Technical Best way to cut thick steel

As of June of this year, I have 48 years in the trades. All of
them as an Iron worker. I have seen safety evolve from
absolutely nothing to absolutely all aspects covered to the
finite details. At first myself as well as most tradesmen balked
at the ever evolving rules and guidelines. I and all other construction
workers routinely did our work processes in a manner that was geared
to the now comic term of "get it done!" It is a testament to the mad
skills of these fellows and ladies that more were not maimed or killed.
That being what it is, many were maimed or killed. So wear the gloves
and the proper eye protection, and what ever PPE (personal protective
equipment) may be applicable!

 

I do, daily.

If I catch you twice without PPE, I fire you.

 

Ok, now the guy could get one of them itty bitty hot shooters into the crotch of his knuckle?
if it were his first time around sparks (obviously not) that would hurt. After a few years a guy cant even feel the little ones anymore and learns to ignore most of the bigger ones.

Be pretty damn easy to catch that box on the floor on fire, maybe the file cabinets are tool boxes or maybe they are still full of velociraptors. That box is probably easier to catch fire than not so Id just move it.

personally I wont burn with one of those combo head torches. its awkward and I cant cut worth a crap with one. I run a 18" Harris dedicated cutting torch with my right hand, glove on the left hand and torch in bare right hand. That way I'm bound to make the PPE pros at least 1/2 happy. Usually if Ive had just the right amount of coffee and I hold my tongue just right I can burn a really fine line where you can see a slight bobble from my heart beat providing the solar eclipse is not overhead or if a damn box catches fire all bets are off.

always wear both gloves with a grinder, but if I burn it nice and right not for long.

Welding is another story, gloves is the way to go there. I Maybe tacking without a hood but bet your ass ill have gloves on for the light show. Weld in sandals if you want,,, I wont say how stupid it is, just watch

 

I'm a big fan of safety equipment. Whenever I cut steel with an oxy I always wear safety thongs.

That's flip-flops for you guys in the 'states

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Yep, also known as Japanese safety boots.
Safety equipment is for your personal benefit will a safe attitude is for both you and your work mates.
Everybody is entitled to safe day at work and the expectation that that they can go home in one piece to be with their nearest and dearest out of work hours...

 

I just put on a jock strap and cup!

 

always wear all safety equipment. Also...sell your hot rods and buy a car with modern crumple-zone technology and airbags. There is no sane reason to take your life in your hands driving a car without the latest safety developments in the name of "fun" or "hobby"..... It's inconsiderate and irresponsible.

 

Trouble is , Both sides of this pissing match are right AND wrong......people are different , some need all the rules and precautions available , some simply don't , when you get to the point that you think your way is the only way for everyone , then YOU are the most wrong !!!

 

This is what I walked into a work today!
A mechanic with 20 years experience pulling a battery that weighs 3000lbs onto a skid chained to a forklift it tipped $7500 dollar BRAND NEW battery is scrap.... might be salvageable but won’t hold a proper 6 hour charge again!!

And why?
We have battery rollers,stands and slings all accessible ?
And why?
His answer, “well so then it’s on the skid already Save some time” we are talking 10 minutesin time savings cost us 3 hours and $7500 bucks !!
His excuse? I’ve done it like this a million times!
Just cause you can dose not make it right.


We all take short cuts if this battery fell on some one it’s amputation time.

The video shows him not wearing gloves, is it the right way to cut steel, no, can he get hurt? Maybe, can he die? Not likely.

Most of us in trades take what we do lightly and forget that shit can go wrong in less then a second.
I’m not a super safety guy,but in some instances it’s just the right thing to do!

 

I used the plasma cutter for the first time recently on 16g steel, worked a treat, very precise. So I tried a test on the 3/8". It cut but very slowly. I'll need to practice with the torch to get a nice cut. I am not a welder fabricator.

 

These kind of questions always seem to get off topic real quick.
Guilty of using my torch Saturday without gloves and having a small burn from popping rust on the house trailer frame I was cutting up.

Back to Blowby's original question, I'd think he could fab up a simple circle cutter out of some scrap in about ten minutes that would let him cut a nice accurate circle on the plate just by taking a close look at the circle cutter on the video. Maybe tack a nut the right size to the plate as a pivot point that can be knocked off easily. You could probably make the tool with a bolt that screws into the nut as one turn on the threads would make the full cut. an old nut welded to the end of the bar to hold the torch tip centered 9-1/2 inches from the center of the bolt and done and back in the scrap bin when you are done.

 

Big difference there between the umph needed for 16ga vs 3/8" plate.

Could just try hand burning them with the help of CNC aided goggles.

 

Imagine that, another pissing match on the HAMB that's totally off topic to the thread. I wonder if Superman is required to wear eye protection over his laser like eye cutting power abilities ???
I once seen popeye eat some spinach and turn his pipe upside down and blow a perfect hole in Brutus' ship, maybe he could do it before the Safety council gets him.

 

The pissing matches get old
The hijacking gets old
The sprinkling of fly shit and pepper gets old
The pivots and redirects get old
The posting without reading gets old

Still love the place

 

That's 'cause you're old.

 

Well that all Depends on who ya ask right? I walk into a room full of 6th graders I'm old, if I walk into a nursing home and I'm the youngster, not much older that the 6th graders from where they are sitting

 

All depends on how you're feeling inside.

 

What do old people smell like?..........Depends

 

I would not have had any trouble cutting 3/8" plate with my plasma cutter. I might have even just drawn a circle with a sharpened soap stone and freehand cut it, depending on how precise the circle had to be.
I could have cut it freehand with my torch as well, but that would have been slower.
I would have used the gloves with either method, but other then clear safety glasses, there would not have been any eye protection....Maybe that is why I don't see as well as I used to.
I wear safety boots and long jeans. I have a bunch of sweat shirts with little holes in the sleeves, about where the long welding gloves end. I've been doing this for 46 years. Just a couple years ago I had a patch of skin cancer removed from my left arm (above where the welding gloves ended). Makes me wonder if maybe I should have been wearing that damn hot leather welding jacket all these years instead of the sweat shirts or T shirts. Gene

 

If,after all this horse shit you decide to oxy cut the circles with the torch,
drill a hole,say 1/4” with the edge of the hole just touching the outside of your cut line and start your cut in the hole,that will give you a neat cut for the start of your run without the mess of blowing through your plate to start.

 

No one has asked but are you needing the disc that's cut out or the piece the disc is cut from ?
I would assume since you mentioned band saw that you are looking for the disc itself. With all the talk of torches and plasma cutters have you given thought to a plain old 4 1/2 inch grinder with a cut off wheel ? If you don't have the two above to use then it is a very viable option.
Draw your circle, rough cut around it in an octagon (stop sign) shape as close to your circle as you can. Come straight in towards the circle from the side with several cuts maybe 3/8's inch apart. Start cutting the circumference from the octagon side that's as close to the circle as it can get, you're just cutting all those little fingers off now. When you make it all around it'll be a rough edged circle that you clean up with a sanding disc in the grinder.
Make sure and wear your gloves and face shield.

 

We all take about safety and PPE , I can tell you first hand , 35 years as Stationary Engineer in a Propane Peakshaving Plant . We had every type of hazard that could be encountered in a days work . Chemicals for boiler water treatment, 200 psi compressed air in a 24 in pipeline , 650 psi Natural Gas in 6, 24 in pipelines , 350 psi Liquid Propane in an 8 in pipeline , 240 psi Propane Vapor in a 6 , 12 in pipelines . Welding everyday , 200 amp AC , 90 Amp DC 1750 HP Compressor motors . I used to be one of the stupid MORONs that hated safety meeting after safety meeting . We kept 8.5 Millon gallons of liquid propane on hand , I stood on top on the cavern everyday at work. I would unload tanker after tanked with short pants and a tank top only . Until one day we got to a safety meeting and here sits a guy that would scare your kids with his looks ,a hose ruptured while unloading a tanker burning him over 90% of his body , mind you this was not from a fire but Liquid Propane changing states into a gas , it boils at -44 * below 0 . From that day on , I could not get enough PPE . One thing the MORON told me that I never forgot is , “ just remember the person you will hurt most by being careless is everyone in your family . “ It took a few minutes for that to sink in but it went home , and I will never take a short cut again . Please never question , PPE use it and just assume it’s part of the process .

 

Basically they shouldn't get their hands dirty because they wear gloves.

 

Ask these two for help.

 

Thank you!!!^^^^^^^^
A return to normalcy.

 

Fairly cheap to find someone to cut them for you... also that thing with the big battery is really, really funny


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All good suggestions on cutting the plates , that's how you learn ,trying different ways to do things . As far as the PPE quagmire goes ,most of the jobs you have to have it ,or your gone. I'm a stone mason.While working on the Longfellow Bridge in Boston the safety guy demanded I were gloves. I'm setting big boy stones.1000 lbs is a small one .All crane work .I want to FEEL the STONE as I set it ! I said to him ," Did the "Incahs" where gloves ? How bout the Aztecs ? I was on another job the next day and I don't care. You need to feel what your doing Yes I had my hardhat,vest glasses.with something that can take your hand OFF ,I want the millisecond of time I get to react with Bare Hands

 

No glove-no love