How to cut hardened steel plate

[Chris Barnett]

I have a hardened steel plate maybe 14 x 20 inches, .48 in thick, that I want to cut to perhaps make a few turning tools. Since heat will destroy the temper, I need to cut by some other means than my usual, an acetylene torch. Other than having the steel machine sliced into strips at a commercial shop, how can this be done in a reasonable amount of time? The steel is extremely hard but it is not at the brittle stage; at least I cannot break it with a hammer. Any ideas?

[Frank Guerin]

Perhaps you could rent one of those electric hand held band saws. I can't remember the correct name but do work if your metal is not to hard.

[Dennis Ford]

I would just use the torch and plan on heat treating the steel after finishing the tool.

[Ron Lynch]

I'd use a cut-off wheel on an angle grinder. Works like a champ and if you keep the cut line cooled you won't damage your temper (or the steel's).

[curtis rosche]

you could use a plasma cutter, if your local school has a welding shop, they might have one, befriend one of the student who has that class to cut it for you. if it is tools steel it wont cut with acytelene. we tried at school, all it does is ruint he temper, but not cut. you could also use something as a heat sink, like a couple of big metal bar stock peices, or blocks of ice. bandsaw might work, or a sawzall

[Richard Madison]

Waste of a nice piece of steel. Why not just buy some HSS tool bits for about $3 each? Use the big plate for something else.

[David Drickhamer]

With the work needed to cut and machine and re-treat the steel I agree with Richard. Buy some HSS.

[Chris Barnett]

Was hoping to cut a few strips from the plate to make skews and scrapers and whatzats. Have so far only bought the curved tools, except for a diamond cutoff, and thought this would be a good opportunity to experiment with new shapes etc, at little cost. Will try the angle grinder but had thought that would really be labor intensive and probably cost more in new wheels than a piece of steel would, which says to just buy the steel as suggested which would still need heat treatment. This stuff is so hard I think a shop would refuse to put into an expensive shear. I looked at the edge, wondering how it was cut, and it appears to be cut with a torch, but what kind I don't know. If heat treating were not so difficult I would just pull out my torch and cut it.

I don't need the plate and can only think of using it as a work surface on one of my work benches, and still could afford to cut a few strips off. Think I will go by a machine shop if the grinder will not work...see if they will shear it, which will not destroy the temper.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Brent English]

If it's hard, it won't shear. It may be harder than the shear blades.

Plasma cutting gets the metal hot also, so that may ruin the temper.

Using a cut off wheel in a hand held grinder for a 1/2 plate is dangerous (catches, etc.) and will be very time consuming.

Find somebody in your area with a water jet cutter if you want to get it done without ruining the material. They'll cut anything: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_jet_cutter

Got to agree with one of the other posters though, you'll be time and money ahead starting with something closer to what you want. Sometimes free stuff is the most expensive.

Brent at Robust Tools

[Heather Thompson]

Chris,

Brent is correct about the issue of water jet cutting, and there are literally thousands of job shops out there that will do the work for you. I will PM you a list of such shops, if you scroll down the list the places are broken down by state which will make your search alot easier. Hope this helps you out.

Heather

[Jeff Nicol]

Chris, I have in the past bought some HSS square and rectangle stock through machinist tool and die wholesalers on line. The one I use a lot is ENCO and they have a ton of different shapes and sizes that you could grind to your own specs. I just bought a piece of 3/4" round HSS 8" long so I could try and make a double bevel bowl gouge that was a little bigger than what I have. The piece was around $12. So For all the trouble tou are going through to cut your piece of steel you could already have a piece of 1/2" by 1" HSS in your hands to work with. The other place that has this type of stuff is MSC that I have used. There are others out on the web also so take a look around and see which one has what you want. Making a handle to hold it after it is in you hands is simple enough.

So good luck and I hope this helps!

Jeff

[Chris Barnett]

Did not think about catches in 1/2 steel, so much for cutting with grinder. A water jet....good idea...good reason why I posted the item and will look forward to the info...thanks Heather. Will check into ordering a piece or two of flat bar stock, but hope the jet is cheaper in the long run. Will post how it turns out.

[Heather Thompson]

Did not think about catches in 1/2 steel, so much for cutting with grinder. A water jet....good idea...good reason why I posted the item and will look forward to the info...thanks Heather. Will check into ordering a piece or two of flat bar stock, but hope the jet is cheaper in the long run. Will post how it turns out.

Chris,

I sent you a PM earlier today, but here is the link to the job shops. http://www.iwmwaterjet.com/waterjet-job-shop.html

Heather

[David Epperson]

If you can't find a shop with a water jet, you might also look for one with an EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) wire machine. Should be short work if all you are wanting is strips cut off.

[curtis rosche]

with the water jet idea, couldnt you just use a high powered pressure washer, with the 0 degree spray nozzel? i guess that wouldnt be high enough.

[Chuck Saunders]

Pressure washer would be a little low powered Curtis, but it is exactly the same idea. The only big difference is the 10,000 psi higher pressure. Water jets are cool toys.

[curtis rosche]

you could try cutting it with a cold chisel, that works. it might bend the stell a little though, and you might need a new chisel when you are done

[jason lambert]

Waterjet! I think with a plasma cutter or torch it will just make a mess that you will have to grind away and waste materal. But that is some piece of steel. But probably not worth your trouble although if it is a big piece makeing scrapers could be easy and worth it.

[Doug Thompson]

Chris, if you decide on a abrasive waterjet remember the spray is cone shaped so allow .030 per 1/2 inch of thickness for each cut, multiple cuts on the same strip is double that amount.

Call for a estimate before you drive down, first to see if the shop takes on small jobs and second for a price, around here it's expensive.