What did YOU do today?

[Curious Hound]

Started cutting steel… I say started because there’s still a lot to cut… I need a plasma table. I’m not good enough with a torch. Cutting with a circular saw and abrasive blades and angle grinder just sucks. Actually I hate anything to do with a grinder which is kind of funny for someone who uses one a lot… I might invest in one of the steel cutting circular saws at some point but dang they ain’t cheap…

Take your time with the torch. Set up cutting guides to help get straight cuts. You might even be able to make a little cradle to rest it on to help keep the tip at a consistent height. You can do it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Take your time with the torch. Set up cutting guides to help get straight cuts. You might even be able to make a little cradle to rest it on to help keep the tip at a consistent height. You can do it.

I’m at the point where I’m about to try creating some kind of thing to help hold the torch steady. I tried again today on some 1/4” plate I wanted to cut and tried cradling the torch with my off hand to create a steady rest and it’s still a rough cut. I’m not sure I’m steady enough. Not being super steady works in my favor for welding because I don’t really have to wave it around, it just does it, lol. Not so good for cutting though.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I do NOT regret getting my plasma cutter, but I lucked out and found a good price on open box at HFT with the slightly older Chicago Electric model, my first one worked great until it just stopped, it got the project I got it for done though but that didn't take much... I haven't played much with the Thermal Dynamics one I got over the winter for cheap... I should pick one and flip the other... I know your purse strings are tight but if you see a screaming deal on a 50A plasma with pilot arc go for it...

For a guide when I'm plasma cutting I use the Harbor Freight magnet sticks since they're cheap and I have a bunch, with mine I just put the edge 10mm from the line and that's the center but if you screwed a straight edge to the screw holes (cheap aluminum ruler or something like that) to give some space to the magnet for heat reasons you should be fine and would help a lot I'm sure.

Yesterday was chaos, family reunion about 4 miles from home so I got roped into things (not to mention my mom is president of the association or whatever, there's historical significance of the family lines on the Oregon Trail and such...). Since it's been so hot in recent years they decided to do more of a brunch thing and I got roped into doing cooking, we had 3 griddles going, wife was doing sausage and pancakes on my friends Blackstone, I did two Costco packs of bacon on our Flame King (I wasn't Blackstone invested in the idea of a griddle, it is a handy thing though) and another guy did eggs on his Flame King. I showed up at 8, left at 3... Then I took an hour and a half off and went to a track crew meeting for the tractor pulls coming up in just over a month...

Friday I did put some rusty old files (one I found on the side of the road that night) into some vinegar like I've seen online and took them out and rinsed them off at around 5pm yesterday, that trick does work, they went from garbage looking to usable! Now I just remembered I have another box of files to try it on... I'll have to space them out better though but the process is simple...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I do NOT regret getting my plasma cutter, but I lucked out and found a good price on open box at HFT with the slightly older Chicago Electric model, my first one worked great until it just stopped, it got the project I got it for done though but that didn't take much... I haven't played much with the Thermal Dynamics one I got over the winter for cheap... I should pick one and flip the other... I know your purse strings are tight but if you see a screaming deal on a 50A plasma with pilot arc go for it...

For a guide when I'm plasma cutting I use the Harbor Freight magnet sticks since they're cheap and I have a bunch, with mine I just put the edge 10mm from the line and that's the center but if you screwed a straight edge to the screw holes (cheap aluminum ruler or something like that) to give some space to the magnet for heat reasons you should be fine and would help a lot I'm sure.

Yesterday was chaos, family reunion about 4 miles from home so I got roped into things (not to mention my mom is president of the association or whatever, there's historical significance of the family lines on the Oregon Trail and such...). Since it's been so hot in recent years they decided to do more of a brunch thing and I got roped into doing cooking, we had 3 griddles going, wife was doing sausage and pancakes on my friends Blackstone, I did two Costco packs of bacon on our Flame King (I wasn't Blackstone invested in the idea of a griddle, it is a handy thing though) and another guy did eggs on his Flame King. I showed up at 8, left at 3... Then I took an hour and a half off and went to a track crew meeting for the tractor pulls coming up in just over a month...

Friday I did put some rusty old files (one I found on the side of the road that night) into some vinegar like I've seen online and took them out and rinsed them off at around 5pm yesterday, that trick does work, they went from garbage looking to usable! Now I just remembered I have another box of files to try it on... I'll have to space them out better though but the process is simple...

get some oil on those files pdq. they will flash rust almost immediately.

 

[scotts90ranger]

get some oil on those files pdq. they will flash rust almost immediately.

Oh they did, I was in a hurry so I didn't last night, will wire brush and oil here shortly... none of them had any cutting teeth past the rust before and I'd tried cleaning most of them with wire brushes before so still a successful test... I had nothing to lose...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Started cutting steel… I say started because there’s still a lot to cut… I need a plasma table. I’m not good enough with a torch. Cutting with a circular saw and abrasive blades and angle grinder just sucks. Actually I hate anything to do with a grinder which is kind of funny for someone who uses one a lot… I might invest in one of the steel cutting circular saws at some point but dang they ain’t cheap…

try a metal cutting carbide blade in your circular saw. ive cut sheet steel and roofing that way for decades. 1/4" might be a bit thick tho.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I bought this plasma cutter, hasnt arrived yet....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B878P5FH?tag=959media-20

with shipping i paid C$216.00
Price was $98 american a few days ago.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

try a metal cutting carbide blade in your circular saw. ive cut sheet steel and roofing that way for decades. 1/4" might be a bit thick tho.

I wasn’t sure how well the carbide metal blade would do in a regular circular saw but I might give it a go

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've seen some of the marketing videos of the Steel Demon Diablo blades where they use a I think worm drive standard 7 1/4" saw and cut through the thick end of an I beam that looked to be 3/8", tempting for sure...

Today I should have been more ambitious but that's hard on a Monday... it's the best weather night I'll get to work on the F350 for a while... was mid 70's today and supposed to be mid 80's Saturday and in the '90's Sunday and 100 Monday... lame... I did spend a solid half hour on it though and got both drivelines off and the T case skidplate, now all that's left is the gross gooey heavy stuff and shifters...

 

[sgtsandman]

The deck halves have been cut and inleted to fit the contours of the bed sides and work on the a aluminum angle for edge protection has begun.

I have the steel angle for the up rights to stow the gear, and of course, the slide for the refrigerator. I just need to get hardware for them. The hardware that came with the slide is too long and the local hardware stores don't sell tee nuts in metric. So, I'm going to have to get SAE hardware.

 

[sgtsandman]

Running out of time.

You ain't kidding! I'm starting to feel like I'm on Orange County Choppers or a similar show where they are are always rushing to meet a dead line for some event.

It's a good thing I've been testing things as I go along. The drawers work well and already I've figured out what fits and how. Very little that I planned on putting the drawers didn't fit.

 

[Curious Hound]

Not being super steady works in my favor for welding because I don’t really have to wave it around, it just does it,

I'm not the only one!?!?!

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I wasn’t sure how well the carbide metal blade would do in a regular circular saw but I might give it a go

Wear full sleeves, gloves, facemask and ear protection. Its LOUD and lots of metal shards coming out. Don't have bare feet or flip flops!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I've seen some of the marketing videos of the Steel Demon Diablo blades where they use a I think worm drive standard 7 1/4" saw and cut through the thick end of an I beam that looked to be 3/8", tempting for sure...

I’ve used the Diablo stuff for years now. It started with buying a pack of the original Steel Demon metal blades for a sawzall. I was skeptical but back then I was trying different blades to find something cost effective. When it cut through 1/4 plate like butter to clearance a bracket for getting a battery in and out of a machine I was intrigued. When I saw the carbide tipped metal sawzall blades and tried them I was hooked. I have wood blades in my circular saws, my table saw, my miter saw and my grinders. Their blades are world class. I still have a rip of pine, 8’ long of 3/4” thick that’s less than 1/16” thick that was done on my table saw with a Diablo 40 tooth (10” blade).

Wear full sleeves, gloves, facemask and ear protection. Its LOUD and lots of metal shards coming out. Don't have bare feet or flip flops!

You’ve seen my videos of me in shorts and flip flops working on vehicles haven’t you?

 

[Uncle Gump]

Apparently... my world is sideways.