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Posted: 3/30/2020 9:31:48 PM EDT
I have a couple of gates from a long-gone cotton wagon from which I want to salvage some expanded metal. I have reciprocating saws, circular saws, plasma cutter, angle grinders. Of these, I'm guessing the circular saw with the right blade will be the least painful way to cut out the expanded metal panels without having to haul the gates back to my shop.
Anyone have a recommendation on the correct blade for the job? 
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Posted: 3/30/2020 9:37:48 PM EDT
[#1]
Abrasive wheel will make quick straight cuts fast
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Posted: 3/30/2020 9:44:08 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Abrasive wheel will make quick straight cuts fast +1 I had a similar project and picked up some cheap cut off blades from harbor freight to use on my angle grinder. Make sure you get the right size to fit the shaft on your tool. |
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Posted: 3/30/2020 9:57:53 PM EDT
[#3]
Yes. Angle grinder all the things.
I'll add to make sure you match the rpms on your wheels to the rpms on the grinder. Especially with cheap HF wheels - if your grinder is too fast the wheels can come apart. I've never seen it, but it sounds exciting in a way I'd rather not experience. |
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Posted: 3/30/2020 10:00:20 PM EDT
[#4]
I have a CNC plasma table... I still used the thin cut-off wheels on my 4.5" grinder to make expanded metalhanging racks for my powder booth rack. Quick, fast cuts. Get the thin wheels, though, and cut perpendicular through the expanded metal.
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Posted: 3/31/2020 12:04:24 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have a CNC plasma table... I still used the thin cut-off wheels on my 4.5" grinder to make expanded metalhanging racks for my powder booth rack. Quick, fast cuts. Get the thin wheels, though, and cut perpendicular through the expanded metal. I thought a plasma cutter would be much faster. I was wrong.  These are the best cut off wheels I have used.  Attached File |
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Posted: 4/1/2020 11:05:25 AM EDT
[#6]
Angle grinder with a cut off wheel. It should go without saying, but avoid pressure to the side of the blade (like the pressure you would put on a normal grinder wheel).
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Posted: 4/2/2020 10:56:37 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I thought a plasma cutter would be much faster. I was wrong. These are the best cut off wheels I have used. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/213346/17E59428-EC8C-4CF5-9CAB-F61ABD53528E_jpe-1342993.JPG I'm sold on the Norzon products, Norton makes good stuff. A cut-off wheel will make short work of expanded metal, just keep the RPM's up and let the wheel do its job. |
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Posted: 4/2/2020 11:08:34 AM EDT
[#8]
I would likely grab the angle grinder but I also have a metal cutting circular saw blade from diablo that is good too. Depended on the thickness of the expanded metal bars if I would bother with the circ saw. With a straight edge I can cut a neater line with the circ saw. I am a bit clumsy with the cut off blade on an angle grinder.
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Posted: 4/3/2020 10:29:40 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I would likely grab the angle grinder but I also have a metal cutting circular saw blade from diablo that is good too. Depended on the thickness of the expanded metal bars if I would bother with the circ saw. With a straight edge I can cut a neater line with the circ saw. I am a bit clumsy with the cut off blade on an angle grinder. |
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Posted: 5/29/2020 9:31:51 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I would likely grab the angle grinder but I also have a metal cutting circular saw blade from diablo that is good too. Depended on the thickness of the expanded metal bars if I would bother with the circ saw. With a straight edge I can cut a neater line with the circ saw. I am a bit clumsy with the cut off blade on an angle grinder. Make a cradle or saw guide for the grinder. There are several on YouTube. Long straight cuts with no broken discs are easy. |
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Posted: 5/29/2020 9:40:49 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Make a cradle or saw guide for the grinder. There are several on YouTube. Long straight cuts with no broken discs are easy. I screwed the metal to a 2x4 using cabinet screws and ran the blade along the 2x4. Cut off discs won’t chew into the wood and prefer to graze along it. Don’t put a ton of pressure on it of course, but I just did a fairly large project doing this and it was cake. |
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