DIY – 7 Ways To Cut Steel

So, you need to cut steel for a DIY project (like a crane or trailer).  Easy, Right?  What’s the best, easiest, cheapest, fastest way of cutting steel?  There must be dozens of ways, so, the better question might beWhat method of steel cutting is best for you?

Answering this question about cutting steel begs for some additional input:

  • What types of materials will you be cutting (Tube, Flat, Sheet, etc.)?
  • How accurate must it be?
  • How fast must it cut?
  • What size are the pieces?
  • What space is available?
  • How much money is in the budget?
  • And more …

Of course, this is the Do It Yourself Plans Portal, so let’s talk DIY options.  This discussion is limited to machines for cutting steel that don’t require massive or super expensive machinery.  We’ll eliminate wire EDM (electrical discharge machining), for instance, because the cost is typically overkill for DIY shops and the accuracy is well beyond the needs of most do it yourself projects.  We already covered Drilling, so we’ll leave that out too.

DIY Methods — How To Cut Steel:

Here are several steel cutting methods that are common for DIY craftsman. In the table:
– We use stars for general ratings.  More stars mean Cheaper, Easier, Faster, Smaller.
– Hover your mouse over the stars (and “Details”) for info about categories and ratings.

Ease of SetupSetup Details Ease of CuttingCutting Steel Cutting TimeCut Time Accuracy of CutCut Accuracy Finish of CutFinish of cut steel Size & StorageSize CostCost to Cut Steel
Hack Saw DIY 5 Big Stars DIY 1 Star DIY 1 Star DIY 3 Stars DIY 3 Stars DIY 5 Big Stars DIY 5 Big Stars
Circular Saw
(w/ Abrasive Blade)
DIY 3 Stars DIY 3 Stars DIY 3 Stars Do It Yourself 2 Star Rating DIY 3 Stars Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating
Chop Saw
(w/ Abrasive Blade)
Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating DIY 3 Stars DIY 3 Stars Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating DIY 3 Stars DIY 3 Stars
Chop Saw
(w/ Carbide Teeth)
Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating DIY 5 Big Stars DIY 3 Stars Do It Yourself 2 Star Rating
Band Saw
(Horizontal)
Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating DIY 5 Big Stars DIY 3 Stars Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating DIY 3 Stars DIY 1 Star DIY 1 Star
Cutting Torch DIY 3 Stars DIY 3 Stars Do It Yourself 2 Star Rating DIY 1 Star DIY 1 Star Do It Yourself 2 Star Rating Do It Yourself 2 Star Rating
Plasma Cutter DIY 3 Stars DIY 3 Stars DIY 5 Big Stars Do It Yourself 2 Star Rating Do It Yourself 2 Star Rating DIY 3 Stars DIY 1 Star
Water Jet /
Laser Cut
N/A – DIY 1 Star CNC 5 Stars For DIY 1 Little Star CNC 5 Stars Do It Yourself 4 Star Rating N/A DIY 1 Star
About The Stars Table

The ratings are based on personal experience.  I accept a variation of a star or so in any of the columns since it’s pretty hard to define how good or appropriate a particular method is for metal cutting in general.  I also recognize that there are many other methods, like sheers, snips, water jet and even bolt cutters, that are not on the list.  Basically, it covers methods of cutting stock for the types of projects covered by our DIY plans — things like our Trailers and Shop Tools (Cranes, and Presses).

Let’s take a look at a little more detail for each of these methods for cutting steel.

Cut Steel with a Hacksaw

The classic hacksaw (or hack saw if you prefer) is the quintessential metal cutting tool.  Hacks saws are cheap, small, and easy to use.  Every shop should have at least one because they can do things that are difficult or impossible with some of the other cutting methods.  They’re great to cut steel or aluminum or almost any metal.

For instance, in the photo shown, cutting at a steep angle to the direction of the material is quite difficult to set up for many of the other methods, yet it’s easy to do with a hacksaw.

Hack Saw Cutting Steel

Another plus for hacksaws: they can get into almost anywhere, and they can cut really small things that would be nearly impossible to put in a vise to cut with power tools. Blades for hacksaws are also easily available, relatively cheap, and come in lots of different tooth pitches. They are available for cutting steel or for aluminum. Additionally, hacksaws come in variations from the classic bow to the super small extended blade. Just make sure you get the teeth direction right!

The big disadvantage to a hacksaw is the time and effort it takes to make a cut. Still, despite the extra time and effort involved, a hacksaw is an indispensable tool for the DIY hobbyist. Certainly using one can be a lot of effort, but if you keep the blade moving straight in the cut, use a little cutting oil, and push only into the cut, then the hacksaw is not that bad even for big and thick materials.

Power Hacksaws

sawzall-hack-sawThe power version of a hacksaw (like a Sawzall) is much like a regular saw, but with the obvious advantage of power.  For cutting steel, they are quite useful, but it’s hard to get a good square cut.  Sometimes these are a lifesaver when cutting things already installed (and there’s a lot of that with DIY home projects), but usually as useful with new DIY projects.

Abrasive Blades

You can use an abrasive blade on a number of different machines. The classic is the Chop Saw, but you can also put smaller discs on a circular saw, or on a die-grinder. (The circular saw method is how I built my first race car tube frame.)

Abrasive Steel Cutting Saws

The Chop saw is a great way to cut steel with straight / square cuts (and most angles). The circular saw is more maneuverable, cheaper and smaller than a Chop saw. Circular saws are also great for cutting sheets of metal and bigger stuff that you can’t put into a chop saw. It’s versatile, too – you can change to a wood cutting blade pretty easily so the tool can do multi-duty.

A good portable option is the die-grinder.  It’s not practical for big cutting, but super nice for notching, for cutting small areas and for hard to reach places.  The angle grinder fits in this same category.  Whether you put an abrasive disk cutter on it, or maybe a diamond encrusted cutting blade, these tools make great free hand cutting.

The big disadvantages for abrasive cutting are the mess and the constant replacement of blades.  As they wear, you can’t cut as deep or as big, so sometimes you end up switching blades even though the warn one is not totally worn out.  For free-hand cutting, keep the blade straight in the cut, or you can splinter the blade all over.

Carbide Tipped Blades For Cutting Steel

Evolution 380 Steel Cutting SawAnother type of chop saw uses carbide tipped teeth on a circular steel blade.  It looks like a wood cutting blade, but don’t try it with your compound miter saw because the speed is much slower for cutting metals.

This method is simply machining — with a carbide tip cutter.  These are typically used dry, and the blades are specific for aluminum or for steel.  Blades last a lot longer (like 20 times longer) than abrasive blades and they don’t change size (wear down) as you cut.  They do throw little chips of metal as you cut, but not nearly as messy as abrasive saws.  No abrasive dust in the air and all over the shop.

Another great thing is the relatively small space for using it.  I just put it on the floor, then use some wood blocks I made (right size) for supporting the workpiece level off the floor.  After cutting, clean up is easy, and the saw sets nicely on a shelf.

Carbide-tipped saws have Disadvantages as well.  They are initially more expensive than an abrasive chop saw, and their blades are more expensive too (though you save money in the long run because they cut much longer before they wear out).  Chop saws are great for straight cut-off type cuts, and angles (of 45 degrees or less), but not for out-of-position cuts.  Evolution (and others) do make a circular saw style too, (they scare me), if you want, or need one.
Cut Steel with a Chop Saw

On A Personal Note

I bought the Evolution shown here and find it amazing.  Mostly I’ve used abrasive and band saw cutting, but this changed the game.  It’s easier to set up than a band saw, not nearly as messy as abrasive cutting, and faster than either of the above.  Plus, it’s relatively small so, it stores easily on a shelf.  The finished cut is is also quite nice and requires little or no post cut clean-up (with a file).  I’m a fan.

By the way, when the blade is really sharp, it makes almost no sparks.  After building a couple cranes and several other big projects, it makes the fun sparks.  See the image at the top of this post.  A local tool sharpening shop brings it back to perfect for much less than the cost of a new blade, and it’s good to go for many more projects.  I’m actually really impressed at the number of cuts one blade can do!

Band Saw

Horizontal Metal Cutting Band SawI had a big horizontal band saw for years.  The machine was truly awesome for cutting all different sizes of materials – beams, tubes, solid rod, etc.  I thought it was the last metal cut-off type machine I’d ever need.

The cuts are good, and the blades last a long time if you’re careful to match the tooth pitch and speed with the material you’re cutting.  Make sure you use flood cooling because that drastically improves cutting quality and blade life.

Band saws have a moderate cutting speed, and they are reasonably accurate when setup properly.  For big section pieces like solid bar, you just set up the saw and walk away.  If it takes half an hour to cut a 5″ solid, it doesn’t matter.  Just let it do its thing.  For really big stuff, there is no question, the band saw is the way to go.

Smaller band saws, even handheld ones are available.  Unfortunately, I’ve never used a small one, so I don’t know what that’s like.

Are there Disadvantages?  They’re big, not very portable, and to be most useful, need a lot of space for material supports (like conveyor wheels).

Cutting Torch

The old oxy-type cutting torch is a shop standard.  If you work with rusty bolts and such — the cutting torch is an essential tool.  However, most new materials DIY projects won’t have as much need.

Cutting TorchA cutting torch can cut through steel and almost anything else too, but you must be really careful about what’s around it!  Note the flame as in the Photo from wikihow.com.

For fabricating, cutting torches are not as useful because it’s nearly impossible to get much accuracy, and the finished cut is often jagged and rough.  Cutting other odd shapes like an I-Beam is even worse.

Anyway, other than the tanks, they are not that expensive, and they don’t take that much space to store.  Of course, that depends on the size of the tanks you choose.

Plasma Cutter

Cut Steel with PlasmaThese things are really amazing.  If you have not tried one, you should.  For cutting steel sheet and flat materials, they are easy and fast.  Plasma is definitely one of the best ways to go if you’re cutting shapes from plate.  Laser or waterjet will yield nicer edges, but they are much more expensive to purchase and to run.  You can also do free-hand cutting steel with plasma, if you’re steady, without much trouble.

A lot of implements and attachments are available to help you make a good cut.  Or, you can make them yourself.  Using a straight edge to guide it, or a support to keep it a correct distance above the workpiece makes the job easy.  This Photo from www.fabricatingandmetalworking.com shows plasma cutting steel using an edge as guide for a straight cut.

Plasma cutters are extremely flexible in that you can use them in different positions and do all sorts of crazy shapes — like drawing in cuts.  Again, like torches, you really need to be careful about other things around while it’s spraying molten metal.  The excitement it brings is not usually the excitement we want.

The cut edges leave something to be desired compared to some of the other steel cutting methods above, but it’s much better than a cutting torch, and this tool will do lots of things other methods just can’t.

Disadvantages include the usual — high cost for really cool machines.  They are not as accurate as a saw, and the surface finish of the cut is not so good.  They are also cumbersome for cutting shapes (like I-Beam), and tube (if you want a good cut all around).  Oh, and there are some safety limitations due to the sparks and welding fire they spew.

Outsource Cutting

While not technically DIY, there are more really great ways to cut steel (and other materials) to spruce up a project.  Laser cutting and Water Jet cutting are two specifically good for cutting sheet and plate.  Cutting in the right notches can align parts for excellent build quality.  Also, there are frequent times when a fun shape will make a project stand out.  One example for both of these is the back plate on our Deck-Over trailers.  The shape is nice, but also all cut-outs for the ramps, tail lights and alignment notches make that piece ideal for Laser or Water Jet.  Plasma cutting CNC machines too (though plasma does not leave as accurate an edge).

CNC cutting (mills, lathes, etc.) are on a whole other level, but it’s most definitely a way to cut metal of all sorts.  We won’t go into it here, but to me, there is no substitute for some situations.

The big Disadvantages for these non-DIY methods are access and cost.  These types of computer controlled cutting methods require CAD files to define the cuts.  We provide the CAD files with our plans that need them, but for typical DIY’ers, making CAD files is not that accessible.

Secondly, the price of making parts is higher than the other methods above.  You take the CAD files to the cutting shop, then they cut the parts and you get to pay.  For the right circumstances, there is value in accuracy of the cuts, and it is super helpful for a quality project.  So, for me, that makes this type of cutting extremely valuable.  Again, in the right situation.

DIY Tools To Cut Steel — Wrap-Up

Every cutting method has its advantages and disadvantages.  They all have areas where they shine, and areas where they won’t do so well.  No single method can do it all, so for us in the DIY arena, we need to choose the methods that do what we need most – tempered, of course, by what we can afford and what fits our work space.  With that in mind, you’ll likely want more than one for your shop.  Start with a hack saw, because it’s the most versatile, the cheapest (by far), and the smallest.  Next, maybe an abrasive saw of some type, then move up as your needs (and budget) dictate.

Without other constraints, to cut steel (or aluminum or other metals for that matter), we suggest the following.

  • For Cut-off duties (pipe, tube, angle, beams, etc.), we recommend, first the Carbide Tipped Blade Chop Saw, or a Band Saw.
  • Out of position cuts and for drastic angles, we recommend an abrasive saw to cut steel — either a hand held circular saw or a die grinder.
  • For free-hand and plate type cutting steel, definitely a plasma cutter if you can afford one.  A Sawzall if you can’t afford plasma.
  • Finally, keep a good old hacksaw handy for the small jobs and the little obnoxious weird places you need to cut steel (or whatever).
Don’t forget you can also hire out the non-DIY cutting methods.  We don’t think of them as DIY methods, but they sure can help the DIY builds.
Happy Steel Cutting!!

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
8 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View All Comments

We Found These For You . . .

Article
Applied Force vs Movement With Shop Tools
Is there anything more annoying (painful and frustrating) than busting a knuckle when working on things in the shop?  To many of us, blood sacrifices are just part of getting a project done, but it doesn’t have to be that…

Read The Article

Article
Trailer Plans Download @ Mechanical Elements
At Mechanical Elements, we encourage customers to modify and customize the plans.  That’s how you build the perfect project.  So, what things can you customize?  And what shouldn’t?

Read The Article

Product
Torsion Axle Conversion

Build your trailer with a Torsion Axle instead.  Use these Conversion Plans to make the axle change with confidence.  The design fits all our 6' Width, 3500#, Single Axle Utility Trailers.

Article
Various Wheel Bolt Patterns
What is the bolt pattern on your trailer wheels?  For the most part it doesn’t matter because you’re not changing wheels that often, yet when it does matter, it really matters.  Here is some good info to measure and calculate

Read The Article

Article
Converting a Trailer
The concept of re-purposing or converting a trailer is absolutely awesome.  My hat’s off to anyone who can find a way to reuse and convert something from end-of-life to new-again.  We need more of that in our world!

Read The Article

Article
How We Make The Plans
What goes into the engineering of Do It Yourself Plans?  How do we make them?  When you purchase and download project plans from Mechanical Elements, you get a TON of work and information, much more than first meets the eye.

Read The Article

Article
Spring Foot for Gantry Crane Safety
Nothing ruins a pleasant day quite like a goose egg on your head, or a throbbing finger pinch.  Avoiding those things (and, of course, the much more disastrous potential events) is the context of this gantry crane safety article.

Read The Article

Article
Build it with Torsion Axle Trailer Plans
New Product Announcement:  The Mechanical Elements line of DIY Trailer Blueprints has just expanded with some new sizes for Torsion Axle Trailer Plans.  You ask, then we work to deliver.

Read The Article

Product
5x10.5, 2 Place, ATV Trailer Plans

Our smallest ATV and off road vehicle specific trailer plans.  Great for taking 2 ATV’s out, yet small enough for towing without a big truck.  The size also makes for easier storage between the fun trips.

Article
Build and Offroad Trailer
A good question from some of our customers:  “I really want an offroad trailer, but I can’t seem to find the right trailer plans to build it.  Is it better to buy the “4′ x 6.5′ – 2500# – Off-Road…

Read The Article