Cutting steel on a bandsaw, any experience?

[burgundyben]

I need to cut a length of steel bar, 10mm thick and 100mm wide, I have 16 cuts to do, plus 8 triangles.

I have a trusty Record BS250 bandsaw. I know I can buy a 24tpi metal cutting blade 70.5" long.

What's the practical experience?

Or would it be easier to buy 2 packs of 1mm slitting discs for my grinder?

 

[Keith 66]

Buy the slitting discs. A bandsaw with metal blade needs to be running really slow speed & with coolant. A normal wood cutting bandsaw with metal blade will wreck the blade in no time, simply too fast. Been there done that!

 

[Kilo]

Yup, buy the discs.

 

[penberth3]

A jigsaw is another option, with a metal cutting blade. Slow but safer and more controllable than an angle grinder. It will also give neater cut.

 

[TernVI]

There was a power hacksaw on FB market place the other day, that would be my weapon of choice.
Normally it would be possible to borrow/trade/scrounge access to one.
I would consider buying the metal with the cuts done for you. Could be cheaper to pay for the cuts than to buy the discs?

 

[penberth3]

.......would consider buying the metal with the cuts done for you. Could be cheaper to pay for the cuts than to buy the discs?

That's the obvious answer, if you have a local steel merchant.

Another thought - with proper metal cutting bandsaws the work is fixed, the blade moves. That's very different to feeding metal into the blade as you do with wood.

ETA another thought. IIRC your Record bandsaw is "bottom of the range". I have a gut feeling 10mm steel is a bit ambitious for it, whatever blade you have. Are you any good with a hacksaw? Tedious but not impossible, do four at a time then a cup of tea!

 

[Kilo]

A jigsaw is another option, with a metal cutting blade. Slow but safer and more controllable than an angle grinder. It will also give neater cut.

Safer on round bar? Don't think so & neater than a slitting disc?
Go with the grinder you've got, if it needs to be bang on the same many times make a little jig out of scrap wood.

 

[Sandro]

Hum, 10 millimetres may be too thick also for the jigsaw..... I would use the grinding disk. it can be accurate and neat if you are careful.

 

[burgundyben]

Thanks all. Bandsaw idea abandoned. Discs ordered.

Getting it cut for me sounds a plan. If I still lived in Hamble I'd know where to go, but over here on the Isle of Wight I'm not so sure. I'll have a mooch round.

 

[Jabs]

I put a disc in a radial arm saw to do this. Easy to jig to get identical lengths!

Simples!

Tony.

 

[NormanS]

A long time ago, I worked in an industry and a situation where any form of "Hot Work" was definitely not allowed. We used manual hacksaws rather a lot. All it needs is some determination.

 

[burgundyben]

I put a disc in a radial arm saw to do this. Easy to jig to get identical lengths!

Simples!

Tony.

Hi Tony. Hope you are keeping well.

I do have a mitre saw. But it's a chop saw rather than radial arm. Might be a bit fast.

A long time ago, I worked in an industry and a situation where any form of "Hot Work" was definitely not allowed. We used manual hacksaws rather a lot. All it needs is some determination.

My results might not be straight enough...

 

[Graham_Wright]

If you need to do triangles, a horizontal bandsaw is out (without a lot of fudging).
Use an angle grinder but clamp on a guide strip (sacrificial). Once you have cut one triangle, you can sacrifice it as a guide for the real ones.

 

[Norman_E]

I have an Axminster metal cutting bandsaw, which is actually the perfect tool for the job. A good hacksaw with a strong frame and decent blades will also do the job, but its hard work. An angle grinder stand allows you to use it as a pretty accurate chop saw. Something like this, with a 9 inch angle grinder. https://cpc.farnell.com/einhell/ts-230/grinder-stand-230mm/dp/TL19247?mckv=sIAUNoogf_dc|pcrid|224699811724|kword||match||plid||slid||product|TL19247|pgrid|47130473436|ptaid|pla-399466853964|&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!224699811724!!!network

Or make your own

A bit crude and not much acknowledgement of elfin safety, but it would work.

 

[Caraway]

I need to cut a length of steel bar, 10mm thick and 100mm wide, I have 16 cuts to do, plus 8 triangles.

I have a trusty Record BS250 bandsaw. I know I can buy a 24tpi metal cutting blade 70.5" long.

What's the practical experience?

Or would it be easier to buy 2 packs of 1mm slitting discs for my grinder?

That is quite beefy. Is it going to be welded? the accuracy and neatness are less critical if so.

 

[burgundyben]

That is quite beefy. Is it going to be welded? the accuracy and neatness are less critical if so.

Yes. Welded. It's a set of engine mounting brackets.

 

[penberth3]

Safer on round bar? Don't think so & neater than a slitting disc?
Go with the grinder you've got, if it needs to be bang on the same many times make a little jig out of scrap wood.

Who mentioned round bar?

 

[Findhorn]

Find someone near you with a plasma cutter,job will be done in no time and accurately

 

[colhel]

Find someone near you with a plasma cutter,job will be done in no time and accurately

My thinking too. Ive got a guy near me i can get a quote from

 

[Kilo]

Who mentioned round bar?

You may be right, I was assuming that the lack of a third dimension gave 10mm as a diameter. If its 10 x 100 flat bar then yes a jigsaw is perfectly safe.