Shop Floor Talk  

Go Back   Shop Floor Talk > Welding and Metalworking Forums > Fabrication

 
 
SFT Search:
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-12-2021, 08:20 AM
JohnBoy's Avatar
JohnBoy JohnBoy is offline
Director of Languages
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Southern Ireland
Posts: 3,527
Default Cutting box in half

I need some really light channel for a job.

I was thinking about cutting 4 feet of 2x2x1/8 box in half. Wondering about potential stresses in the box though. Would I end up with two bananas?

Ideally I'd use the plasma but would I have less risk of distortion if I used a skinny disc in the grinder?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-12-2021, 08:31 AM
milomilo's Avatar
milomilo milomilo is offline

4-13-1949 to 5-21-2023
Auction Addict
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wheatland, Wyoming
Posts: 18,859
Default

Expect the result would be similar regardless of the method of cutting, if there is residual stress. A zip disk would give a cleaner result though.
__________________
Chris

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. Plato

LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!

B biggest
I idot
D democrats
E ever
N nominated
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-12-2021, 08:37 AM
Ironman's Avatar
Ironman Ironman is offline
Iron Modification Investigator
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Warburg, Alberta
Posts: 17,526
Default

John, I've had the same problem and became cowardly and did not try it.
If you are moving fast enough, as you should cut 1/8 at about 90 inches a minute, the heat is negligible. You can pick it up and handle it immediately after. I'm not sure that a zip disk will put less heat into the work

But if you have a shop with a press brake near you, they can bend this channel out of 1/8" or 1/16" easily. And it will be straight
__________________
Gerry
You got freedom of speech, if you don't say too much.
Aaron Neville.

When a liberal screams racism, you can bet they were also born with white skin.

Common sense is like deodorant. The people that need it most never use it. Joe Concha

Last edited by Ironman; 09-12-2021 at 08:43 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-12-2021, 10:07 AM
digr's Avatar
digr digr is offline
The Real Deal
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Duluth MN
Posts: 9,348
Default

I have cut light square tube on a band saw and still ended up with bananas, but you should be able to straighten it out in a press.
__________________
Drawing by Smartdraw
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-12-2021, 11:21 AM
Shade Tree Welder's Avatar
Shade Tree Welder Shade Tree Welder is offline
Grumpy Bastard
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Kankakee County, IL
Posts: 23,232
Default

You will have bananas, you can cut them anyway you like.

Tubing if first made round and then welded and scarfed, then run through the
shape rolls, square, rectangular etc. This allows for tighter radii in the corners
but induces a lot of stress but the stresses are all equal so the tubing stays
straight until you cut it.
__________________
Shade

"Prepare to defend yourselves."
-- Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley, Ia Drang Valley
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-12-2021, 12:04 PM
midmosandblasting's Avatar
midmosandblasting midmosandblasting is offline
Blast this!
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Calhoun ,Mo
Posts: 9,195
Default

You can weld 2 angles together to make the channel .I like Jerry idea best .
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-12-2021, 01:08 PM
toprecycler's Avatar
toprecycler toprecycler is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petoskey, Michigan
Posts: 7,130
Default

What Ron said. I have had better luck using a cut off disk in the grinder for less warpage, since you can control the heat better, but you will still be fighting the stress in the material from initial forming.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
Brian

You don't know what you don't know.

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." John Wooden
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09-12-2021, 02:22 PM
JohnBoy's Avatar
JohnBoy JohnBoy is offline
Director of Languages
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Southern Ireland
Posts: 3,527
Default

I suppose if I only get bananas it might be ok.

I'm welding this down as a cap on something so if they don't go too far wrong maybe I can pull them straight enough. It's not a very important job and certainly not one that justifies paying for a channel to be folded

I'll give it a lash and report back
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 09-12-2021, 03:05 PM
Grizz Grizz is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Cremona Alberta
Posts: 231
Default

probably heat would help in the cut zone. any tube that I have split tends to flex toward the solid side, until you try it and it goes the other way
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 09-12-2021, 03:07 PM
mccutter's Avatar
mccutter mccutter is offline
Do I have a life?
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 11,613
Default

If you were talking about Alum I would just rip it down a table saw...
__________________

TA Arcmaster 185 w/tig/stick kit
MillerMatic 252 w/3rd gen 30A
MM140 w/o AS, w/CO2
Hobart (Miller) 625 plasma
Hobart 250ci plasma
Victor O/A (always ready, but bored)
HF 80 lunchbox w/tig
45ACP Black Talons for those stubborn jobs...
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Web Search:

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:14 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.