Need help on cutting steel

billyjim said:

I have 5/16 steel rods that I need to cut ...about 50 cuts in all. I don't have a band saw or a shear. I have a hacksaw but not interested in going that route. I am looking for suggestions on how I can cut these quickly and safely. Any suggestions?

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How neat do the cuts need to be? Would bolt cutters do the job? Otherwise, perhaps hold the rod in a vise and cut off the lengths with a metal cutting wheel on an angle grinder. Failing that, you might just have to bite the bullet and get busy with the hacksaw.

Angle grinder and thin cut cutting discs. That's my first choice always. I cut more rebar than any other steel products and I love the speed and ability of those thin cut discs to just eat through rebar.
I'd guess maybe 15+ seconds per cut on 1/2" rod.
Not all abrasive discs are created equal; some are way better than others. Try WALTER or KLINGSPOR, if those are available to you.
https://onlinesupply.ca/Abrasives/Cut-Off-Wheels/Portable-Cut-Off/5-cut-Off (Canadian source)

Eye protection, gloves (hot metal and sparks), and nothing flammable around you...lots of sparks. Kind of neat doing it at night outdoors.
If you need to cut Aluminum, get the AL graded discs!
https://www.walter.com/en_US/products/abrasives/cutting/zip-alu

jigsaw w/ a metal blade in orbit mode...
no errant sparks/heat to contend w/ and a lot less wasted rod...

I’m with Dan on the angle grinder with a thin disc. They cut amazingly fast

Hi Bill,the method I used to use involved heat & sparks but would probably be the quickest,if you had a metal cut-off saw.Set up a stop block situation same as you would cutting wood to length on your mitre saw.Mild steel rod 5/16 thick you wont have to clamp or hold in the saw's vise but I'd recommend wearing gloves. Jamesjj

Port A Band type saw. Any brand. No sparks and smooth cuts. Long lasting blades too. A cutting disk in a right angle grinder is fast and leaves smooth cuts, but many sparks and hot metal. Wear good safety protection when cutting metal with any tool.

If it was sheet stock I would suggest a metal cutting circular saw blade from Harbor Freight for about $20. A wood cutting circular saw with one of these blades will cut sheet steel up to about 1" thick. The wood cutting saw speed is a little fast for metal cutting. The true metal cutting circular saws are slower, but these blades are rated for wood circular saw speeds. Use a straight edge because the carbide teeth suffer if you bind the blade in the cut. Full frontal protection is required. The chips are very hot, but the metal itself doesn't get very hot.. Hearing protection is also a must.

Charley

"...but many sparks and hot metal."
-Charley
That's a feature not a fault, Charley lol!
Ahhh the smell of molten steel in the evening air. The singed hair smell; not so much.

RainMan 2.0 said:

I’m with Dan on the angle grinder with a thin disc. They cut amazingly fast

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till they detonate..
VOE says jigsaw....

Stick486 said:

till they detonate..
..

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Been there done that ( once) . I have a full face shield on my hard hat just in case

Stick486 said:

till they detonate..
VOE says jigsaw....

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That's a feature of trying to cut or grind Aluminum with the wrong disc .
It's never happened to me but I've heard some scary stories about grinding wheels exploding, after someone's loaded it up with Aluminum grindings.

or they twist the cutting wheel in the cut...

You know 5/16 is not very thick. Buy the time you go to the store and buy something you could of finished cutting them with the hacksaw. Long term an abrasive chop saw, angle grinder, sawzall, or a cutting torch will speed up the job.

PS
jigsaw.

A reciprocating saw would do the job with a metal cutting blade

Malcolm

Until you try an angle grinder with a cut off wheel you'll never know how fast they cut. I cut a 3/4" hardened bolt off a suspension in about 30 seconds after spending 7 hours trying to get it off with every tool known to man. Get one at Harbor Freight for about $12 dollars with their coupon.

I use a 4 1/2" angle grinder with a cutting wheel they work great. I do allot of metal working in my shop and that is my go to tool for quick cuts.

Bill,
Did you consider buying them already cut. Most steel service centres are equipped and will do it for less than you might think, or if you already have them, do you have a saws all. Equipped with a steel cutting blade and using a vice to hold the rod will eliminate most of the flex or chatter in the blade and the blade has less chance of breaking than a jigsaw blade. Without knowing your tool arsenal it's not easy to suggest. Will you be doing these cuts again, if so look into investing into a chop saw or even better, a cold saw.

Dan I did consider buying them precut but the cost was considerably higher. If it had only been one or two I certainly would have but with about 50 cuts I decided I could do it myself.

Bill,

How much did they want to charge ?

Danman1957 said:

Bill,

How much did they want to charge ?

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about .65 per cut