Cutting square tubing

[ollie76]

So I've got a lot of time on my hands and have decided to start practicing my welding with some decent results thus far. I'm looking for another cheap little project and am looking at building a small welding cart for my little 115v mig welder.

Trouble is, I don't have much to cut the square tubing with. So far I've been using a jig saw to cut the 13ga sheet metal and it works a treat. Was very surprised how well it cut with a decent metal cutting blade on it. Much better than using an angle grinder. No mess, accurate....perfect.

Anyway, could a jigsaw with a long metal cutting blade cut some small square tubing I wonder? I don't really want to buy an expensive saw just to weld up a cheap little project. Any tips or ideas?

 

[matt_i]

My recommendation to you, Sir, is to find a 4x6 horizontal bandsaw.

Or, something like a Metabo that can use 6" discs. You can buy thin metal slicer blades which can be used to lop off box tubing. Can double duty with a flap wheel or grinding disc.

 

[LXCam]

Get a sawzall (reciprocating saw for the nit-picky bunch) and call it good. With thicker blades brings much better control. Jigsaws **** at keeping the blade plumb to the stroke. Yes it can be done with a bit of skill but still its wayyy easier with a sawzall. I've built many an item long before I got my drop down bandsaws and portabands using a sawzall without issue.

 

[dcs13]

Band saws are nice , but the bread and butter of any fab shop is a metal chop saw.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/reviews/g28/best-chop-saws-for-cutting-metal/

 

[larry_g]

A simple hand hacksaw will do a lot of cutting if your using small tubing. Your locked in, you need the exercise, and what is the hurry?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[tulenutn2o]

Chop saw.

 

[harley jim]

I use my angle grinder, its fast and as accurate as I am

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[royce]

In my opinion, if you are going to be using the welder regularly, bite the bullit and buy a portaband.
The blades last a gob longer than sawzall or jigsaw blades, making it cheaper to run and way more versatile.

Royce

 

[ollie76]

I have a sawzall....I'll put a Diablo blade on it and give it a try. Jeez fellas, I'm not running a fab shop requiring chop saws and horizontal band saws and stuff.

I'm a hobbyist in an attached garage with a 100 dollar second hand flux core welder!

 

[mz44]

Sawzall, or 4 1/2" grinder with cut off wheels and a a pair of glasses. Both are cheap, small, and will cut whatever you will get into.

 

[Kaizen]

I have a sawzall....I'll put a Diablo blade on it and give it a try. Jeez fellas, I'm not running a fab shop requiring chop saws and horizontal band saws and stuff.

I'm a hobbyist in an attached garage with a 100 dollar second hand flux core welder!

Grinder with a cut off wheel. Use a square and marker to mark it out then cut.
Second would be a hacksaw. Because it’s slow you have more accurate cuts. The sawzall will work but the blade will jump and flex.
After 100 of these cuts you can look for a better solution. I’ve found in welding there is a big jump from basic to medium duty tools


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[tarbellb]

Portaband (handheld bandsaw) or benchtop bandsaw will fit the bill.

<$300, quiet, accurate, simple.

 

[harley jim]

I cut 1/2" square tube all afternoon used a square and soap stone made some 45 deg notches and folded the tube and welded it, made a heck of a cool dump lawn trailer. Only used one disc on the 4 1/2" angle grinder and still have half of it left. Plus I switch to 80 grit grinding pad and smooth welds with same tool. I have a biscuit jointer attachment for wood working, a round chainsaw blade for carving, plus other specialty blades and disc, makes a great multi tool. Just saying

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[PugetDude]

4-1/2" Angle grinder with Pferd cutoff wheels.
Bonus is you can use also it with an abrasive disc to smooth out your welds, run a wire brush, flap discs, etc.
If you're going to be doing any welding, you need one anyway.

 

[BD1]

A horizontal bandsaw is great if you have the room . A Milwaukee portaband is a must for any shop. I have one setup permanent with table. Bought it cheap because of busted casting . Cutting small pieces this setup is the best.

 

[oldwino]

gez, guys- everyone doesn't have an unlimited budget or storage space for a complete fab shop to cut a few pieces of tubing (although a CNC setup would do just fine). With a cheap flex-core MIG cuts don't have to be super accurate, just close. Nothing wrong with a hack saw or cheap cutoff wheel on the grinder. He can upgrade with experience and need.

 

[Tinner]

4-1/2" Angle grinder with Pferd cutoff wheels.
Bonus is you can use also it with an abrasive disc to smooth out your welds, run a wire brush, flap discs, etc.
If you're going to be doing any welding, you need one anyway.

This.

 

[glend123]

I like all the different suggestions. Let the OP decide which one to choose from and he is that much smarter for it. And the rest of us learn also.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I agree with getting a grinder with an assortment of cutting discs, grinding discs, and flap discs. Every welder needs a grinder and they can be had super cheap.

 

[joe49]

I don't really want to buy an expensive saw just to weld up a cheap little project. Any tips or ideas?

Since it seem's many didn't read the whole OP before giving a, response, figured a re-post of the last two sentences would help with more constructive answers.
My answer would be to use the jigsaw and cut on only one side at a time after laying out the cut lines. A vice or clamping your piece to be cut to some thing solid would be a big help.

 

[ollie76]

I have a jigsaw, a grinder with lots of cut off, grinding, and flap discs. I also have a reciprocating saw with some good metal cutting Diablo blades.

I think I'll try the sawzall first. Using the grinder....it just makes too much noise and sparks.

I have a vice and a few clamps as well....that's about it. I think I can make this work for my purposes. Thx for all the suggestions.

 

[ollie76]

By the way, this doesn't have to be the beefiest cart in the world. What size square tubing should I be looking at here?

 

[PugetDude]

....it just makes too much noise and sparks.

You might want to reconsider welding as a hobby.

 

[PugetDude]

By the way, this doesn't have to be the beefiest cart in the world. What size square tubing should I be looking at here?

1x1 x .083 wall would work fine.

 

[tyyost]

I started out a sawzall before I got a cutoff saw a it worked. Like I would suggest with any rough tool, cut close to your square line and file/grind/sand back to the line.

I’d also suggest ganging parts together with clamps that need the same dimensions, so they end up as close to the same as possible. While welding is somewhat forgiving, it always is better with good tight fitting parts.

 

[aka Larry]

I think I'll try the sawzall first. Using the grinder....it just makes too much noise and sparks.

Say what?

Where did you get your quiet sawzall? On the same aisle as the oil-less air compressors?

A grinder with a cut-off wheel will make quick work of 1" square tubing, and the cut will be more accurate as well.

 

[ollie76]

I guess when I first started cutting the 13ga sheet metal I was practicing on, I was using the angle grinder to make the long cuts.......which sucked really. It felt dangerous and tedious. When I found the jigsaw method it was so much easier. Accurate, no mess, and quiet comparitively. Maybe I'm wrong about the sawzall, I'll experiment with both.

 

[wkparker]

I don't really want to buy an expensive saw just to weld up a cheap little project. Any tips or ideas?

I used jig saws, angle grinders and an abrasive chop saw for years with good results. Once I decided that I wanted *repeatable* sizing (think table legs), I bought an Evolution Rage 3 (https://www.evolutionpowertools.com/us/build/rage3.php) sliding compound miter saw with their metal cutting blade. Cost about $200 (when you can find it), and the blades work well on steel, aluminium, plastic, wood...

It slings metal chips like crazy, so a face shield and long sleeves are a must. But, being able to gang cut 5 pieces of 1" 16 gauge square tubing at the same time to the exact same size is absolutely worth it.

 

[sberry]

I am a career steel fabricator. Even-if the rotors are thicker than min. spec, by say, 'a-bit,' why would you throw-in a pair of pads, and down the road, have-to replace the rotors, while the pads are in the middle of their wear-life? have, have had to miter tube but I built legs for 200 benches in a plant and never cut a tube anything other than 90 degrees. I use angle and some channel. I also use a common chop saw, its crude, I know how to run it and have it set 90 degree and it hasn't moved.
I ruined one might have lasted my career abusing and cutting 4 pipe at an angle without giving it a break. I since have a template and torch or plasma cut them off if it is any thing other than 90. I design with square cuts in mind, can cut 90 for length and precision then torch, even Sawzall a corner off. I dont have a porta band, I should have it in battery, if I was to get busy wouldn't hesitate but if a guy doesn't have a recip saw first, second is grinder. Couple wheels for when you gotta do what you got to do.

 

[sberry]

I should have blocked this as a segment has rolled but the fit is near perfect and I do have a little bandsaw and a chop I did it with a battery Sawzall and a vise, it was super fast and welded easy.
I saw it recently, still in one piece and weathered it really took a minute to notice it was hand made. The machine was right there and might have tacked it up, maybe even welded it on the machine when I built it.
Some cart and shelf piece in other threads where re use is a factor demonstrate a Sawzall. I got 2 or 3 but 2 in battery and lots of other ways of doing it and resort to that recip a lot. Lots of discount sells good blades, buy 5 packs, you will ruin a couple and be left with what works but its a tool I can master a little and really chop neat and fast. Factory bent parts are hard to duplicate, the bends on appliances and endless supply of inch tubing from BBQ stuff can be redesigned in a fraction of the effort it would to duplicate it from scratch.
I rarely buy steel anymore. I am the designer, I will if I got to but got a rack of make do and resources I have collected and the saw is ideal for this. Get a couple shelves to store a little steel and you dont got to keep every piece you see but chop it up in to some stock. I try to source the donor to the project.
I think the cart was tailored in short order using a Sawzall and a small wire welder. It has handles to tilt it in 2 wheel cart fashion and 2 front wheels for running it in its parking space. The width was part of it. Removed the cooking thingy and tacked some angles around it, changes the handle to one end, I remember finding pieces and managed to do it in about a dozen cuts and welds.

 

[gearhead1]

Yes, a jig saw will work. Get a metal cutting blade and don’t force it, let the blade do the work. It’s not worth buying a big cut off saw or a horizontal band saw for one project.

When I was young and didn’t have any money, I would do exactly that. I also would buy 7-1/4” circular saws at pawn shops/garage sales and put metal cutting discs on them and use them until the saw quit, then go get another cheap saw.

Fast forward many years, I have a horizontal bandsaw, a 14” chop saw, torches, a metal cutting circular saw. I do a lot of fab. But the finished result doesn’t care how it was cut and nobody will know the difference.

Edit: I forgot, I also have a port-a-band too. Sawzall, and a plasma cutter.

 

[ollie76]

How about using the jig saw to cut 45 degree miters in square tubing? Outrageous? Better off using a sawsall? Pointless endeavor?

 

[BukitCase]

Not pointless OR outrageous - I have a couple of these

https://www.googleadservices.com/pa...i8sarc873oAhVJvZ4KHculDB0Q9aACegQIDhA1&adurl=

and a couple of the larger ones - for your 45's, one way to do it is to CLAMP one of those to the tube so it can be used as a guide - put the "shoe" of the saw up against it, and START VERY SLOWLY til the blade makes enough of a kerf NOT to skate SIDEWAYS.

Make sure to use enough SIDE pressure on the saw to keep it against the guide.

This is actually easier than trying to use a recip saw, because of the jigsaw's shoe... Steve