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Cutting Cast Iron

| Posted in Construction Techniques on July 29, 2005 12:58pm

 

I would like to cut and modify a cast iron tub, and need some pointers on how to do it properly. I saw the finished product at a craft show a few years back. The artisan had turned an old lions claw tub into a loveseat by removing most of the side, leaving about 4 inches of the sides and bottom in place. He had ground down the rough edges, filled the drain and faucet holes, reglazed the tub and put in an upholsterd seat cushion. It looked weird but great, and sold for over $1500. But what is the best way to cut the cast iron? I have a 4.5 inch grinder that I could use, but what type of blade would be appropriate? Others have told me I need to use a 12 inch diamond saw, but how do I do a curved corner with something that big? It has also been suggested that  I cut it using a welding torch, but I don’t have much experience, nor do I have the tools. Also, any ideas on what would be the best compound to fill the holes? The tub is sitting in the middle of the hall right now, and I’m expecting a baby in 4 weeks, so I need to get to it soon. Any suggestions?

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Replies

  1. MisterSteve | Jul 29, 2005 02:00am | #1

    The porcelain covering the cast iron is what makes it so darn hard to cut. Treat it like cutting glass, which it kinda is. A oxyactelene torch (used for steel) will not cut the porcelain or iron. I have used a 1 1/2 in capacity plasma cutter on cast iron with limited success. Try some cut-off wheels in your grinder. Diamond first to get thru the porcelain, then carbide wheels for the iron. Go easy on the curves, have all the guards in place and where protection.

    You will probably need to have the porcelain redone when you are done cutting. For filling in the drain hole, cut a patch, fit with poly glue, apply a white marine epoxy, and cover the epoxy still wet with the cellaphane from a pack of cigs.

    1. MisterSteve | Jul 29, 2005 02:02am | #2

      Oh, what did he use to raise it up high enough? Or were the cushions that big?Good me thinking of the tub in my basement would be a nice loveseat...

      1. toolbeltgirl | Aug 03, 2005 09:20pm | #11

        Hi Steve,

        He didn't raise it up at all. The cushion was about 5 or 6" thick and of course he had switched the legs around, so that the downward slope was no longer directed to the drain, but rather to what was now the rear of the seat cushions. (Usually the legs come in 2 pairs, one set being about an inch longer than the other, the short ones go on either side of the drain.)

        It was comfortable to sit on, but then again I'm not very tall. Perhaps a good looking plinth to go along with it would display your skills in woodworking as well as metal working.

        Good Luck. 

  2. Piffin | Jul 29, 2005 03:30am | #3

    There's cast iron and then there's cast iron.

    I have cut a cast 4" waste line with my sawsall lickety split a dozen times.
    But then I have run into one that had no other way of cutting it but5 with my sawsall and that one took several blades and three hours

    cast iron can be much like glass and the porcelan is a kind of glass. I might be tempted to try this project with a carborendum sawsall blade.

    then again, I would be more likely to pass on it, especially if I were pregnant

     

     

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    1. toolbeltgirl | Aug 03, 2005 09:24pm | #12

      Thanks for the suggestion. I do have a good sawsall - it can't hurt to try it, worse comes to worse, if it dosn't work it'll be sent off for scrap metal.

      Besides, I do have a sense of adventure, I'm just pregnant - not broken. Wish me luck!

  3. junkhound | Jul 29, 2005 03:55am | #4

    Have you cut glass successfully?

    1 -  get a 9" grinder vs the 4incher or use a skill saw with abrasive metal blade .       

    2 -Score about 1/4 to 1/2 way thru the cast from the outside, and with a hammer and cold chisel proceed as if 'tapping' the back of a glass sheet with the glass cutter ball - takes a few judicious hard swings to get the crack started -- recommend getting the 'feel' for this on a couple of old scrap cast iron sinks first.

    3 - finish off the rough edgewith the 9" grinder.  

    Try the aforementioned sawzall method first, if it is high hardness CI and wont cut easily, then the 'glass' method works well. Was taught when a kid to cut CI pipe with just a scoring around with a light hacksaw cut and then the hammer/chisel trick.

    1. toolbeltgirl | Aug 03, 2005 09:27pm | #13

      Thanks for the idea, glass wasn't that bad to deal with.

      Looking forward to trying.

  4. FastEddie1 | Jul 29, 2005 05:06am | #5

    A diamond blade will cut the porcelain, but the cast iron will ruin the blade.

     

    I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

  5. msm | Jul 29, 2005 08:09am | #6

    a baby in 4 weeks? use the tub for a crib. put your refills of wet wipes under the drain hole, and it becomes a dispenser.

  6. kostello | Jul 29, 2005 03:46pm | #7

    i reckon if you start cutting now you might just be done by the time the baby arrives ;o)

    i think a 9" grinder with a metal cut off wheel is probably the best way to go.

    are you sure you want a love seat. You might end up having another baby!!!

    :o)

    1. wane | Jul 29, 2005 04:23pm | #8

      use a variable speed jig saw, slow and steady will do the trick, the jig saw will cut smooth corners, follow a line and is easier to hold tight against the tub, less vibration and chipping than a sawzal ..

      1. toolbeltgirl | Aug 03, 2005 09:30pm | #14

        What kind of jigsaw blade? Any ideas?

        1. wane | Aug 04, 2005 03:13pm | #17

          Just get the best metal cutting blades you can for your jigsaw ... it is slow but you will make steady progress ..

  7. quicksilver | Jul 30, 2005 01:53am | #9

    I'm not sure if a portable band saw would do it or not, because of the porcelain glazing, because I don't have any experience with them. If I was faced with this task I would research one like one of these.

    http://tools.vpteam.net/node/619255_1.htm

    I do have experience with these metal cutting saws and blades.

    http://www.mkmorse.com/

    I have a 9" Evolution and it's pretty amazing. I would think if you bought the smallest blade, use a regular circa saw, and made a series of shallow cuts you could achieve an outside corner radius that you could clean up with a grinder. You might have to sweat through an inside corner radius with a reciprocating saw (no orbit) or try the band saw. You could probably rent one. It would be one of those don't do this at home moves. Take a pic _ pregnant lady, six pack PBR, where one of those pinstripe engineers suits, and a lot of sparks. With a name like toolbeltgirl if you weren't pregnant I'd be proposing.

    On second thought, after I saw a couple of the other posts, a grinder or cut saw with an abrasive blade is probably a best bet. Or any combination of suggestions.



    Edited 7/29/2005 6:57 pm ET by quicksilver

    1. toolbeltgirl | Aug 03, 2005 09:41pm | #15

      Thanks for the laugh. My pin-striped engineer overalls don't fit over "the belly" any more (and yes, my husband is a lucky man).

      I will be giving it a try - thanks for the suggestions. I''l let everyone know how it went.

  8. User avater
    JeffBuck | Jul 30, 2005 06:55am | #10

    I'm starting to think no one here has ever cut an old tub ...

    a torch???

     

    anyways ... your grinder with work just fine. U said U plan on refinishing anyways ... think autobody/metal work ... aka ... grinder.

    Me ... I'd make the rough cut with a cheap abrasive blade in the circular saw ... the round part ... no problem ... just set the depth an 8th fatter than the tub ... and follow the cut line ... why do ya think they call them "circular" saws if they can't cut a circle?

    then ... I'd follow up if need be with my grinder and some cheap abrasive disks.

     

    last time I cut a circle in metal ... metal clad exterior door ... 21" diameter circle ... what's that ... 10.5 radius? ... 8th inch thick metal skin ... sometimes I think I cut crooked better!

    just set the blade .. that day .. a regular carbide tipped framing blade ... didn't have the abrasive blades I thot I did ... an "N'th" fatter than the 8th ... and made my circle.

    it was for my buddy ... an autobody/mechanic guy ... and I used his face shield ... decided that day ... autobody shields are WAY better than woodworking shields!

    Jeff

        Buck Construction

     Artistry In Carpentry

         Pittsburgh Pa

  9. csnow | Aug 04, 2005 12:17am | #16

    Try just ordinary thin cutoff disks in your angle grinder.

    They cut tile, so they will cut porcelain.  The glass will wear them down fairly quickly, but they are cheap.

    Does the toolbelt still fit?



    Edited 8/3/2005 5:44 pm ET by csnow

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