Some Help with tools needed to cut steel square bar

[Steel]

Hi all,



Ok, Im going to be building a steel stand for a fish tank soon, I have drawn up plans, etc,


Now I am thinking about how im gonna cut the steel.


I have not been to a steel supplier yet, so dont know how much they charge for cutting, so I will see how much it will cost, if someone here knows then pls could you tell me.


The steel is going to be 2" square box steel, thats 3mm wall thickness.

I have seen a £25 mitre saw in the argos catalogue, would I be right in saying I can get a steel cutting disc and exchange it, then it will work ? I will only buy a mitre saw if the cutting price is much more, otherwise I will cut it myself.


Just to let you know, I am on a very tight budget for this. And the tools are only gonna be used once, so dont need to spend loads on tools,

Oh and Im using such large steel, as the stand has got to hold about 1.5 tons evenly when its done,

there is gonna be about 28 cutts needed,



Thanks in advance for any help

Steel

 

[breezer]

cheapo angle grinder?

but once cut how are you going to join?

 

[Scrit]

Cheapo angle grinder?

Add to that one of LIDL's £5.99 (?) angle grinder cut-off stands then you'll get square cuts.

And how are you going to weld them together afterwards? A bit big for the average tack welder.....

Scrit

 

[breezer]

And how are you going to weld them together afterwards?

i said that first

i wonder if the answer is glue?

 

[Steel]

Thanks for the replys guys

Could you tell me more about the cutt of stands ?

Oh and my dad is gonna weld it all together for me,


we have got a arc welder, but also will need to get a cheapo angel grider for smoothing off, its only gonna be used this once , I have seen the argos 14.99 ones, this should be fine my dad says, um


All i really want to know if about the cutting of the steel

 

[Steel]

Oh, so thats what they are, i searched in google, my dad told me about them, but he did not know what they were called.


Is it better to get one of these and a angel grider, or get the 25 pound mitre saw ?

 

[Steel]

right, I have had a look around on the internet, and I think that the mitre saw wont be suitable for cutting metal, unless I can find a suitable blade, and all I can find on the internet is huge expensive ones, the diameter of the blade for the £25 mitre saw is 210mm

But I need someone to help me more to say if its suitable, and getting a suitable blade.

 

[breezer]

since you have already decided on an angle grinder why cant you use that to cut with?

or did you not know that you can cut with an angle grinder?

 

[eggplant]

Be sure to change disc -there is a difference between a cutting disc and a grinding disc. Whats the spec on the £14.99 grinder? if its a 4" 500W thing I'd really forget it and go bigger or you will struggle. Best bet IMO would be to ask the supplier to cut it and pay them extra Are you going to clad the stand in wood or somwething else once its done? I assume you are.

 

[Steel]

I am not gonna clad the stand, reason being that im gonna use more fish tanks under the main tank. If cutting from the supplier is really expensive then I will buy the needed things,


So thats why I have some here to find out whats needed.


I did know that I could use a angle grinder to cut, but I am just looking at my best options for the cheapest and most accurate tools to use

 

[breezer]

its still an angle grinder

 

[eggplant]

But you are going to have apiece of wood on the top and on each part that a tank sits on? Surely you arnt going to put it right on top of steel?

its still an angle grinder

eh?

 

[breezer]

angle grinder being easiest / cheapest way to cut steel box section, particularly becuse he has to get one for his dad to "finish" the welds

 

[Steel]

Oh, yes I am gonna use some exterior grade plywood for the top and for under the tanks on the bottom. then the tanks will sit on some foam stuff, then onto the wood.



THanks for all your help guys so far !

 

[eggplant]

ahhh right ! I see