Ripping 1/2" square steel tubing down the middle?

[JavelinSST390]

been having some trouble with this. I won't even attempt it on my poor old POS bandsaw. (Seriously, it sucks major Donkey ballz when you take it to steel). There are two local metal fab shops, I talked to both of them and both said it would be nearly impossible. I said "BS, I've seen it done a couple hundred times, by guys on their bandsaw at home. Mine just isn't up to the job." One shop flatly said no, the other said they would attempt it, but it would cost me $150 to rip two pieces of $5 48" tubing, whether it worked or not!!!

So... any ideas?

[vigilant]

jig saw and metal blade thats what i use i clamp the metal and take my time works like a charm blades are 5 dollars or so from home depot

[vigilant]

actually i bend up my frame first then rip it with the saw

[snail78]

I've done it with a 4 1/2" grinder with a cutoff wheel

[pardonmyn00b]

Hacksaw, jigsaw, bandsaw, reciprocating saw, grinder with a cutoff wheel...

[Mr.Joshua]

I saw in a similar thread someone chucked up a 3" cut off wheel in a drill press and cut a pre-bent piece in half. I have the parts needed but i haven't tried it yet

[rlockwood]

Originally Posted by snail78

I've done it with a 4 1/2" grinder with a cutoff wheel

id give this the best chance of success. The portion you're missing though is tolerances, how close to the center do you need?

[snail78]

Originally Posted by Mr.Joshua

I saw in a similar thread someone chucked up a 3" cut off wheel in a drill press and cut a pre-bent piece in half. I have the parts needed but i haven't tried it yet

I don't think you would have the RPMs needed for the cutoff wheel to work on a drill press.

[SMR 510RR]

Originally Posted by snail78

I don't think you would have the RPMs needed for the cutoff wheel to work on a drill press.

Its been done before by many of our members...

I have done it but it is a pita, I wish there was a source for smaller C channel it would make my life so much easier!

[doublej]

Anyway you do it is not doing to be "easy". Its metal working, if it was easy everyone would do it.

I would either use a grinder w/ a thin cut off disk, a jigsaw, or the drill press method. All depends on my mood of the day.

[burtonkidd]

I say the table saw is the best bet

[C*H*U*D]

Originally Posted by Mr.Joshua

I saw in a similar thread someone chucked up a 3" cut off wheel in a drill press and cut a pre-bent piece in half. I have the parts needed but i haven't tried it yet

Originally Posted by snail78

I don't think you would have the RPMs needed for the cutoff wheel to work on a drill press.

c channel chassis

[snail78]

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D

c channel chassis

well i stand corrected.

[BigSki]

I use a cutoff wheel with the mandrel in the drill press, then I adjust the table height so that it hits the center of the square tubing, then very slowly feed the tubing through the wheel.

[gary]

Here is a suggestion and I have seen this done, works well. Take your stock, round or square, and get a piece of flat stock. Then take your frame stock and tack weld it to the flat stock, just in a few places. Then set up a straight edge for the flat stock, adjust for the center cut, and cut away.
-Gary

[gary]

Here is two more way to do it as well.

How to Cut a Pipe in Half Lengthwise on a Vertical Band Saw | eHow.com

How to Cut Pipe Down the Center with a Vertical Band Saw | eHow.com

[bob1961]

my home depot has some 3" x 1/16" thick metal cutoff wheels with the same companies mandrel i used and chucked it up in my drill press and cut frame down the middle....kinda like MR VERT did making his beadlock wheels......bob

....

[brandonwalsh420]

i used a milwaukee deep cut bandsaw on a swag offroad table... one of the most useful tools in my garage... only problem is flattening the two peices after the cut (they bow from the heat)... the cutoff wheel would probly have the same issue tho... any decent fab shop should be able to do it for WAY cheaper than what you were quoted... its just a cut, not rocket surgery...