Cutting steel with a jigsaw

[Wendan20]

Hello,

Has anyone cut steel (4 mm thick) with a jigsaw? I'm told that this is possible. I'm going to place two windows in a steel boat and have to cut the wholes out first.

I'm curious if anyone has experience doing this and tips are more then welcome!

By the way I'm using a Trion PS 300.

Greetings,

Daniel

 

[AlexThePalex]

It is perfectly possible to do so. I've done it sometimes on small strips. But if you want to do a big piece like an entire window, I'd take it slowly. Metal on metal becomes hot very fast so I'd suggest doing it in small increments and allow the blade to cool down in between. Normally with metal a cutting oil is used as a coolant, but with a jigsaw held vertically this might be less practical.

 

[Acrobat]

I tried and went through a few blades even expensive bosch ones, just getting to halfway across a benchtop, so I switched to a grinder, much faster and then smoothed the edge with a hand file. Stainless steel is tough to cut, cost me a few jigsaw blades!

 

[CharlesWilson]

I have done it fairly often. Keep the speed down, put some oil on the blade every minute or so and you can extend the blade life. If you try to cut through hardened steel or cast iron, prepare to wear out many blades quickly.

I met someone the other day who routinely cuts into cast iron bathtubs. The combination of cast iron (which seems to have bits of carbide embedded in its structure) and porcelain limit him to very slow cutting. A blade lasts about 6 inches before needing to be replaced. He has tried carbide tipped blades, diamond tipped blades with no improvement.

Sounds like you are just doing steel plate, and should have no problem.

Charles

 

[tbellemare]

I've cut a lot of steel extrusions like angle iron and the ones that are used for shelving that have the vertically elongated holes that accept brackets for adjustable shelves. I think I've made about a dozen of those cuts with a Trion and the same blade.

I think Alex is right, if the blade has a chance to get too hot, it probably goes down hill fast. I learned the hard way to not wear flip flops while cutting steel. Those little bits that fall to the floor are really hot.

Tom

 

[Michael Kellough]

I have done it fairly often. Keep the speed down, put some oil on the blade every minute or so and you can extend the blade life. If you try to cut through hardened steel or cast iron, prepare to wear out many blades quickly.

I met someone the other day who routinely cuts into cast iron bathtubs. The combination of cast iron (which seems to have bits of carbide embedded in its structure) and porcelain limit him to very slow cutting. A blade lasts about 6 inches before needing to be replaced. He has tried carbide tipped blades, diamond tipped blades with no improvement.

Sounds like you are just doing steel plate, and should have no problem.

Charles

The best blade for ceramic coated cast iron is this type.

Silicon carbide grit impregnated abrasive cut off blade.

I ripped a large old claw foot tub in two with this type blade in an old Skil saw.
Makes a lot of dust but since it cuts fairly slowly and there are no teeth to grab
the work you could make pocket cuts if small openings are required.

For the OP, an aluminum oxide grit blade would work for steel but it will throw
a lot of sparks and very offensive dust.

 

[tbellemare]

I remodeled our guest bath a few years ago and it had a ceramic coated cast iron tub that was wedged in between the two long walls of the bathroom. It never occurred to me to cut it. I got out a sledge and went to town on it. It was incredibly noisy and messy (ceramic shards) but after hitting it for a while, I broke chunks off and eventually broke it in half.

Tom

 

[peter halle]

As possibly an interesting side note - you decide - while I was at JLCLive! I was talking with a bunch of the Festool guys about the Trion and learned that the power train aspect of that saw is deemed "virtually bulletproof."  It seems that only a couple have ever made it back to service here in the US due to power train issues.  One that did need to be served was used constantly to cut 3/8" thick steel.

Peter

 

[RONWEN]

I have cut lots of steel using a Milwaukee Sawzall with Lenox bi-metal blades with no problems.

 

[CharlesWilson]

I have done it fairly often. Keep the speed down, put some oil on the blade every minute or so and you can extend the blade life. If you try to cut through hardened steel or cast iron, prepare to wear out many blades quickly.

I met someone the other day who routinely cuts into cast iron bathtubs. The combination of cast iron (which seems to have bits of carbide embedded in its structure) and porcelain limit him to very slow cutting. A blade lasts about 6 inches before needing to be replaced. He has tried carbide tipped blades, diamond tipped blades with no improvement.

Sounds like you are just doing steel plate, and should have no problem.

Charles

The best blade for ceramic coated cast iron is this type.

Silicon carbide grit impregnated abrasive cut off blade.

I ripped a large old claw foot tub in two with this type blade in an old Skil saw.
Makes a lot of dust but since it cuts fairly slowly and there are no teeth to grab
the work you could make pocket cuts if small openings are required.

For the OP, an aluminum oxide grit blade would work for steel but it will throw
a lot of sparks and very offensive dust.

The fellow I spoke with was aware of the grinding option, but desires to do it with the jigsaw and dust collection so that he doesn't have to spend extra time tenting off the area, and cleaning up afterwards.

 

[TomGadwa1]

I remodeled our guest bath a few years ago and it had a ceramic coated cast iron tub that was wedged in between the two long walls of the bathroom. It never occurred to me to cut it. I got out a sledge and went to town on it. It was incredibly noisy and messy (ceramic shards) but after hitting it for a while, I broke chunks off and eventually broke it in half.

Tom

You brute! 

 

[Thunderchyld]

There are nibblers that are capable of handling this cut.  A shipbuilder I did some rigging work for had a Unitec that was capable of biting into 1/2" aluminum or 3/8" stainless.

It can be done with a jigsaw, but be prepared to go through a lot of blades.  Took a trion to an 8" I beam once.  Never again, lol.  I think next time I'll just go buy another sawzall.  IIRC, went through every metal cutting blade we had in the box and had to finish the last inch or two by basically burning off the last remnants of teeth on the blades.  Was a demolition job and I couldn't employ fire for the cut.  Normally cutting metal for demolition I'd be using the bluewrench or burning bars.

Another option would be to pick up one of the Evolution circular saws.  Haven't spent much time with them yet, but the saw I picked up @ menards for $80 cut rebar faster than my sawzall.  Looking at their site, they've got a pro model designed for cutting up to 1/2" steel.  

Would I do any of these methods?  I dunno, the plasma cutter is so fast that I might spend less time with the plaz and grinding to polish versus the jig and blades.  

 

[fdengel]

I agree with comments above that while a jigsaw is certainly capable of this, an angle grinder will make MUCH faster work of this, particularly if fitted with a cutoff wheel (and appropriate guard designed for cutoff wheels - the usual "stock" guards are not safe to use with cutoff wheels.  Safe for the guard maybe, but not for the user).

 

[rst]

All of the above mentioned methods for cutting holes in steel work and I have used them all in the past. That being said I now use the new ferrous (steel) blades.  They are an impact resistant form of carbide that I have used to cut up to 3/8" steel plate.  I install a lot of door-lites in steel doors.  I originally used my PC 6 1/2" saw boss but now I use an 18V Milwaukee cordless saw and do not even remove the door from the frame.

 

[kacmcgrath]

I don't know if anyone is still watching this thread but I'll give this a shot.  I need to cut through a steel rail that is about 2 inches wide.  Actually, it's the suspension rail for Ikea kitchen cabinets (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/84675400/).  I have a jigsaw blade for cutting through metal, but I didn't realize I needed to have some sort of special cutting oil (obviously not the kind of thing I do on a regular basis).  I'm stuck at home without a car today, so I'm wondering if you think I absolutely need the cutting oil, or if I could make do without it. 

Thanks!

 

[wow]

I don't know if anyone is still watching this thread but I'll give this a shot.  I need to cut through a steel rail that is about 2 inches wide.  Actually, it's the suspension rail for Ikea kitchen cabinets (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/84675400/).  I have a jigsaw blade for cutting through metal, but I didn't realize I needed to have some sort of special cutting oil (obviously not the kind of thing I do on a regular basis).  I'm stuck at home without a car today, so I'm wondering if you think I absolutely need the cutting oil, or if I could make do without it. 

Thanks!

I'd go for it. That should cut fairly well. Try to keep the blade cool and expect to throw it away when you're done.

Oh - don't breath the air/dust/vapors from the cut. Galvanized is nasty stuff!

 

[Michael Kellough]

That IKEA cabinet hanger rail can be easily cut with a simple hack saw.

 

[mastercabman]

I don't know if anyone is still watching this thread but I'll give this a shot.  I need to cut through a steel rail that is about 2 inches wide.  Actually, it's the suspension rail for Ikea kitchen cabinets (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/84675400/).  I have a jigsaw blade for cutting through metal, but I didn't realize I needed to have some sort of special cutting oil (obviously not the kind of thing I do on a regular basis).  I'm stuck at home without a car today, so I'm wondering if you think I absolutely need the cutting oil, or if I could make do without it. 

Thanks!

No need for cutting oil
Those rails are thin enought to cut with a metal blade