The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Best/most useful metal cutting tool

Looking for suggestions on the best type of tool for use in cutting body panels, (i.e., back rear lower cab corner panels, floor boards, etc.)

I find it depends on access to the cut, if there is a second layer to worry about and the material thickness. So far I've used my sawsall with metal blades, my angle grinder with various cutoff blades and I recently started using die grinder cutoffs for tighter confines. I don't have a torch. For the things you listed I'd go with angle grinder and a box of cutoffs I think.

Thanks Caso. I was leaning toward the angle grinder with a guard (trying to be all about the safety aspect). I have 4 1/1" end grinder. Also do not have a torch, but don't believe that would be my tool of choice anyway.

Raleigh 58

The best all purpose cutting tool I've used is a Dotco angle die grinder. Two downsides are the cost of the Dotco and the compressor since it requires a fairly capable compressor. There are cutting jobs a Dotco can't do but for a good all around, easy to use, multi-purpose cutter it's a good one.

Tiny,

Thanks. I just looked up this tool using google as i wasn't familiar with it. WOW! you were right about the cost.

an angle die grinder doesn't have to be expensive, and even the less expensive ones are exceptionally useful if you have a compressor

Bill

Wow is right... for that kind of money you could buy a compressor for $400 and five HF die grinders for $20 ea. and not worry about switching attachments, just swap tools. Of course the HF will not run all day like the Dotco but if my compressor ran all day my neighbors would drop a load sideways.... besides what little work I do with a DG doesn't justify something high end, just something that does the job.

I bought an HF angle die grinder and it ran for a total of 10 seconds before the gears in the angle head stripped. I bought it on an unrelated trip to Wichita and it sat in my tool box unused for a year before I decided to use it. I have other quality die grinders that I normally use. Of course it was out of warranty when that happened. One one of the myriad examples I have of HF tools being junk. If you're only going to use it sparingly buy a Craftsman or other mid quality tool before you waste your money on HF. The $75 Taylor in Bill's link would probably be light years ahead of HF. My experience with Dotco is through my 30 years of using them in aircraft manufacturing.

To all my supportive Stovebolt friends out there;

Thank you for your usual exceptional input. I like to ask around for others' experiences before making a purchase of a new tool and especially for something I have never attempted.

Looks as if it depends on how much a tool gets used as to the quality one should look for when making that purchae,

I also enjoy seeing the photos some of you haveposted. They give me a lot of inspiration. One day my son and i will be there, too.

Raleigh (NC) '58

Don't forget Dremel. Mine did all sorts of duty from cutting steel frame sections, rivets, sheet-metal, rubber and plastic, etc. With the right blade you will be amazed

Best and the cheapest I've found is a Craftsman 4 1/2" electric hand grinder with 4 1/2 cutting blade installed (I get mine at Home Depot, $1.98ea).
More power and cutting adlity than an air tool and less punishing than a sawsall.

I have been waiting for many years for my HF tools to break so I can complain. Still waiting...........

i bought a HF angle die grinder works fine for me. but i really like chicago pneamatic tools seam to work well and last a long time. have many of their air tools and will buy many more. check with your local parts store i think their pricing is pretty good when on sale.

Air poweres or electric a grinder/die grinder will be the best tool for cutting out rotten metal. Once you have used it for a while you may find that the guard will be in the way, just make sure you have your safety glasses and leather gloves on. The elctric grinders woork great and you don't have to buy a huge compressor to run it.
On another note the tool is only as good as the cut-off wheel, the wider/thicker the wheel the more material you'll be cutting and the slower the cut time. Wholesale Tool sells some great wheels - we us a 6"x.040" and a 4.5"x.035"( http://www.wholesaletoolcompany.com/?gclid=COORuKaT260CFYvRKgodkC3xmA ) on a 4.5" grinder and it works perfect. And this one in a die grinder http://www.wholesaletoolcompany.com/?gclid=COORuKaT260CFYvRKgodkC3xmA

just bought lots of ten and twenty cutoff and grinding disc on ebay cheap. their cheap enough i can go through two or three and still be cheaper than the local guys. check it out

One best keep a very good grip on a angleguard grinder in use with no guard my cousen got his cut bad when one kicked back on him he had the thing up near his head ...

useing a angle grinder one should have good grip on it with no guard on ,my got cut real bad with on guard on one ..had it up near his hard and it kicked back on him .

What the...........

.........Heck?