rosebud AND just because I din't even know about it..... (I'm kinda' the archetypical rednekkid "Sixty'leven if ya' got's power...... 6010 in the truck for wheelin'." guy...)

or maybe the other way 'round

Anyways, I'm the guy who has to set his helmet out in the sun while he sets up and grinds out cuz, ummmm, "It's been a while"
 
May take a little practice

If you are willing to practice just a bit, you should be able to come up with very accpetalbe finish with a cutting torch and a cutting quide. Torch set up is critical, there are some tricks to it, but not anything that the average person cannot do. The use of a cutting guide will go a long ways in making the edges even and clean.
Generally an air arc is used to remove metal to open up a crack for repair, it would be one of the last things I would use to cut plate in the manner you describe. You really are making something relatively easy into a hard project. Would visit with you if there is a way to make contact.
 
Al sounds to me you could use your time more better. No telling how many wins and records set without using a 1" plate on their rest. Just sounds like way over kill.
 
Al,
You'll need an AirArc 6ft stinger w/ 3/8" carbon rod &/compressed air plugged into the "whip" w/600AmpDCRP to blow through 1" plate in 1 pass.
Like a hot knife through butter.
Turn amperage down to 450 & feather edges to your liking.

Plasma Cutting is restricted in several area's by comparison,using compressed air or nitrogen.
I won't advocate the use of any mixed gases, unless you know exactly what you are doing.
 
Dans40X said:
Al,
You'll need an AirArc 6ft stinger w/ 3/8" carbon rod &/compressed air plugged into the "whip" w/600AmpDCRP to blow through 1" plate in 1 pass.
Like a hot knife through butter.
Turn amperage down to 450 & feather edges to your liking.

Plasma Cutting is restricted in several area's by comparison,using compressed air or nitrogen.
I won't advocate the use of any mixed gases, unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Click to expand...

My welding skills are pretty much limited to farm work, but they don't often break. ;).
I have a local shop with a big cnc plasma table and the cuts that I've seen them do are very clean. I was just curious what the pros and cons of this vs air arc cutting are. You're the man and I appreciate your input as I too have some cutting that I'll be farming out to someone soon, similar to what Al has....likely 1 inch steel plate. Thanks in advance Dan!
 
Dans40X said:
Al,
You'll need an AirArc 6ft stinger w/ 3/8" carbon rod &/compressed air plugged into the "whip" w/600AmpDCRP to blow through 1" plate in 1 pass.
Like a hot knife through butter.
Turn amperage down to 450 & feather edges to your liking.

Plasma Cutting is restricted in several area's by comparison,using compressed air or nitrogen.
I won't advocate the use of any mixed gases, unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Click to expand...

Is that Arcair brand? This is what I've looked at.
 
Al,
Yes.

Reverse SMAW/Stick welding.
Carbon Stick is electrode-consumable.
Compressed air blows molten material out of puddle.
 
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