Replies

1. 
   exlrrp | Aug 23, 2002 04:07pm | #1

   Are you cutting for finish or just getting old stuff out? are you talking wrought iron or steel?

   The quickest way to just burn through metal to take it out at the jobsite is a metal cutting blade on a skillsaw. rebar also. This can be dressed up nice with a peanut grinder

   If I was cuttin it on the job for a finish, I might use a porta band, or maybe a metal cutting blade with a sawzall. or maybe back in the shop with a cutting torch/grinder

   I always carry a makita "peanut" grinder in the truck, very handy

   
   

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   Edited 8/23/2002 9:10:06 AM ET by EXLRRP

1. 
   allenschell | Aug 23, 2002 04:40pm | #2

   They are cast iron and this is a finished stairs application. I might go in and typically install a hundred or so.  Some prefer the portaband setup but it kills my back.  I'm thinking about a chopsaw setup for ease/speed and measuring jigs.

1. 
   exlrrp | Aug 23, 2002 04:57pm | #3

   for prcise mass production  of cast iron I think a chop saw is definitely betteryou could use a skilsaw with metal blade for on the job trim if necessary

   Edited 8/23/2002 10:01:33 AM ET by EXLRRP

2. 
   Lilshaver | Aug 24, 2002 12:31am | #4

   In my shop, I cut a lot of steel flats and rounds using a smallish horizontal bandsaw fitted with a bi-metal blade. This has replaced my hot saw for the most part -- it cuts without a lot of heat, is quieter, and more accurate. I suspect it will cut far better and faster than a portaband. True this is more a shop machine, but it isn't so large that a guy couldn't haul one to a job for a hundred cuts. You can stand straight and even drink coffee while it is cutting. Mine's a Wilton but I think Delta has one too. You don't need a wet cutting saw, dry will do.

2. 
   JerraldHayes | Aug 24, 2002 03:47am | #5

   ALLEN about a 40% of the balustrades we install nowadays are iron and the primary

   tool we use is a chopsaw with a carborundum blade. Of the portable chopsaws

   we have a couple of different brands and I can find no particular preference.

   The one thing we are careful of however is when using the saw inside we always

   put down a sheet of masonite or something for the saw to operate on so it doesn't

   burn the floor and shrouds to limit where it throws the metal cuttings. I went

   to one job we once did in an almost finished home once and the magnetic charge

   that the drywall screws all have had attracted the metal filing from the cut-off

   saw so there were all these little black dots all over the wall marking where

   all the screws were. It was no problem cleaning them up with just a dust cloth

   but it certainly scared me when I first saw it.

   While we have a porta-band

   saw it's used more for cutting apart (layering) wooden volutes and fitting

   and while we could put a metal cutting blade in it to cut balusters I wouldn't

   want to work that hard. The other thing I like about the chop saw is you can

   roll the end of the cut baluster along the side of the blade to ease the edges

   on it which makes insertion into the railings smoother and easier.

   Another tool that I find absolutely essential is a hand held grinder both for

   shaping or fairing wooden rail (we make most of our own wood rail profiles)

   and when it's equipped with a 3/64" thick Walter

   Zip™ Wheel it's great for use as a cut-off tool either for trimming

   balusters or making cuts for adjustments in metal scroll work balustrades like

   in the photo below ().

   View Image

   I think the grinder with a Zip™ Wheel would be just as fast

   as a porta-band saw (although you will go through a couple of blades on a hundred

   baluster job) but it would certainly be a lot easier on your back. The Walter

   Enduro Flex Wheels are also the best for cleaning up welds and "sanding"

   rough or sharp edges too.

   Personally I had been using a DeWalt

   DW402 4-1/2 for years but on a project I was installing the other day it

   threw the pin that locks the spindle and allows you the change the blade so

   I pulled Metabo

   W7-115 00715 Quick Change 4-1/2 to use instead and I can't believe what

   a pleasure it is to use. The quick change feature on it is absolutely great.

   While I will be getting the DeWalt repaired I'm going to make a Metabo my preferred

   grinder. The DeWalt's a great tool but comparatively speaking the Metabo is

   like driving a Bently .

   We also use metal cutting blades in our Tiger

   Saws at slow speed too because sometimes you're working in place, in a finished

   environment, and you don't want all the sparks that a grinder or chop saw will

   throw although we do also carry special protection blankets to protect existing

   work and finishes.

   We do have horizontal bandsaws in the shop like Jeff does and

   while they are more accurate and certainly a lot quieter than either the big

   stationary chop saw or the portable ones I still prefer the chop saw or grinder

   with a Zip™ Wheel because they a lot faster and accuracy is certainly more

   than close enough. Unlike Jeff however I can't imagine it ever being worth the

   time and trouble to drag even a small one on site for just a hundred balusters

   given the speed and convenience of the cut-off wheel tools. My van is already

   packed with tools too so something would have to come out for a tool that large

   to go along for the ride.

   ---

   

   "Architecture is the

   handwriting of Man." - Bernard

   Maybeck.

1. 
   allenschell | Aug 24, 2002 05:13pm | #6

   Thanks to all for the info, it's been very helpfull.  Isn't it amazing how iron balisters have become all the rage.  Somebody must have put some pics in magazine and it took off from there.

   What about glue?  We've been using epoxy here........did I mention how bad I hate that stinkin stuff?

1. 
   JerraldHayes | Aug 24, 2002 05:49pm | #7

   Allen you may be right, with more and more iron balustrade jobs showing up

   in our portfolio we seem to get even more iron balustrade projects.

   "What about glue?" We use West

   Systems Epoxy that we'll add 406 Colloidal Silica or dust from the woodwork

   to to make it more thixiotropic ( peanut butter like so it doesn't run). I've

   heard lots of people complain about the smell of epoxy over the years and I

   guess they must be using a different brand because I have absolutely no problem

   at all with the smell of the West Systems stuff.

   We'll also use Gorilla brand polyurethane

   glue too for the snugger fitting assemblies but it's tougher to make it

   work without it running down the balusters if you use it to glue balusters into

   the railing mortises.

   "Architecture is the

   handwriting of Man." - Bernard

   Maybeck.