Cutting tool steel

[Robert McConnell]

I need to reduce the length of several tool steel reamers. The largest is 0.50" diameter. Recommendations, particularly focused on low cost - I am not a metal worker so my metal working tools are limited.

[William Shelley]

Honestly, an angle grinder should be fine for this. Even one of the higher-spec'd dremel tools with a cut-off abrasive wheel could cut 1/2" rod.

[Wayne Lomman]

Yes, cutting them with an angle grinder is fine. Cheers

[michael langman]

Norton Grinding sells cutoff wheels that are only 1/32" thick and produce little heat cutting off steel. They are made for that purpose.

Using a regular hand grinding wheel will ruin the reamers temper. And the reamers cut at the same point you are cutting off material.

Dremel makes small sutoff wheels that are very thin also. A larrger one like those will work.

[Kev Williams]

354802
354803

354804

plus $2 for an air chuck adapter and you're good to go for $18. Harbor Freight of course ;)

I've had mine for several years, it works.

[Steve Peterson]

I cut some 3/4" hardened steel rods with a 1-1/2" Dremel EZ-lock disk. It is a thin fiber re-enforced disk. It produced a bunch of sparks, but very little heat. I went in a little more than 1/8" deep all the way around to get past the surface hardening then finished it off with a hacksaw. I was probably grinding for nearly 10 minutes to make cuts on 2 rods and the cutoff disks are still nearly full size.

I also tried a 3" cutoff wheel with a cheap HF air tool. I got annoyed at how loud it was so I switched to the Dremel.

Steve