Re: Cutting metal downspouts
skeeter
<lga...@web.com> wrote in message
news:hjl895htjf43r3lcg...@4ax.com...
> What do guys use to cut metal downspouts? I tried a hacksaw and while
> it cut, it took awhile and gave me an uneven cut.
>
> Also, what is used to make the ends fit into elbows and such? Is
> there a special tool for this? I guess the word is crimp for those
> ends.
>
> Thank U
>
> Larry
snips to cut downspout. needle nose for crimping
fftt
> What do guys use to cut metal downspouts? I tried a hacksaw and while
> it cut, it took awhile and gave me an uneven cut.
>
> Also, what is used to make the ends fit into elbows and such? Is
> there a special tool for this? I guess the word is crimp for those
> ends.
>
> Thank U
>
> Larry
Snips to cut ...but if oyu;re doing a lot, an abrasive blade on a
chop saw.
to crimp......doable with long nose pliers but here's the "right" tool
http://www.classicgutters.com/Nehemiah/00000139.html
cheers
Bob
Colbyt
> it cut, it took awhile and gave me an uneven cut.
>
> Also, what is used to make the ends fit into elbows and such? Is
> there a special tool for this? I guess the word is crimp for those
> ends.
>
> Thank U
>
> Larry
A quality metal fine toothed hacksaw blade or snips if I don't want to save
and use the other piece.
I suspect but have never tried an old plywood blade backwards in a circ saw
would cut it cleaner. That is the way I cut siding, both vinyl and metal.
There is a crimper tool but I used needle-nosed pliers with a grip and twist
motion.
Colbyt
Doug Miller
>What do guys use to cut metal downspouts? I tried a hacksaw and while
>it cut, it took awhile and gave me an uneven cut.
>
>Also, what is used to make the ends fit into elbows and such? Is
>there a special tool for this? I guess the word is crimp for those
>ends.
Google "sheet metal crimper" -- you want the 5-blade kind.
Oren
>What do guys use to cut metal downspouts? I tried a hacksaw and while
>it cut, it took awhile and gave me an uneven cut
Clean the end with a metal file! Snips can get you close to an even
cut after the saw. Then freshen with a file.
Jim Elbrecht
>What do guys use to cut metal downspouts? I tried a hacksaw and while
>it cut, it took awhile and gave me an uneven cut.
I was in Harbor Freight one day and saw this on sale;
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44829
[14" chop saw]
That $75 has saved me *so* much aggravation-- and probably $75 in
hacksaw blades. [picked up a box of blades when I bought the saw
last year, but haven't needed one yet.]
I've cut bolts & rebar & the ball off a trailer hitch-- and a crapload
of angle iron and i-beams with it.
>
>Also, what is used to make the ends fit into elbows and such? Is
>there a special tool for this? I guess the word is crimp for those
>ends.
Never saw it in the store to see how cheap it is- but this should work
on aluminum ;
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93192
[5 Blade Crimper]
Jim
Joe
> What do guys use to cut metal downspouts? I tried a hacksaw and while
> it cut, it took awhile and gave me an uneven cut.
Use double cut tin snips. Check sources like Wiss for specifics. This
is what tradesmen commonly use for any kind of round sheet metal pipe
or square ducting (single piece). There are also small double cut
snips from more obscure sources that body shop guys like. The ones I
have are French and they came from J. C, Whitney IIRC.
> Also, what is used to make the ends fit into elbows and such? Is
> there a special tool for this? I guess the word is crimp for those ends.
Box stores have straight and angled crimpers. Check Harbor Freight,
too.
Joe
Smitty Two
<a92a9efc-f9b1-42bf...@k30g2000yqf.googlegroups.com>,
Joe <jbo...@aol.com> wrote:
> Use double cut tin snips.
I'll be damned. Never heard of those before.
DerbyDad03
I've always wondered how one of those cut-off saws compares to using
an abrasive metal cutting blade on my DeWalt miter saw.
I've cut all sorts of metal, from aluminum angle iron to steel rod to
garage door tracks on my DeWalt. Other than melting the insert and
burning the collection bag, it seems to do the job.
How is a dedicated cut-off saw different?
dpb
...
> I've always wondered how one of those cut-off saws compares to using
> an abrasive metal cutting blade on my DeWalt miter saw.
>
> I've cut all sorts of metal, from aluminum angle iron to steel rod to
> garage door tracks on my DeWalt. Other than melting the insert and
> burning the collection bag, it seems to do the job.
>
> How is a dedicated cut-off saw different?
They won't be melting the insert and burning the collection bag, mostly...
Functionally, no substantive difference; detail-wise quite a lot...
Typically 14" abrasive wheel-->greater rim speed and capacity (reach)
Don't have problem of plastic inserts and any spark-catcher will not be
fabric
Built-in clamping device
Primarily won't end up w/ metal shavings and other cruddy effects on the
precision woodworking tool.
It's the tool for the specific purpose.
--
Smitty Two
<f324999a-10bf-4646...@c14g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,
DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> wrote:
> I've always wondered how one of those cut-off saws compares to using
> an abrasive metal cutting blade on my DeWalt miter saw.
>
> I've cut all sorts of metal, from aluminum angle iron to steel rod to
> garage door tracks on my DeWalt. Other than melting the insert and
> burning the collection bag, it seems to do the job.
>
> How is a dedicated cut-off saw different?
I don't know about the homeowner types, but the one we have in the
machine shop is equipped with coolant, runs at very low RPM with a hefty
helping of torque, and cuts through thick blocks of aluminum cleanly and
accurately with surprising speed.
DerbyDad03
> In article
> <f324999a-10bf-4646-bd02-e025d74b6...@c14g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,
>
> DerbyDad03 <teamarr...@eznet.net> wrote:
> > I've always wondered how one of those cut-off saws compares to using
> > an abrasive metal cutting blade on my DeWalt miter saw.
>
> > I've cut all sorts of metal, from aluminum angle iron to steel rod to
> > garage door tracks on my DeWalt. Other than melting the insert and
> > burning the collection bag, it seems to do the job.
>
> > How is a dedicated cut-off saw different?
>
> I don't know about the homeowner types, but the one we have in the
> machine shop is equipped with coolant, runs at very low RPM with a hefty
> helping of torque, and cuts through thick blocks of aluminum cleanly and
> accurately with surprising speed.
I think that all of those are major factors. Regardless of what I am
cutting, I get some melting of the metal itself that has to filed/
grinded off.
I assume the coolant and low RPM would eliminate most of that,
correct?
I have also used a radial arm saw to cut steel plates up to a half
inch thick. This works much, much better than the miter saw since you
can make several (many several!) passes increasing the depth by a
miniscule amount each pass for a much cleaner cut. I am also able to
cut much wider stock - I've done plates up to 12" wide.
Of course, the cleaness is proportional to the number of passes. Less
molten metal requires more passes.
Smitty Two
<ab65e4e0-6ac9-499f...@d38g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>,
DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> wrote:
> On Aug 27, 9:55�am, Smitty Two <prestwh...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > In article
> > <f324999a-10bf-4646-bd02-e025d74b6...@c14g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,
> >
> > �DerbyDad03 <teamarr...@eznet.net> wrote:
> > > I've always wondered how one of those cut-off saws compares to using
> > > an abrasive metal cutting blade on my DeWalt miter saw.
> >
> > > I've cut all sorts of metal, from aluminum angle iron to steel rod to
> > > garage door tracks on my DeWalt. Other than melting the insert and
> > > burning the collection bag, it seems to do the job.
> >
> > > How is a dedicated cut-off saw different?
> >
> > I don't know about the homeowner types, but the one we have in the
> > machine shop is equipped with coolant, runs at very low RPM with a hefty
> > helping of torque, and cuts through thick blocks of aluminum cleanly and
> > accurately with surprising speed.
>
> I think that all of those are major factors. Regardless of what I am
> cutting, I get some melting of the metal itself that has to filed/
> grinded off.
>
> I assume the coolant and low RPM would eliminate most of that,
> correct?
I think so. Someone else mentioned the built-in clamps; also a necessity
at least in the production world. We don't use ours for steel because
most of what we cut in-house is aluminum, and AIUI the two require
different cutting wheels, just as a bandsaw requires different blades.
The cut-off saw brings a big grin to new users. If you don't hang about
100 pounds of your weight on the lever arm, the thing protests loudly,
chattering, vibrating, and squealing. It's counterintuitive to push
harder when a cutting tool protests, but that's the way it works. It'll
cut through a 2" thick, 4" wide pc. of aluminum bar in about 15 seconds,
dead straight, with repeatable precision of 0.005" or better.
jamesgangnc
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
For the occasional use a hacksaw is fine as most people will already
have one. How straight the cut is depends on your skill. Helps a lot
to draw a line around it and try to follow the line with the hacksaw.
You can use a pair of needlenose pliers to put some crimps in an end
to slide it together. Another tool you probably already have. If you
are doing it for a living it makes sense to buy the tools specifically
for it, but not for the homeowner unless you just like to collect
tools.
Jim Elbrecht
>On Aug 26, 8:05�am, Jim Elbrecht <elbre...@email.com> wrote:
-snip-
>> I was in Harbor Freight one day and saw this on sale;http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44829
>> [14" chop saw]
>>
>> That $75 has saved me *so* much aggravation-- and probably $75 in
>> hacksaw blades. � [picked up a box of blades when I bought the saw
>> last year, but haven't needed one yet.]
-snip-
>I've always wondered how one of those cut-off saws compares to using
>an abrasive metal cutting blade on my DeWalt miter saw.
>
>I've cut all sorts of metal, from aluminum angle iron to steel rod to
>garage door tracks on my DeWalt. Other than melting the insert and
>burning the collection bag, it seems to do the job.
>
>How is a dedicated cut-off saw different?
For me, the biggest benefit, other than it being almost ready to go,
no blade to change, it doesn't muck up my Bosch & my garage with metal
filings. Most of my metal cutting is rebar, or rusty crap that I
don't want near my miter saw.
Also, since I'm not the best of housekeepers, I like to use the metal
cutters & grinders outside in the driveway so I'm not spraying sparks
into sawdust piles.
Jim
DerbyDad03
re: ...so I'm not spraying sparks into sawdust piles.
In the garage workshop where I use the radial arm saw to cut steel
plates, the owner keeps an old (really old) 2 x 10 propped up against
the wall behind the saw to protect the drywall. There's a spray
bottle of water nearby and we dampen the plank before (and during) the
cutting.
Sometimes we forget the "and during" part but the little tiny flames
usually catch our eye before they become a problem. <g>