I ended up buying 16 Ga cold rolled steel, not stainless. I got some remnants cut to size for $108, while 16 Ga mill finish 16Ga SS was going to be $324.
I asked at the metal supply place how to cut this and they said an abrasive wheel in a circular saw was fine. They told me to use a wheel that was "contaminant free" if I was cutting SS, or the contaminants would cause corrosion.
The 2 cuts from the edges were fine. I went slow-ish and they cut fine. The plunge cut for the last cut took about 5 passes before the saw started to sink down into the cut. I used a wood block for a straight edge. I also cleaned out the sawdust from the circular saw.
I had to file off the burrs and there are heat marks, but all is well!
Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it. I just wanted to make sure I was doing this safely and correctly. I don't know too many people that do this on a regular basis, so this forum is where I turn for advice.
I asked at the metal supply place how to cut this and they said an abrasive wheel in a circular saw was fine. They told me to use a wheel that was "contaminant free" if I was cutting SS, or the contaminants would cause corrosion.
The 2 cuts from the edges were fine. I went slow-ish and they cut fine. The plunge cut for the last cut took about 5 passes before the saw started to sink down into the cut. I used a wood block for a straight edge. I also cleaned out the sawdust from the circular saw.
I had to file off the burrs and there are heat marks, but all is well!
Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it. I just wanted to make sure I was doing this safely and correctly. I don't know too many people that do this on a regular basis, so this forum is where I turn for advice.