Bubba Ray Boudreaux
1 ton status
Do they chew through 1/4" plate pretty good????????????
CK5
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Sawzall Question
- Thread starter Bubba Ray Boudreaux
- Start date
I've just been doing that yesterday and today. Yes when the blade is new, though it dulls fairly quickly. Use some oil to help keep the blade cooler. It will last alot longer.
Not too bad. It is important to buy a good blade though. Once I bought some crap Makita blades that hardly cut tin. Milwaukee and DeWalt blades cost more, but they last longer and cut faster, and would be the best bet for 1/4". How many linear inches do you have to cut?
spearchucker
1/2 ton status
It's faster than a hacksaw but slower than a plasma cutter.
Bubba Ray Boudreaux
1 ton status
divorced said:
Heck, that's the question of the week. I'm trying to postpone the inevitable by buying tanks for the torch, $300 + and figured if a Sawzall can do what I need better than the jigsaw
and yet cheaper than the torch, then I would get one.First item to be hacked would be a winch mounting plate, so it wouldn't be all that big of a job.
Don't remember the brand name (it's pouring rain or I'd go look) but the important thing is they are/were bi-metal blades. They last longer. These are about 8 inches long. And make long cuts, not edge ways, it goes faster/straighter. IMO.
85mudblazin
1/2 ton status
got a angle grinder?? Just use a cut off wheel on one, will cut faster and make better cuts 
Bubba Ray Boudreaux
1 ton status
85mudblazin said:got a angle grinder?? Just use a cut off wheel on one, will cut faster and make better cuts
kevcarr59
Registered Member
Angle grinder..
Much cheaper also..
Just bought 4" Angle grinder from Harbor Frieght...On sale for $8.99.. Reg price $20... A lot cheaper then SawzAll...
Much cheaper also..
Just bought 4" Angle grinder from Harbor Frieght...On sale for $8.99.. Reg price $20... A lot cheaper then SawzAll...
Bubba Ray Boudreaux
1 ton status
kevcarr59 said:Much cheaper also..
Just bought 4" Angle grinder from Harbor Frieght...On sale for $8.99.. Reg price $20... A lot cheaper then SawzAll...
If y'all screwballs want to cut plate with a friggin 4" angle grinder, go right ahead. I'd rather listen to 4 hours of John Kerry and his plans for America..............................
joefl
1/2 ton status
Bubba Ray Boudreaux said:If y'all screwballs want to cut plate with a friggin 4" angle grinder, go right ahead. I'd rather listen to 4 hours of John Kerry and his plans for America..............................
joez
1/2 ton status
Ive done both, and they both work, but the grinder method sucks for cuts of any length or when you need them to be somewhat precise.
Ill take a sawzall with a good quality blade over a grinder for accurate cuts. A sawzall with a good blade makes a much nicer cut and is easier to work and keep in a straight line.
Ill take a sawzall with a good quality blade over a grinder for accurate cuts. A sawzall with a good blade makes a much nicer cut and is easier to work and keep in a straight line.
Bubba Ray Boudreaux said:If y'all screwballs want to cut plate with a friggin 4" angle grinder, go right ahead. I'd rather listen to 4 hours of John Kerry and his plans for America..............................
[John Kerry voice] I have a plan... [/John Kerry voice]
both methods work...
The sawsall is ok as long as you have plenty of sharp blades handy--1/4 inch thick plate will dull them fast,especially if they are too fine or cheap ones--use "Lenox" blades for best results,they last a lot longer than the cheap ones,thats all the fire Dept.here uses on rescue work involving a sawsall..you can bend them in half,and just smack them flat with a hammer and keep on sawing!--they do cost a bit more,but they are worth it!...
I've used abrasive wheels made for a circular saw to cut heavy plate,it works pretty good,better than you'd expect from a woodcutting type of saw,it turns it into a metal cutting monster with one of those abrasive blades--it will likely take 2 or 3 of them to go much farther than a few feet on something that thick,but it might be faster than a sawsall...easier on you too..
Those blades are around 3-4 bucks each at home depot or Lowe's..makes a nice neat cut too,no grinding--the angle grinders work,but are slow on thick stuff,and eat lots of wheels..better for tin and body work..
The sawsall is ok as long as you have plenty of sharp blades handy--1/4 inch thick plate will dull them fast,especially if they are too fine or cheap ones--use "Lenox" blades for best results,they last a lot longer than the cheap ones,thats all the fire Dept.here uses on rescue work involving a sawsall..you can bend them in half,and just smack them flat with a hammer and keep on sawing!--they do cost a bit more,but they are worth it!...
I've used abrasive wheels made for a circular saw to cut heavy plate,it works pretty good,better than you'd expect from a woodcutting type of saw,it turns it into a metal cutting monster with one of those abrasive blades--it will likely take 2 or 3 of them to go much farther than a few feet on something that thick,but it might be faster than a sawsall...easier on you too..
Those blades are around 3-4 bucks each at home depot or Lowe's..makes a nice neat cut too,no grinding--the angle grinders work,but are slow on thick stuff,and eat lots of wheels..better for tin and body work..
I've done the same thing with a circular saw. Just bought blades for a chop saw. Worked great, although I agree that 1/4" will eat them fairly quickly. It also gets very hot - make sure that there are no holes in the fingertips of your gloves. 
pvfjr
1/2 ton status
If you can find the sawzall blades that say "the torch", I've cut a lot of 1/4 wall tube with those with good results.
big jimmy 91
1/2 ton status
Noise?
"If y'all screwballs want to cut plate with a friggin 4" angle grinder, go right ahead. I'd rather listen to 4 hours of John Kerry and his plans for America....................."
You will listen to a grinder anyway to clean up the sawzall cuts
the sawzall cuts fine but it will leave the edges looking rougher than doing it with a grinder and some cut off disks
Have you cut plate with a sawzall? ,do you realize it also is very noisy?
Just my own exp.
"If y'all screwballs want to cut plate with a friggin 4" angle grinder, go right ahead. I'd rather listen to 4 hours of John Kerry and his plans for America....................."
You will listen to a grinder anyway to clean up the sawzall cuts
the sawzall cuts fine but it will leave the edges looking rougher than doing it with a grinder and some cut off disks
Have you cut plate with a sawzall? ,do you realize it also is very noisy?
Just my own exp.
Desert Rat
Fetch the comfy chair
Bubba Ray Boudreaux said:I'd rather listen to 4 hours of John Kerry and his plans for America..............................
I wouldn't................
firefighter184
Hippie Killer
pvfjr said:
Milwaukee makes the "Torch" blades. I have cut A TON of metal and steel with those blades, including red iron structural stuff. Good choice. Lenox is good stuff too. A little oil goes a log way to making ANY blade last.
kyser_soze
1/2 ton status
I did the same thing last year with a jigsaw. Bosch preditor blade. It cut the crap out of the 1/4" metal with good lines.
