Metal cutting tools: what's really the best option?

This is my cutting tool of choice. :) Punch/laser combo.
Not much good for cutting brackets off of an axle, but it'll fabricate the hell out of new ones.
20220128_145013.jpg
 
  • Wow
  • Love
Reactions: Irun and WSS
Yeah, depends on the type of shear for distortion I think. Some, like an angle iron notcher, have special blades available to reduce it. The Beverly shear always curls at least half of your cut, the half under the moving blade, but if you can clamp the other half securely it seems to reduce it. I mostly use it on 1/8" which is the B2's max capacity, so that doesn't help much either.

The table I'm thinking just like a 12" cube with four model 20 punches mounted on four of the six faces. Then make the cube pivot about it's center with a spring loaded pin or something to index every 90*. Then I could have a punch with 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", and 1/2" all loaded and ready to go. Four stations in the same space as one
I see know. It will rotate to you. Multiple tooled up stations. Some decent production from that.
 
Nice toy! What is the cam writer? Wecim, sigma?? Must be fairly new machine by the looks. Big watts? I’m assuming those dies on the left. Huge!
We use AP100US from the machine manufacturer, AMADA. The program use to be called FabriWin, by Metalsoft. AMADA couldn't write better software at the time, so they bought the company.
It's pretty big, especially with the tower loader behind it. In theory, you can load 20K pounds of material, load the computer with the programs, hit the button and walk away until it's finished.
The laser is only rated at 3kV, but it's a fiber laser and we use nitrogen for shielding. Performs like a higher rated CO2 laser. Yeah, that's tooling on the left. It has a 44 station turret, 3 auto-index stations, and 2 stations for tapping.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: WSS
I knew Amada was big. But wow.

3kv is respectable! Amazing the tech that is possible today. Like that loader on your machine.

What does that machine primarily produce? Items in mild steel?

The thing is a work of art.
 
We're a job shop, making other people's shit. Most of it is 16 & 14GA CRS. But there are a lot of parts we make from just about every gauge of CRS, HRS, stainless, and aluminum. We can even cut lexan and polycarbonate sheets on the laser. The laser has over 900 cutting profiles.
Unfortunately, at least for me, we're so busy it's hard for me to sneak in a g-job.
 
We're a job shop, making other people's shit. Most of it is 16 & 14GA CRS. But there are a lot of parts we make from just about every gauge of CRS, HRS, stainless, and aluminum. We can even cut lexan and polycarbonate sheets on the laser. The laser has over 900 cutting profiles.
Unfortunately, at least for me, we're so busy it's hard for me to sneak in a g-job.
Here in the IE, we are all busy. My shop has been in overdrive for a year.

Our cutting table is more for support of our main shop and we have found a use for modifying existing parts on it. It’s old by today’s standards (11yrs) but still gets it done. I’ve been on the edge of building another one. Maybe if it slows down
 
Anybody ever use a drill attached nibbler? Just curios how they work. Youtube makes them look great.
Never used a drill attached one but air and corded versions all the time, I have a Bosch for light gauge sheet metal and a Milwaukee that will cut 10 gauge . As nibblers go, Fein brand tools are the best.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WSS
I have lots of cutting tools for metal including snips and nibblers corded and cordless even a Hypertherm Powermax 30 Air plasma l probably use a carbide Diablo blade in a cordless recip saw or a 4-1/2” cordless angle grinder with a cut wheel most of the time.
1A401E87-D8AC-4518-8319-3F767561E644.jpeg
494A7B69-A900-4C13-AFC1-2B00FCDD52DC.jpeg
0DECAE14-9F70-4512-BA57-D056B4CB9C3D.jpeg
892C9937-377B-492C-B15B-A5A493428900.jpeg
BA6E83BC-67E1-4BCC-8B0C-E6B851050CCF.jpeg
AF1B5E2D-84D7-4705-B8C6-0DA4EC09F066.jpeg
A605C8AE-EF0A-46DE-BC31-ABD113CC2B64.jpeg
89F40CD4-6444-4A8A-9AF6-4581E56880DE.jpeg
A9663A43-6A23-49A6-BD1B-F89DEB0DDFB6.jpeg
DC2A8381-39D0-420F-A127-A961A60AB00A.jpeg
B6373FB6-94F6-4E55-9113-B513F07A4BCD.jpeg


Don’t buy shit cutoff discs and wear a shield

1132505A-AE80-4741-852C-B6BEEC73F369.jpeg
889B3627-ADD2-4273-A862-0F533B428150.jpeg
 
Another one not mentioned yet is a mag drill. Certainly wouldn't have been able to make my table without it. If you can find an older Bux brand, they're are pretty nice. Cast aluminum with brass dovetails, and a fine adjust in the base so you can mag it close, then swivel it around to get it lined up just right.

I've since torn mine apart to swap a new motor on it, the biggest one Milwaukee makes with a Morse 3 spindle taper

IMG_20201127_181245.jpg

IMG_20201024_122552.jpg
 
I keep this old Black & Decker circular saw, which I bought over 30 years ago, for cutting tasks like this. With an abrasive disc and a jig, it worked great for shaving the 14 bolt.

 
  • Like
Reactions: JMT and Irun
There hasn’t been a lot of die grinder talk on here yet. I just got this one for Christmas but haven’t used it yet. Thoughts on usefulness? I can see it being handy when I relocate my upper rear spring buckets and have to remove the factory welds.
1B05C19C-53F1-49C8-972A-42EFB5C09F0E.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: NashvilleTJ
There hasn’t been a lot of die grinder talk on here yet. I just got this one for Christmas but haven’t used it yet. Thoughts on usefulness? I can see it being handy when I relocate my upper rear spring buckets and have to remove the factory welds. View attachment 305720
We use air die grinders every day at work. Keep one with a Roloc arbor, one with a carbide burr and one with a cutoff disc. I have looked at the Miwaukee and my only reservation is its bulk.
 
I've never shopped for band saws but I found what appears to be a Canadian company called King. They make what looks to my untrained eye like some nice big expensive stuff, like horizontals.

They also sell this.

KC-8377%401__10287.1565796920.1280.1280.jpg


I might have gone for it already except that it looks suspiciously like Harbor Freights Bauer model, but is twice the price. I don't know what differences might exist internally, but I did find a YT video that confirms the Bauers lack of accommodation for attachment to the stand.

64194_W3.jpg


My metal cutting options currently consist of a Sawzall, a jigsaw, and a 4.5 angle grinder. They're ok but getting a good straight cut is time consuming.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JMT
I've never shopped for band saws but I found what appears to be a Canadian company called King. They make what looks to my untrained eye like some nice big expensive stuff, like horizontals.

They also sell this.

View attachment 310903

I might have gone for it already except that it looks suspiciously like Harbor Freights Bauer model, but is twice the price. I don't know what differences might exist internally, but I did find a YT video that confirms the Bauers lack of accommodation for attachment to the stand.

View attachment 310904

My metal cutting options currently consist of a Sawzall, a jigsaw, and a 4.5 angle grinder. They're ok but getting a good straight cut is time consuming.
Just practice will fix that.
All of these cuts were done with a cut off disc in a grinder.

DSC00182.JPG
DSC00184.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrblaine
There hasn’t been a lot of die grinder talk on here yet. I just got this one for Christmas but haven’t used it yet. Thoughts on usefulness? I can see it being handy when I relocate my upper rear spring buckets and have to remove the factory welds. View attachment 305720
Just used one to grind the heads off the transmission mount bolts on my nth degree skid plate.