Welding Tips and Tricks

guys, I have been staring at this website for days now and trying to figure out what cutting tool I should aim for.

I would like a tool that I am going to get the most out of and I will be cutting alloy and metal tube and box section up to 6mm (about 1/4 inch) thick but mostly below 3mm (about 1/8 inch). I am thinking that a horizontal bandsaw should do the trick.

Also, I would like to be able to cut sheet metal and it might be in a pattern to be folded but not sure what tool is best for that as I will most likely use it for metal sheet up to 3mm and alloy about the same. Is a plama cutter the best option? Nibblers and shears from what I see only go up to about 1.6mm (about 1/16 inch)

What are your thoughts.

P.S don't know why I added the inches conversion, perhaps cause I feel like the outsider in an imperial system

Cosi,
That question could lead to as many answers as there are people responding to it. I think that every type of cutting tool has a place that it's best suited. Horizontal bandsaws are nice for accurate cuts, but slow. Plasma cutters are fast but dirty. As you stated nibblers and shears are limited to thin metals. I probably use my 6" Dewalt cutoff wheel more than any other cutting tool I have available because it's fast and portable. Second on my list is a port-a-band handheld bandsaw. And probably my least favorite is my 14" cutoff saw because of it's blade flex makes it inaccurate.

I do mostly pipe work so these things work well for me, but if I was was working with sheet or plates I would probably go to a plasma first. Fact is I have one coming tomorrow and might find it to be my new go to for cutting.

A lot of folks are finding the coldcut saws to work well for cutting tubing and angle.

Lots of choices to that question.

Len

Braehill wrote:Cosi,
That question could lead to as many answers as there are people responding to it. I think that every type of cutting tool has a place that it's best suited. Horizontal bandsaws are nice for accurate cuts, but slow. Plasma cutters are fast but dirty. As you stated nibblers and shears are limited to thin metals. I probably use my 6" Dewalt cutoff wheel more than any other cutting tool I have available because it's fast and portable. Second on my list is a port-a-band handheld bandsaw. And probably my least favorite is my 14" cutoff saw because of it's blade flex makes it inaccurate.

I do mostly pipe work so these things work well for me, but if I was was working with sheet or plates I would probably go to a plasma first. Fact is I have one coming tomorrow and might find it to be my new go to for cutting.

A lot of folks are finding the coldcut saws to work well for cutting tubing and angle.

Lots of choices to that question.

Len

I guess I chose that as the cold saws are too expensive for a hobbyist like me. I don't work in a shop and I don't mind if it's slow. I am hoping to build myself a fandangled new trailer for my motorcycle so accuracy would be a bonus

.......hold that thought, while I was writing this I went to youtube to check out a horizontal bandsaw and it took almost 6 minutes to cut through some square tube about 6mm thick link to video

So perhaps a plasma cutter or drop saw with cut-off wheel is best, certianly the drop saw would be the cheapest option.

Has anyone tried one of those coldcut saws that are based on a abrasive cut off saw?

http://www.makita.com.au/products/power ... utting-saw

@Harry72,
If you put Makita LC1230 in the search you'll find a thread on that very thing.

Len

I have a Hypertherm 45 plasma cutter and a Makita LC1230 carbide saw.
If I want to cut plates (thick or thin) or bevel out comes the plasma cutter.
If I want to cut tube, pipe, angle iron etc the Makita takes over, it is super fast, very accurate and sparks and dust are kept to a minimum.
Makita says it is only for mild steel cutting (or stainless with a suitable blade) but I have cut also ck45 30mm and 50mm solid rod with it without any problems. Cutting through hard material does take its toll on the blade though.
The blades are very expensive but if you shop around on ebay you can find some bargains. I bought 4 original carbide blades for 195 euros including shipping.
Makita also says it should not be used for aluminum but I put in an old worn out blade and cut some 5083 50mm solid rod like butter.
A band saw is really the jack of all trades but it takes a lot of room and is more expensive. It might be a little slower (that depend on the band saw) but most of the times you can stack many items to be cut simultaneously.
For your application I would go with a plasma cutter for cutting plate and sheets and a carbide saw for tubular sections etc.
If you intend on cutting a lot of stainless though I do not think the carbide saw is the best solution and a band saw would be better.

What's the benefit of having this Makita cut-off drop saw versus the Makita LC1230

Taz, when you said band saw, did you mean the vertical or the horizontal band saw?

The Hypertherm 45 is a lot more than what I wanted to spend on a plasma cutter, but I guess you get what you pay for. I was thinking no more than $1500 for a unit, any suggestions?

I meant horizontal band saw.
The cut-off drop saw in your link uses an abrasive wheel. These are very messy with sparks and dust flying everywhere and the flex from the blade makes it difficult to make an accurate cut. I would rather get a small band saw like this
http://www.femi.it/en/femi-machine-prof ... f=28&p=202
or a carbide saw. Cold saws are also nice but expensive.
I really like hypertherm plasma cutters. How much does the hypertherm 30XP cost in Aus?
However keep in mind that the 45 is the smallest of the series that can also do gouging and can also take a machine torch to be used on a cnc table in the future.
I have read good things about esab plasma cutters also but have not used them personally.

here is the hypertherm range with pricing.

I am liking the Makita LC1230 more now after watching this video on YouTube about it compared to the abrasive wheel machine.

The LC1230 is $600 here which I think is reasonable. I just have to find a non-ferrous blade and then I am set.

The Makita 4131 is the equivalent hand held cold saw and would be great cutting plate, but I guess you would need a guide or a clamped on straight edge to get that cut perfect.

Everlast make good plasma machines for affordable prices just check all the details out before you buy. I have the plasma and an old black and decker chop saw and that is all I use. Use a straight edge and plasma will do fine. BTW before I got the saw I used plasma for cutting box tube and everything

mcoe wrote:Everlast make good plasma machines for affordable prices just check all the details out before you buy. I have the plasma and an old black and decker chop saw and that is all I use. Use a straight edge and plasma will do fine. BTW before I got the saw I used plasma for cutting box tube and everything

I will check out the plasma cutters more once I am closer to the project where I will need something to cut plate.

I bought the T&R 250K today and the LC1230 and starting practising, loving it.
Took me a while to figure out the features and options buts its ok.
Now to go back over the weldingtipsandtricks site and watch the videos again.