Cutting Angle Iron

[Pete C]

Hi,

Got some 1 1/4 x 1/8" angle iron to cut, up to a dozen cuts and thinking of a good way to cut it.

Anyone done this using a 9" angle grinder with a cutting disk or a reciprocating saw? If so how easy was it and did it need lots of discs or blades?

I'd expect the best way would be a chop saw, but it doesn't really have any other uses once I've cut the angle and the above tools can be used for other things.

I could make an angle grinder stand from some angle to make things easier, does anyone know what thread the handle usually is as the mounting holes either side would be a good way to attach it to the stand.

cheers, Pete.

[Ian Stirling]

Bedframe?

4" angle grinder - dead easy. 9" angle grinder, with an appropriate metal-cutting disk, I'd suspect like butter.

Unless you need it very, very accurate, freehand is just fine, cut 1-several mm over, and you can then trim with the angle grinder to a line.

[Bob Minchin]

I'd certainly endorse Ian's reply but add that if you are working with bed angle, this often has hard spots in it and hacksawing then becomes hard work and it can eat blades. Angle ginders don't mind the hardspots so much.

Bob

[david lang]

You can buy a stand that converts an angle grinder into a cut off machine

accurate repitition once you set up a stop.

Dave

[Cicero]

================ A hacksaw would be perfectly adequate for this job. I find the best way to cut angle iron is to lock it in the vice with the angle facing upwards and then cut with long light strokes. A dozen cuts will take less than half an hour and one blade will probably do the lot.

Cic.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Pete C brought next idea :

I have done it with a smaller grinder - it was quick and easy. No need to fix the grinder, so long as the angle is firmly held. Cut one side through, then just nick the other - bend it a few times and it will break. Then just grind the raw edge. Grinder is much faster than a saw and one disk will probably do it.

[Andrew Mawson]

Angle grinder should be fine BUT make sure as the cut is nearly through that the weight of the material doesn't tend to close on the disk and pinch it.

First time I saw my skeleton was when I pinched a 9" wheel cutting some channel section, and it wrenched out of my hand and embedded itself in my lower leg ! Blood EVERYWHERE ! Didn't do the grinder much good either

AWEM

[Set Square]

Get a bit of exercise and cut it with a hacksaw - it ain't that big a job!

Once you've cut the angle, you'll be able to make a stand to cut the angle . .

[Colin Wilson]

[Eric The Viking]

I bought a Black & Decker Scorpion saw a month or two back. It comes with a couple of metal cutting blades as well as wood blades & jigsaw blades. The metal blades would make light work of angle iron. It cuts metal quite quickly and with loads of control.

IMHO 9" angle grinders are a bit animal for this kind of work unless they are in a press ( as Andrew mentioned in this thread ). A 4.5" grinder would be good for the job though - and safer if used 'freehand'.

Personally I'd use the excuse to get a Scorpion - loads of uses after the main job is done. I just used mine to take out an old wooden window frame - took about 10 minutes start to finish. Used the wood blade to cut through the frame at suitable points then switched to the metal blade to take care of some 6" nails that were holding it in. Great for trimming tree branches and fence posts too :-)

ETV

[John Rumm]

Ewwwwe - no thanks! (sorry not my favourite tool!) ;-)

You can tell I was that impressed with it! - its a cross between a jigsaw on steroids, and a reciprocating saw, and seems to acquire the worst attributes of both.

As a jigsaw it lacks the control and finesse of a cheap and nasty jigsaw, its too big, and you get loads of vibration.

In comparison to a real reciprocating saw it is also very feeble. The stroke length is way to short (did I say stoke? - more like vibration length), it lacks power, has a very poor selection of blades (and does not take standard recip saw blades), and it vibrates way too much. After an hours use in any mode you will be lucky if you can still fell your fingers!

The axminster "white" recip saw is just like a real one for about the same money - now that *is* useful.

So in summary: if anyone wants a scorpion, pay the postage and you can have mine!

[Andy Hall]

I'm afraid I have to agree on this. This was one of those tools that looks good in principle and could have been useful, but quality and reliability were poor.

I bought one from B&Q a while back. It lasted a few days and then the mechanism jammed - took it back got another. On this one, the motor seemed to be overheating - unpleasant hot smell and wispy smoke from the vents. No more. I took it back and obtained refund and on asking, a £15 voucher for the inconvenience.

Now I have Scintilla, and she's a lot better behaved, although she does live with Robert these days.

[Eric The Viking]

Maybe you had the blades in upside down, I've used mine for loads of different jobs and it's been faultless.

I looked at the old fashioned 'converted power drill' style saws but they were too long & heavy for my requirements.

ETV

[Dave]

I had to dispatch 60 school desks last week and I used a 4 inch angle grinder to cut the legs at the formed bends. Took me about 4 hours to collapse the legs of the desks. A lot less work than using a hacksaw.

HTH

Dave

[Set Square]

Presumably precision wasn't an issue?

[John Rumm]

While I admit the cut rate would not be much different either way, I am fairly confident I was using the bit with the sawtooth pattern on it to cut with! ;-)

They are a bit longer, but that makes getting two hands on them for extra control a bit easier in my opinion. The main gain is the speed of cut and huge range of blades you can get for all sorts of tasks. There is also far less vibration (since they take far more sizeable saw strokes).

[Pete C]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies, think I'll give it a go with my 4.5" kinzo grinder freehand. If it's hard going or the grinder dies at some point I'll try a 9" grinder.

The stand from Axminster looks good, though if the above goes well I might even have a try at making one.

Not sure about hacksawing it all, seems about as appealing as sanding wood by hand ;)

cheers, Pete.

[Eric The Viking]

Ah, but did you have it plugged in ;-)

They could come with special blades for smoothly cutting particularly hard cheeses for all I care, I still think your talking out of your hat.

ETV

[John Rumm]

Suit yourself. I have used both. The scopion is pathetic compared to the real thing IMHO. As I said, if anyone wants one, they can have mine.

[Nick Atty]

I've got the Screwfix angle grinder stand (they did a special offer on the pair a couple of years back). It's ok, but a bit flimsy. In particular, unless you are very careful indeed, the various fastenings tend to vibrate lose letting the grinder wobble about a bit - which is not what you want!