Steel cutting method

[Neil P]

Band saw for me. Very accurate cuts and I've used it for all sorts of other stuff as well. Mine doubles as an upright saw and I used it for cutting some plates too.

I changed a few bits - different angle to rear panel, MT75 gearbox, toyota engine - which have all meant some change to the plan sizes.

If I wanted a standard build spec with minimum fuss and speedy progress I would probably go with a chassis pack and a set of pre-cut plates just to take the hassle out of measuring and cutting etc.

I didn't have that option, I started mine before people started producing the parts.

Having said all that there is some sense of satisfaction in doing it all yourself.

Neil

[Bonzo]

I'll agree with you there Neil.

As you probably know, I started my build way back in June 2007

At least I am nearing the rolling chassis stage.

[james83mills]

guess i'm lucky i have the next 9 weeks of to build mine so i should be done in no time (yeah right)

[miles50]

Yeah Andy, I am in the midwest (Missouri). I think there at least 4 or 5 Haynes-Gibbs builds going on stateside. I started in February this year on the table and chassis. I am going with a Zetec 2ltr and T-9 gearbox. Ordered up some suspension bits from 3GE. John has been a big help. I need to make a decision on my donor. Lots of dead or dying Merkurs over here. I would like to find a Scorpio because I believe they had rear disc. More research needed in that department. Luckily I have a machine shop upstairs from me so some fabing help available on short notice. I keep an eye on the Forum to help with questions.. Oh yeah I once owned a Series 2 Lotus 7 back in the late 70's. And assembled Westfields in Florida in the mid 80's. Its in my blood.

[ACE HIGH]

The problem with "chopsaws" is that they(in my opinion)are converted mitre saws,and the cutting disc speed will never be as accurate as it should be,note that as the cutting disc wears down the blade tip speed ,feet per minute will reduce considerably,also all cutting discs need extra steel discs each side of the disc to stop it "wandering"usually 2 or 3 pairs of these "reinforcing" plates are supplied with quality equipment,being replaced with the next size down as the disc wears.These chopsaws are lightly built with questionable or no safety guards.I built my own metal cutting saw 30 years ago from an NZ Industrial Gases (now BOC) plan,12 inch disc but lost my nerve using it,it cut 2x2 x1/4 and converted it to a woodworking tool and built a power hacksaw.A tip:The popular 600 mm sanding tables with a circular sanding disc on one end,will when fitted with a suitable abrasive flexible sanding disc do a good safe job of squaring up these 25x25 1.6 tubes,if you are a bit short of money get an old electric motor,put a flat surface pulley on it ,make a simple table and you are away.Plans all over the net for this type of handy tool.I dont know if low speed circular metal cutting saw blades are still available,these would be very good to use on quality metal cutting mitre saws.David

[james83mills]

Originally Posted by ACE HIGH

The problem with "chopsaws" is that they(in my opinion)are converted mitre saws,and the cutting disc speed will never be as accurate as it should be,note that as the cutting disc wears down the blade tip speed ,feet per minute will reduce considerably,also all cutting discs need extra steel discs each side of the disc to stop it "wandering"usually 2 or 3 pairs of these "reinforcing" plates are supplied with quality equipment,being replaced with the next size down as the disc wears.These chopsaws are lightly built with questionable or no safety guards.I built my own metal cutting saw 30 years ago from an NZ Industrial Gases (now BOC) plan,12 inch disc but lost my nerve using it,it cut 2x2 x1/4 and converted it to a woodworking tool and built a power hacksaw.A tip:The popular 600 mm sanding tables with a circular sanding disc on one end,will when fitted with a suitable abrasive flexible sanding disc do a good safe job of squaring up these 25x25 1.6 tubes,if you are a bit short of money get an old electric motor,put a flat surface pulley on it ,make a simple table and you are away.Plans all over the net for this type of handy tool.I dont know if low speed circular metal cutting saw blades are still available,these would be very good to use on quality metal cutting mitre saws.David

evolution that make the rage products produce low speed metal cutting blade

[ACE HIGH]

Made a point of taking a close look at 3 metal cutting saws yesterday using the usual carborundum style discs and:the best one had no decent guard,the 14 inch disc is unsupported with circular plates(none had supporting plates},the vices on the whole 3 were good for making and holding wooden picture frames and not much else and on another the main table to support the steel which should be cast iron was made of light steel that deflected with light pressure from my thumb.they were all around $250/300 NZ.I would not buy one of these.Found circular saw blades for steel with tungsten blades,they wont last long at $140 NZ.There are 3 horizontal power hacksaws available at about:$400/800/1200 NZ any of these would be a good buy.Google the net,homemade power hacksaws are easy to make.The large woodworkers vertical bandsaws are good but usually need a reduction kit to use the metal cutting blades,these are good but a little pricey if you have limited funds.David

[ACE HIGH]

And it takes me about 20/25 seconds with a new blade and about 25/30 seconds with a half blunt blade to cut through a 25x25x1.6mm square tube,dead easy.Now I tried out a sabre saw,nowadays they are called reciprocating saws,(not a jigsaw),it took, with a new blade about 1min 40 seconds but did make a surprisingly accurate cut.I have cut 50x50x6 angle often with this,slow but sometimes very handy when nothing else will do the job.So a simple hacksaw will be hard to beat.I found in an old Mechanics Illustrated book(1968) a sort of a home made power hacksaw using a sabre saw.roughly,2 pieces of say 200 x40 timber ,one cut about 800 loa and the other cut about 600 loa were hinged together,with 2 "saddles"holding down the saw into position on the top board (600) while at the blade end of the bottom board a machine vice held the steel tube.The weight of the saw gently lowered onto it makes the cut.I have no idea if this works but it looked like it may do! David

[Sam]

Started cutting my steel today. I have chosen to take the hacksaw route aswell. See pic.

http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/attac...1&d=1248282108