How to cut 5/16 thick steel

[rfuerst911sc]

I have a garden tractor attachment that I need to modify . I need to make two cuts approx 7 " long in a straight line . The material is steel and 5/16 thick.

I have a jig saw , an angle grinder and a sawzall . I think my best bet is the angle grinder but open to your thoughts . Was thinking about picking up a metal cutting blade tomorrow for the angle grinder .

The sawzall would probably work also but cutting a straight line might be difficult as I have to freehand this no room for a guide . Thoughts ?

[vonsmog]

Of the three that you have, the grinder would be best

[wilnj]

Angle grinder. No doubt.

Multiple passes, don’t try for all of it in one shot. Depending on how precise you want to be, you might be able to clamp a piece of scrap steel alongside your cut to guide the blade.


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[Scott Douglas]

Can you set it up so the cut is vertical and straight down?

If so, I'd go with the sawzall with a new blade and let gravity be your friend for keeping it straight.

[sc_rufctr]

I'd use a thin kerf metal cutting disk on a grinder.

(5/16 is close to 8 mm )

[URY914]

Pick up a hacksaw and 500 blades. You should have it done in a few years.

(angle grinder)

[devodave]

Agree with all the above on the angle grinder.

[fastfredracing]

I would think your angle grinder will be the fastest cut. You could even make a guide , clamp it down with some vice grips to facilitate a nice straight cut .
I just made some 4 foot long cuts in 1/4" aluminum beams with my angle grinder and it was fast and clean .
I tried with the sawzall and it was slow and sloppy . Just like I like my women

[sc_rufctr]

Or this...

[island911]

sawzall with cutting fluid would be my choice of the three. - I hate the grinder stink/mess.

[rfuerst911sc]

I am altering a piece of the frame of a front end loader . The pieces I have to cut are vertical and no way to change that . I believe the angle grinder is the best way to go . In the past I have used ferrous metal cutting blades which are a fibrous type material . Is that the best blade to use ? I know I will go through several due to material thickness .

[A930Rocket]

Angle grinder. Go to Lowe’s or HarborFreight and pick up the multi packs of cut off wheels. I used it recently for cutting 3/16 and it was pretty quick. With 5/16, take your time.

[908/930]

Angle grinder no doubt, and good quality thin cutting discs. CGW makes some pretty good ones .035 thick. The Dewalt discs are pretty good but .045" thick. Steel will cut pretty easy.

[unclebilly]

Get 2 good quality Walter Zip disks for your grinder, it will go quickly.

[look 171]

skill saw with a metal abrasive blade will cut faster due to the massive torque compared to the 4.5" grinder. For grinder wheel, we discovered Bad Dog Tools, Heavy duty HDII diamond wheel. It cuts 2-3 times faster then the normal industrial cutting wheels. We been using them since with great results.

[zakthor]

2 x 7” cuts? Mild steel right?

I’ve got a Bosch variable speed jigsaw and it’s metal cutting blades would make short work of that with great control. Like less than 2 minutes per cut and you can clamp a fence so you cut straight.

Angle grinder cutting wheel are tough to hold straight and want to bind.

Sawzall… why? You’ve got a jigsaw.

Angle grinder advocates: What am I misunderstanding?

[billybek]

Originally Posted by unclebilly

Get 2 good quality Walter Zip disks for your grinder, it will go quickly.

This.
Walter makes the best zip disks.

Talking about thin grinder disks, make sure that your grinder guard is the right one for the job.
Zip disk guards typically enclose the disk in case it decides to self destruct.
Wear appropriate ppe.

I have a bunch of disks from Canadian Tire that I bought on sale. They work, but you are changing them out on a very regular basis compared to the Walter zips.

[rfuerst911sc]

Just picked up a 10 pack of Harbor Freights top quality metal cutting discs for the angle grinder . Also picked up a 3 pack of metal cutting blades for the sawzall . Time to make some sparks 😋

[island911]

Let us know what works best.

Originally Posted by look 171

skill saw with a metal abrasive blade will cut faster due to the massive torque compared to the 4.5" grinder. For grinder wheel, we discovered Bad Dog Tools, Heavy duty HDII diamond wheel. It cuts 2-3 times faster then the normal industrial cutting wheels. We been using them since with great results...

Totally agree, but a circular saw wasn't on his list of available tools.

[island911]

Originally Posted by zakthor

...

Sawzall… why? You’ve got a jigsaw.

Angle grinder advocates: What am I misunderstanding?

Sawzall will have a bigger motor and larger blade.

And, yeah, I'm wondering about the abrasive fans.. Lasts longer? IDK.

This guy usually has good comparisons...