Subject: Re: Sawzall, jig saw, something else?

From: James Foster x2912 <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 10:07:42 -0500

Gene Olson wrote:
> 
> 1/2 " plate, have it sheared to size.
> 
> save yourself lots of blades grief and agrivation.

Yeah, but then you don't have an excuse to buy a new tool.
A sawzall will work better than a jigsaw, IMHO. More
power and a longer stroke. You'll still get bored real
quick though. Get a bunch of high quality blades with
an aggressive cut. Then again, how's your cutting torch
technique? B^)

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From: Mike Rehmus <[email-masked]>
Date: 23 Apr 1996 16:21:58 GMT

Chris,

A Sawzall or jig saw are inadequate to do the job.

A large vertical or horizontal bandsaw would do 
the job.

You might try LSC metals on Monterey Highway to
see if they have a piece of scrap plate or channel
of the correct size.  It might be less expensive
to buy close to the correct size than have a piece
hogged out of larger plate.

Best regards,

Mike Rehmus

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From: [email-masked] (Dick Morris)
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 04:20:13 GMT

[email-masked] (Chris Kantarjiev) wrote:

>I'm about to undertake building a bench for my 9" SB. The plans
>I have call for 1" and 2" steel angle, and some 1/2" steel plate.

>Sawzall came to mind - is it up to the task? 

Don't know about 1/2", but I used a sawzall (actually a Mikita) to cut
my boiler to length so it would (barely) fit between centers on the
lathe and to cut out the opening for the fire box. It handled 8" ID by
5/16 wall without major problems. I think I got somewhere around 2
feet our of each bi-metal blade and it took maybe two hours of work..

Dick Morris
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Peter Brooks)
Date: 25 Apr 1996 17:54:32 GMT

If it's small enough, the ubiquitous 4" x 6" bandsaw can do a lot of
what you need (possibly all of it, depending on the dimensions of the
plate).  You can get these ffrom Grizzley, Enco, Jet (Post Tools sells
them) and so on.  Cost is about $200, with some variation due to 
the quality of the motor.  Even if you have to farm out some of the
plate cutting, you won't be sorry.

BTW, flame cutting might be the most effective for the plate.

Pete Brooks

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From: [email-masked] (Paul Pierce)
Date: 26 Apr 1996 00:40:05 GMT

Ssure like my bandsaw.  I removed the vise and clamped some 1/2" plate, 
shimmed up on the edge away from the motor and extended the length of cut 
quite a bit.  Flipped the plate over and finished the cut.  Sure beats a 
hand powered hacksaw!

-
  PAUL PIERCE in AJ AZ
  [email-masked]
  NRA Endowment Member