Scored steel but how do I slice it up

JTknives

JTknives

Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
8,651
I work at the local saw mill and after much networking and palm greasing (passed out 5 knives) I now recive all the bandsaw blades from the mill. I still have to pay for them but thy now come to me. This load I picked up yesterday and weighs 1700lbs. My goal is to sell some to pay for some much needed shop tools and machines. I will recive a load every 2-4 weeks so plenty to go around to any one that wants some or a ton. But that's not the problem. The problem is slicing it up to be shipping friendly for buckets or flat rate boxes. I'm thinking a good quality plasma cutter would be about perfect to reduce these large chunks into usable sizes. It is made by ubbeholm as some blade sections still have it printed on them. I have 2 thicknesses in .075 and .090. The wider blades with teath on both sides are the thicker material.
Thanks guys for any tips on cutting it up or handling it for shipping.

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Thanks guys
 
Hi JT, I use an angle grinder to cut mine, stacking about 4-6 pieces but not doing the volume you're planning. An abrasive cutoff wheel would work for a larger stack. Or perhaps a plasma cutter?
BTW - the 2 mills I've gone to here on the west side (and others from what I hear) give me pieces for free, as long as I don't ask for that much, sounds like you are planning on doing it as a side business. The last time I asked, I got about 30 feet. the operator says they go through about 2-3 blades a week.
 
Plasma would work,but the question is what kind of steel is it? And H/T specs.
 
If you have the volume, it may be worthwhile to pay to have an analysis done to get an accurate read, or call the Uddenholm rep and see if he might be able to get you a spec sheet mailed out.

In regards to the cutting I know the whole buy once, cry once is a tough pill to swallow, so what about seeing if you can get your hands on a lightly used deep cut porta-band. Once you get your first few bundles out the door, it might help take a bite out of the cost, just like you were planning.

A deep cut saw would give a 3"-4" width, and as long as your work space offers a table to have the blade to run out on, you can split it down length ways then break it down with a plasma cutter, angle grinder, porta-band, chop saw or even a demo saw would work in a bind.

Or, see if you can have the cutting done at a machine shop in exchange for having a knife made from the steel.
I don't know what your work load is like, so I am not sure how viable this option is.
 
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It's 15n20, and as to the supply its unlimited as long as the mill is still in busness. The blades are rather hard and I think would destroy a bandsaw blade.
 
Plasma cutter for sure. I met a master smith (J.W. Randall) at a hammer in and he said this is how he gets his 15n20 for Damascus. He said he uses a plasma cutter to get it down to working size. I'd be interested in some if you are going to be selling it. I have a plasma cutter so I'd only need it cut down to shipping friendly lengths and I can do the rest


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I'm pretty sure you won't be able to rip it with a portaband. They are for cross cutting and even my deep cut bottoms out at like 6 inches, so end to end rips are not possible. I would say either cutoff on a grinder, a plasma cutter, or possibly a abrasive bladed wrecking saw would be your three options.
 
I ended up with a few of the double sided 15n20 saw blades from Ames when they went out out of business, local. I took them to a large fabricator that had a big shear, they cut them into 1 1/2 inch wide strips removing the teeth in the process. Your's look to be the same.
They are damned hard, a band saw with about the same hardness blades would be useless. The shear was fast and even along the edges.
I don't think you will have any trouble moving this product its in high demand for damascus makers.

Fred
 
If you just wanna cut it into lengths for shipping I think a radial arm saw with a cut off wheel installed would be a lot cheaper than a plasma cutter. But I haven't priced plasma cutters either.
 
Hypertherm makes some of the best plasma cutters. You would only need one of their smaller units with those thicknesses. Unless you cut multiple pieces stacked on top of each other. I have the smallest model, powermax 30. Great machine! Check out their web sight.
 
Aside from an industrial grade (and likely VERY expensive) shear, I'd go with a plasma cutter. No question.

Nice score.
 
Plasma or shear, or both. It's hard on shear blades, and it doesn't torch cut (acetylene) worth a shit.

Plasma leaves a lot of clean up, and isn't the most precise, which mitigates a lot of the savings vs buying 15n20 directly in bulk annealed condition.

Yeah, you can't bandsaw this stuff. Hell, even annealed 15n20 is hell on bandsaw blades.


Shearing will give the best results, but unless you've got a buddy with access to a big shear, it's not going to be free or easy either.


I will however offer one caveat: Unless you know for a fact, that it's 15n20, don't assume that it is.
 
Years ago I cut up some saw blades . I used an abrasive wheel in a regular skill type saw that was all metalic including the motor. You probably could use a new made but watch the motor housing doesn't catch on fire.
Frank
 
Ja Baudin said:
Hypertherm makes some of the best plasma cutters. You would only need one of their smaller units with those thicknesses. Unless you cut multiple pieces stacked on top of each other. I have the smallest model, powermax 30. Great machine! Check out their web sight.
Click to expand...

Thats true. I got a great deal onot a serious hypertherm plasma torch. Hooked up to the 220 outlet, it can rip through 1/2 plate at about an inch or so a second.

You feel like God using one of those.
 
My prediction is that shearing is not a viable long-term solution due to wear/tear on the shear blade. Changing a shear blade is a chore that takes hours.

If you are outsourcing, look into laser. It will take longer to handle the material than it will to run the cut program. A lot of shops won't want to mess with these blades, but if you find one who will, it should work out well.
 
Ben how do you like your hand of God I mean plasma torch. I think it's the way to go for this work.
As to the part time job, that's kinda right. My wife does not work and stays home so she wanted somthing to do to help out so I thought this might be good. I will do all the cutting and she can box and ship and email. I know lately 15n20 seams a tad rare so I thought this might fill a void and help out the people looking for this material.
 
I'll second what Ja Baudin said. Plasma cutter for sure. I use a piece of aluminum angle for straight edge and lay that torch against it. Just draw it across nice and smooth and I think it will go through those blades like a knife thru hot butter. I haven't cut that particular steel but nothing else has resisted the Thermodyne. Plasma cutter is one of those tools I wish i had bought long ago. Once you have one you wonder how you can live without it.
 
Maybe soften them up first... stand these bsaw sections up in a bonfire, let fire dies down once metals got past 800F.
 
a waterjet company could make short work of these too... when I get sheets of steel, rather than bother with doing all that cutting by hand, I just take it in and either get my blanks cut directly or cut the pieces into the sizes I want... it's not that expensive really
 
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