Any design, whether in your home or in production, involves working with metal.
Often, during the operation of this material, the question may arise: how to cut a circle in metal?
It deserves attention because of the choice the right tool and technology directly depends on the complexity of the process of performing work and the quality of its result.
Methods for cutting a circle from thin metal
Metal circles
Metal can be thin or thick and durable, so a variety of tools are used to cut it.
The choice of materials and cutting technology also depends on what diameter the circle is needed and how even it should be.
Using a jigsaw
If you need a perfectly even circle, you can use an electric jigsaw to cut it out.
The work is carried out in several stages:
- First, the thickness of the metal is determined and the appropriate saw blade is selected for electric jigsaw.
- Before cutting a circle in metal with a jigsaw, the outline of the circle that will be cut is drawn on the working plane.
- Using a drill and a drill (with a diameter of eight to ten millimeters), a hole is cut out from which work will begin.
- A jigsaw saw blade is placed in the resulting gap and cutting continues according to the intended drawing.
Cutting using this tool does not take much time and effort. Moreover, using a jigsaw you can get a circle with perfect edges. But this tool is used only for working with metal of minimal or medium thickness (for example, 2 - 3 mm).
Using an angle grinder
The grinder is used when working with thin metal. Educate with this tool round hole you can by following this step by step tips:
- Before cutting a circle in metal with a grinder, markings are made so that its contours are clearly visible.
- Along the entire length of the intended drawing, short sections are cut with a grinder disc, which will eventually be connected.
- The figure will look more like a polyhedron than a circle. Therefore, after cutting is completed, the product is processed and cleaned until the edges become sufficiently even and smooth. You can also use a grinder for processing. If the circle has a wide diameter, you can sharpen the contours with a large disk.
When processing a cut circle using a grinder, you should be careful that the disk is inside the hole and, at the same time, is located in the same plane with the work sheet.
Cutting a circle in thick metal
Cutting a circle with a grinder
In order to outline the exact contours of the figure that will be cut out of metal, you should use a ruler, a marking compass and a marker.
First, using a ruler, set the required width of the compass connector so that it matches the required diameter of the circle.
Then the center point of the circle is determined on the metal plane.
Contours are drawn from it using a compass.
So that they are clearly visible during the work, they should be drawn with a marker.
Application of cutting torch
A circle in medium-thick metal can be cut using a gas cutter. The work takes place in several stages:
- The outline of the circle is outlined.
- The instrument burner lights up.
- The combustion torch is adjustable.
- The torch is carefully and slowly drawn according to the drawn drawing.
Using this method, you can cut a hole in metal that is about four or five millimeters wide.
Application of welding machine
Welding machine
If in home arsenal There is no gas cutter, you can use a welding machine.
It needs to be adjusted to the most high level current
Then the burning arc is placed against the contour and held there until a hole is formed.
Then you just need to slowly guide it along the drawing until it works smooth circle.
But the most important thing is to correctly adjust the power of the tool.
For example, if metal about four millimeters thick is used, a device operating at about 150 amperes is needed. If the metal is thicker, the power of the tool will be greater.
To speed up the work process, it is better to use thin electrodes. However, they burn out quickly and need to be replaced. Because of this, there will be a need for frequent heating of the metal, since during the replacement of the electrode it will have time to cool down.
How to cut an even circle from metal with a cutter is shown in the video:
Noticed a mistake? Select it and press Ctrl+Enter to let us know.
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How to cut a circle from metal in 2018
People working with metal quite often have to face the need to cut a round piece from metal sheet. In production, this problem is solved simply - using oxygen-gas, plasma or laser cutting. Each type of these operations requires specialized equipment, which there is no reason to have for private use. Therefore, in private workshops, a circle is cut out of metal different ways– taking into account the available equipment. 
- - gas cutting equipment;
- - welding machine;
- - angle grinder;
- - electric drill with a set of drills;
- - grinder;
- - hand lever scissors;
- - core;
- - marking compass.
- - gas cutter;
- - welding machine;
- - angle grinder;
- - electric drill;
- - center punch;
- - drill Ø4-5 mm;
- - marker;
- - ruler;
- - marking compass.
- - textile;
- - drawing;
- - graph paper;
- - ruler;
- - pencil;
- - scissors;
- - roller knife;
- - cardboard;
- - tape measure;
- - calculator.
Draw a circle on the workpiece. To do this, you can use an ordinary compass, but if its radius is too small, you can create a similar device. Carefully drive a nail into the workpiece and secure the rope with the pin to it. The length of the rope should be equal to the radius of the circle being drawn. Instead of rope, you can use a strip of cardboard or a wooden plank. After marking is completed, securely secure the workpiece in a vice or simply fix it in a certain position. Depending on the type of material, select a suitable blade for the electric hacksaw and install it in the device. Connect the instrument to the network. Attach the rod supplied with the hacksaw to the center of the circle. Attach the electric hacksaw to the workpiece, secure the sole to the surface of the product using auxiliary screws. Start cutting along the marked line. A drill saw is suitable for making small diameter holes (up to 10 cm). Using a cutting tip, it cuts into the tree and makes the initial hole. Sawing is done using the cutting edge of the tool. Before cutting a hole, select the appropriate attachment and install it securely in the saw. A hacksaw works well for making holes in wood. Its interchangeable blades make it possible to work with almost any material. However, it should be taken into account that the cutting depth is limited by the arc of the jigsaw, so cutting a circle further than 40 cm from the edge of the workpiece becomes almost impossible. When cutting, guide the blade as carefully as possible to avoid distortions. Otherwise, the canvas will be damaged. When using a regular hacksaw to make a hole, you must first drill a hole from which to start cutting. When working with an electric hacksaw, it is enough to bring the tool to the workpiece with a slight tilt forward. The tool will automatically make the required hole. How to cut a circle from metal in 2018 www.kakprosto.ru
How to properly cut various materials with a grinder
An angle grinder, which everyone calls an angle grinder, can not only grind, but also cut various materials using special wheels. But in order to skillfully use these opportunities, you must have knowledge and experience.
Many people have an angle grinder, but most people do not know how to use it correctly and how to hold it. This leads not only to work failure, but also to serious injuries. An angle grinder is a rather dangerous power tool.
The circle should be installed with the pattern facing up and clamped with a special nut.
Man with a presenter right hand holds the grinder by the handle with his right hand. In this case, the circle should be located on the left side of the machine, and the protective cover should cover it on top. The rotation occurs in such a way that during cutting, sparks fly towards the worker. If the grinder's circle jams and the grinder breaks out of your hands, then it will go not to the carver, but to the opposite side.
Left hand holds the machine by the handle, which is screwed into threaded hole on the body. There are several of them for special cases of use, but the correct position of the handle is only the upper one.
This position of the machine requires the use protective equipment. To protect the eyes and the exposed part of the face, use safety glasses, or even better, a protective mask. To protect exposed parts of the body from sparks and small fragments during the cutting process, it is necessary to wear a suit made of thick material.
How to cut smoothly
To cut something evenly with a grinder, you need to make the correct markings. For example, before cutting a piece of pipe, you need to mark the size with a marker or fine chalk. Then we take a sheet of paper with a straight edge and wrap the pipe around the mark. We will get a paper pipe on top of a metal one. The border of the paper will be the exact trajectory along which part of the pipe will be cut off.
For these purposes you can use construction tape, which makes it easier to wrap the pipe and secure it. Draw a cutting line along the edge of the paper or tape. We remove the paper, heal the pipe in a vice and cut it with a grinder.
You can cut a corner, profile or sheet in a similar way. Just don’t forget that you can’t change the position of the machine while cutting. Misalignment of the circle will lead to jamming or breakage. Do not press too hard on the circle, especially thin ones. The deformation will immediately be reflected by curvature. The machine should eat into the material itself, you just need to hold it.
The evenness of the cut also depends on correct selection circle. It is difficult to achieve an even trajectory when cutting off part of a thick-walled pipe with a thin circle.
How to cut a circle with a grinder
Sometimes it is necessary to cut a circle on a sheet of metal, but there is no tool other than a grinder. To do this, mark a circle on the selected area with a white marker or thin chalk. The cutting line should be at outside circle so as not to reduce it.
We install the grinder not perpendicular to the sheet, but at an angle. Moreover, the grinder will lean towards the center of the circle. At low speed we make a preliminary contour cut. Both the contour and main cuts must be performed with short movements, moving the position of the circle along the contour.
You can do the same when working with other materials. To cut a circle in a tile for a pipe using a grinder, you need to make a mark on the back side of the tile. Then take a grinder and make slots along the chord inside the marked circle at a distance of 4-5 mm from one another.
Then the tile is turned at a right angle, and slots are made perpendicular to the previous ones. During cutting, pieces of tile will crumble, but within the outlined circle. The remaining teeth can be sanded with a grinder, first from the front side.
Naturally, the cut will be oblique, with an extension to the back side. But this edge can be gradually grabbed with pliers and chipped away. At the end of the operation, the back side of the hole is sanded. This will require accuracy, attention and patience.
How to cut tiles and porcelain stoneware with a grinder without chipping
To avoid chipping when cutting tiles, it must be moistened with water. This will promptly reduce the temperature, which causes destruction. In this way, you can not only cut the tiles, but also cut out the necessary fragments. Another method is to use a stone cutting wheel. This circle does not crack or chip. 
The situation with porcelain stoneware is a little more complicated. Porcelain tiles are slightly thicker regular tiles and stronger than that. Manual tile cutter it becomes dull very quickly without achieving results. Therefore, you can cut porcelain stoneware around the stone.
We make a contour cut along the drawn cutting line. Then another, a third. Until the uncut thickness of the material is less than the cut thickness. We move the porcelain tile to the edge of the table and break it with a sharp, but not very strong movement.
How to saw without dust
Any dust is harmful to human health. During renovation or construction, it settles everywhere. Cleaning it up afterwards takes a long time and is quite difficult. But the main thing is that it cannot be removed from the body. In order to work without dust, you need to make a small and inexpensive device for an angle grinder. 
This device is very similar to medical IV. To normal plastic bottle with a volume of 1.5 - 2.0 liters, we insert a tube from the dropper. We leave only the regulator on it. In the protective casing of the angle grinder we make a hole along the diameter of this tube. We insert another similar tube into this hole.
We connect these two tubes, pour water into the bottle and open its supply to the circle. After the first rough cut, we adjust the water supply, which should extinguish all the dust released during cutting.
With such a device you can process concrete, brick and many other materials that, when destroyed, emit a large number of dust.
How to properly saw or cut with a grinder
Various materials behave differently during processing with an angle grinder. Some immediately overheat and break, others become deformed, and others do not want to be processed at all. It’s difficult to know all the intricacies of working with an angle grinder, but practice requires knowing at least something.
We cut paving slabs, tiles, porcelain tiles
For cutting paving slabs A grinder will require a special circle with a diamond cut. Markings are made on the tile, and along this marking a cut is made to almost half the radius of the circle. If the grinder has a large circle, then in one pass you can cut the tile to its entire depth at once. The main thing is that it is no larger than the radius of the circle. If the radius of the circle is insufficient, the tile is turned over and a counter cut is made.
Tile without chips is better processed with a stone cutting wheel. A line is drawn on the tile along which a contour cut is made. Then the depth gradually increases. When the cut part becomes larger, the tile is placed on the edge of the table and broken along the line. Unevenness and roughness can be worked on later.
Porcelain stoneware can be processed well with a stone wheel. Cutting technology is no different from cutting technology tiles.
Cutting wood with a grinder
Compared to others building materials wood has always been and remains the most malleable in processing. The grinder produces a wide variety of discs for cutting wood.
The most common blade, the look of which we have long been accustomed to on a circular saw. main feature The key to selecting such a disk is that the calculated speeds of the grinder and the disk must match. Only in this case it is possible to trim smoothly and without burning the wood.
This blade easily cuts wood in any direction, but traditionally prefers to cut across. It is easy to cut not only raw wood, but also tree knots. It is convenient to spread the boards into beams or slats. For a large volume of such work, the grinder must be fixed permanently. There will be a complete analogy circular saw.
Very easy to process and pressed wood materials any density. And if you need to cut wooden panel with nails packed in, then a disc is available for such work. He is not afraid of encountering nails. This universal disc is made from tungsten carbide by Bosh. The disc is marked Bosh Carbide Wheel. Available in sizes 76, 115 and 125 mm.
Grinder for brick, concrete, concrete ring
Cutting brick and concrete is done using special stone wheels. Brick is easy to cut, the main thing is to secure it correctly before cutting and not to use your foot as a clamp.
Cuts almost without problems concrete slab or concrete. But here concrete ring creates some problems. Not the concrete itself, but the steel reinforcement embedded in it. The circle in the grinder experiences a large load during concrete, and the reinforcement causes damage to it.
To shorten the ring by a certain amount, a cut is made from the outside of the ring. Then the cut part is broken with a sledgehammer, and the protruding reinforcement is cut into a circle for metal.
Corrugated sheets, metal and sheet metal
The grinder was originally intended for cutting and grinding metal, so cutting any metal is its element. For sheet metal different thicknesses We select a circle of a certain thickness, select the rotation speed and perform the cut along the drawn lines. When approaching the extreme point of the cut, you need to recess the grinder a little so that the cut border does not have a bevel.
Using this technology you can cut out different geometric figures from a sheet of metal. To cut a square or rectangle, you need to draw dimensions on a sheet of paper. We place the circle of the grinder outside the square and make a cut in the metal. When all four sides are cut, cut out the corners.
Cutting corrugated sheets does not cause any difficulties. The cut starts from any edge or in the middle, if required. The only caveat is that when cutting thin metal, a torn cut is formed on the reverse side. To avoid injury and for the cleanliness of the work, it is better to sand this cut.
Cutting pipes and gas cylinders with a grinder
Pipe large diameter, as well as gas cylinder are not any exception in the work of grinders. A large diameter pipe can be thought of as a sheet of metal. It is difficult to cut a cylinder that contains a trace of gas or condensation. This is very dangerous due to possible explosion.
To ensure safe cutting of the cylinder, you need to unscrew the valve. This is difficult to do, because over time the thread grows tightly together. In this case, it is necessary to weld the cylinder by the stand, which is located in its lower part, to a massive plate or frame.
It is easier to unscrew the valve on a welded cylinder. Water is poured into the vacated hole until it overflows, and then they begin cutting with a grinder. Cutting a cylinder is no different from cutting a large diameter pipe.
Glass cutting
The grinder has no problems when cutting glass. For this operation, you can use the cheapest ceramic wheel. A light contour cut is made and then deepened. The cut glass is laid out on the edge of the table and broken.
Cutting glass pipes with a grinder can be considered using the example of cutting a regular glass bottle. The bottle is placed in an extended vice or placed between two wooden blocks. Turning it little by little, make a cut with a grinder. The bottle is rotated until the unnecessary part simply falls off.
How to cut slate without a grinder
If you don’t have a grinder, you can cut the slate sheet using a regular hacksaw. Better for these works will do hacksaw with fine teeth and a slight gap. As a last resort, you can also use hacksaw blade from a hacksaw for metal, and just a knife.
The main thing is to correctly distribute the forces and load on the sheet to avoid chipping and breaking the slate. Wave slate is cut a little more difficult, but a flat sheet slate sheets Easy to cut with any tool.
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How to properly cut metal with a grinder, cut round holes, saw pipes, cut corrugated sheets
Metal is the material that the angle grinder (angle grinder) was originally designed to work with. Nowadays it is used to cut reinforcing bars, various metal sheets, and pipes various diameters, brick, concrete, stone, tiles and other building materials. Thanks to the presence of a variety of attachments, the grinder also allows you to polish and grind the surfaces of products. Cutting metal with a grinder is one of the main, most common jobs. To reduce the likelihood of injury, it must be performed correctly, with strict adherence to general and personal safety requirements.
Preparing to use a grinder for metal
The grinder belongs to the category of relatively dangerous power tools. You can get injured from a flying disc or a tool falling out of your hands. In both cases, the danger is associated with high speed rotation of the device's electric motor.
To increase the efficiency of the grinder, expand it functionality, in practice the following additional devices are used:
Their use makes it possible to improve the quality of sawing metal workpieces and increase the accuracy of the process. Working conditions also improve in terms of safety, and productivity increases.
Usage additional accessories allows you to use the tool as a machine designed to perform different types works
To make the cutting process as safe as possible, working on metal with an angle grinder should follow a number of rules. They are conventionally divided into preparatory and main (working) activities.
Before cutting begins, a number of manipulations must be carried out.
If possible, the material to be sawn should first be securely fixed, for example, in a vice, in order to eliminate possible accidental movements. Holding workpieces in your hands or between your knees is prohibited.
Correct use of the tool
When you start sawing any part using an angle grinder, you should adhere to these rules.
- When cutting metal, you need to hold the grinder firmly, with both hands.
- The wheels can be changed only after they have completely stopped rotating and cooled down to an acceptable temperature, disconnecting the power tool from the power supply.
- Do not place the working tool on the ground or table (do not let it out of your hands).
- It is required to periodically stop for about 5 minutes to rest and allow the disk to cool.
- It is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the cutting wheel, preventing it from being pinched by the edges of the workpiece being cut.
- Do not leave the tool plugged in unattended.
- Use only discs of the correct size as specified in the operating instructions for the device you are using.
- It is better to do the work on a flat surface so that the body position is stable.
- Make sure that the power cord is kept away from the rotating circle, sharp edges, and objects heated above 100 degrees.
- Movements not directly related to cutting must be performed only with the power tool turned off.
- You need to position yourself on the side or behind the tool, doing the work with your own hands so that parts of the body are not in the cutting plane.
When cutting metal with a grinder is finished, you should wait until the disk stops completely and disconnect the power cord of the tool from the mains. Afterwards, it is recommended to ensure that there are no signs of fire. When cutting materials, a right-handed person should correctly hold the handle of the device in the area of the on/off button with his right hand. The left hand is placed on the handle screwed into the body of the power tool from above.
It is unacceptable to perform work using an angle grinder in a very tired state, or while under the influence of alcohol, psychotropic or narcotic drugs.
As for the question of which direction - towards you or away from you - the disk of the turned-on angle grinder should rotate, there is no definite answer. The operating instructions indicate that the first option is correct. This is due to the fact that the resulting sparks fly away in the direction opposite to the operator, without causing harm. Also, fragments of the circle will fly in that direction if it breaks into pieces.
But if the rotating disk jams towards itself, the tool will fly off towards the worker. For this reason, many specialists prefer to cut metal so that the circle rotates “from itself”. A power tool torn out of your hands will fly in the opposite direction. This reduces the likelihood of injury, and clothing, shoes and gloves will protect the user from flying sparks.
Cutting sheet metal with a grinder
To cut metal of different types and thicknesses, use appropriate cutting wheels of various thicknesses and diameters. The algorithm for sawing sheets is as follows.
- For cutting with a grinder sheet metal pre-lay on a flat surface.
- Mark with chalk (marker) the exact dimensions of the cut out fragments on the surface of the sheet.
- Sawing is carried out along the marked lines, without changing the angle of the initial inclination of the disk to the working surface, so that it does not jam and break the power tool.
If you don’t have the skills to saw sheet metal with a grinder, it is recommended to first practice on soft material - this will give you the opportunity to get a feel for how the tool works.
It must be taken into account that the lower proximal segment of the disc cuts metal more effectively.
When cutting a sheet of metal, the following recommendations should be taken into account to obtain a high-quality result.
- To improve cooling, it is necessary to water the sawing area with water, which will also increase the life of the wheel.
- You should start cutting metal only when the disk is rotating: you cannot turn on the tool if the stationary circle is in contact with the surface of the workpiece.
- To saw tin (thin sheet metal) or cut out various geometric shapes, it is more convenient to use small, machined circles (“bits”).
- You should not press the angle grinder with significant force: cutting should take place almost exclusively under the angle grinder’s own weight.
- If cutting wheel stops in the slot (when you turn off the power tool), you can resume work only after removing it.
If sawing the sheet occurs slowly, you should change working attachment. Excessive load on the angle grinder when cutting metal will lead to overheating or jamming of the rotating wheel.
Cutting a round hole in metal using an angle grinder
In practice, it is often necessary to cut a circle in metal, and the only tool available is an angle grinder. But it is quite enough for this purpose. The algorithm of actions is as follows.
- Draw a circle with a compass on the surface of the metal or on a pre-made paper (cardboard) template with chalk or a marker.
- Holding the grinder at an angle to the surface of the sheet, make a preliminary marking cut of the metal along the marked contour, making short movements with the disk (sawing in small sections).
- Then, moving the nozzle in the same way, deepen the slot until it is completely cut out.
You need to cut along the outer contour of the circle so as not to reduce the size of the circle. If its diameter is small, then they cut by touching the metal with a disk point by point (without longitudinal movement of the nozzle). The round hole will have an oblique cut, as well as some minor flaws (they depend on the skill of the worker). Afterwards it is processed, if necessary.
The entire process of cutting a round hole in sheet metal using a special tool is shown in the video:
Features of working with thick metal, copper, cast iron, aluminum
When it is necessary to cut thick metal into separate fragments, it is recommended to additionally the following actions:
- constantly cool the area of contact between the metal and the disk using cold water due to strong heating of the slot site;
- make all cuts only in a straight line;
- different curved contours should be cut out in separate straight sections of short length, removing unnecessary parts;
- You need to completely cut the workpiece in several approaches, deepening the slot with each subsequent one;
- if you need to cut corners, I-beams, channel, rails, then each of their structural parts is sawed separately.
Cutting cast iron, stainless steel, as well as non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum and copper, is carried out using special wheels designed for working with these materials. All necessary information information about discs is contained in the markings of these products, printed on their sides. In this case, the circles differ in the composition of the fillers:
- in some, the additive is a super-strong material that can cut alloy steel;
- others use mild binders.
Cutting stainless steel with conventional metal cutting discs is prohibited, because they contain substances that lead to accelerated corrosion of the cut site. Aluminum and copper are very viscous non-ferrous metals. They are sawed using a grinder, pouring kerosene over the slot formed by the disc. In this case, you must follow the rules fire safety.
Cutting pipes from different metals is a popular operation when carrying out repair and construction work. It is necessary to cut off the products when installing sewer and heating systems, water lines. In this regard, the grinder copes well with various tasks. Discs for work are selected according to the material from which the pipe is made.
Application corner grinder give a chance:
- sawing pipes under different angles, for example 45 and 90 degrees;
- cut large diameter products;
- cut profiles smoothly (rectangular or square section) pipes;
- perform longitudinal cutting of tubular blanks;
- sawing cast iron pipes;
- cut thin-walled tubes.
If you need to cut a large diameter pipe, then using a grinder allows you to complete this work without significant financial costs. But at the same time, labor productivity is low, and the risks are considerable. When long pipes lie on supports, only the hanging parts are sawed off. If you cut in the center, the cutting edges will jam the cutting wheel, which will lead to jamming of the tool and possible injury.
Specialists not only cut pipes from different materials at the required angles, but also cut out holes of the required shapes in them. Work with profile and round workpieces is carried out in a similar way, with mandatory observance of safety regulations.
Sawing pipes at different angles
It is necessary to cut round and profile pipes at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees when laying various communications. In any case, it is necessary to saw off the pipe evenly so that the elements that need to be connected are connected to each other as tightly as possible.
A cut at an angle of 45 degrees for cylindrical pipes is carried out as follows:
- take a regular square one paper sheet;
- fold it exactly diagonally;
- This template is used to wrap the pipe;
- use chalk or other marking device to mark the future cutting line;
- remove the template;
- clamp the workpiece in a vice;
- cut off the marked piece of pipe.
When applying the template, either of the two short sides of this triangle should be parallel to the central axis of the pipe.
When it is necessary to cut at an angle of 90 degrees, the pipes are simply wrapped in a circle (cylindrical) or around the perimeter (profile) with a sheet of paper. After this, mark the cutting line. You can also mark a profile pipe very simply using a regular square.
If it is necessary to cut a significant amount at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees profile pipes make appropriate templates from this material, only with a larger cross-section. This allows you to perform the required measurements only once. In this case, for the initial marking they use construction square, or a protractor. When the template is made, the cut pieces are inserted inside it, marking the cut lines. Then sawing is done.
Templates are also made for other angle values. This method increases labor efficiency.
Features of cutting cast iron and thin-walled pipes
Cast iron is a brittle material. To saw cast iron pipe grinder, act in the following sequence:
- mark the cutting line;
- put under the pipe wooden block who will serve as her support;
- make a cut along the contour several millimeters deep;
- insert a chisel into the recess made;
- the instruction is hit hard and sharply with a hammer.
After the impact, the pipe will split along the cut line. Its edges will be quite smooth. If necessary, they are further processed.
To perform longitudinal sawing of a pipe, accurate marking is also important. For its application it is used various devices, for example, construction thread (“beat”). The entire sawing process should be carried out carefully, slowly, so as not to stray from the marked line.
Thin-walled pipes are one of the varieties of this type of product. They are often made of non-ferrous metals: copper or aluminum. Cutting them is a difficult task. In this case, you should use grinder wheels that match the material of the workpiece.
Sawing thin-walled tubes must be done very carefully, because they can easily become deformed even when a slight load is applied.
To reduce the likelihood of bending of the cut part, various bulk fillers are poured inside it, for example, ordinary purified sand.
Cutting corrugated sheets and metal tiles
Quite often in practice one has to face the need to cut a profile sheet or metal tile. These materials are made of steel, which is coated with zinc and polymer protective layers and painted.
There are different opinions regarding the possibility of using a grinder for cutting them. The installation instructions say that the corrugated sheet cannot be sawed using an angle grinder. To do this you need to use other tools. But they need to be purchased, which is not always justified by the volume of work to be done, and also requires additional financial investments. When there is no tool other than an angle grinder, before sawing with a grinder, you should know the possible Negative consequences.
- If you cut metal tiles or corner corrugated sheets grinder, That protective covering in the cut area and a little near it will be destroyed, and the cut edge will begin to rust.
- The material is removed from warranty.
- Flying sparks can damage not only appearance the rest of the sheet (sear the paint), but also damage polymer coating.
- The edge of the cut may turn out torn.
All considered negative consequences can be minimized if you cut corrugated sheets or metal tiles with a grinder, following the following recommendations:
- carry out all work immediately before installation;
- treat cuts with anti-corrosion compounds;
- cover the cut edges with a primer and paint;
- use discs for metal minimum thickness(up to 1 mm);
- To keep the edges neat, you need to cut quite quickly;
- Carefully sand the torn edges.
Before sawing, as usual, the sheets are marked.
If you need to cut a square, do this:
- draw it on the surface of the sheet;
- cut through the material along the marked contour with a grinder;
- At the end, carefully cut out each corner.
Circles or other shapes are cut out using the same pattern.
Using a grinder for cutting metal tiles and the profiled sheet makes the work easier. It becomes more convenient to perform it, because you can adjust the sheets to size directly on the roof.
In order for metal tiles or corrugated sheets to remain under warranty, you should measure the object and order factory cutting of the sheets. You can also try to choose a material with dimensions such that trimming is not required.
Cutting metal with a grinder is cheap, practically accessible and quite effective method sawing it. In this case, appropriate discs without defects should be used for each material. Not only the quality of the result obtained, but also your own health will depend on this. When sawing metal, it is imperative to follow safety rules and use tools personal protection. You should always remember that when working with an angle grinder, any shortcomings or inattention can result in injury. Therefore, you need to work with concentration and caution.
You will need
- - gas cutting equipment;
- - welding machine;
- - angle grinder;
- - electric drill with a set of drills;
- - grinder;
- - hand lever scissors;
- - core;
- - marking compass.
Instructions
Mark the center of the circle on the steel sheet so that it is spaced from the edges of the sheet at a distance slightly greater than the radius of the circle. Place the leg of the marking compass in the mark of the core and draw a circle of the required diameter.
The most common and technologically advanced method is cutting metal using a gas cutter. To make the circle clearly visible, trace the outline drawn with a compass with a marker or chalk. Light the torch, adjust the flame and cut metal along the designated circle. Theoretically, the thickness metal, which can be cut using a gas cutter, is 250–300 mm. In practice, such thicknesses are extremely rarely encountered.
You can cut a circle from a steel sheet using. Light the welding arc at any point on the intended circle and hold the electrode in place until a hole is burned into the sheet. After this, begin to melt the edge of the hole by running the electrode along the drawn circle. Low-power welding machines operated by private owners can be of relatively small thickness - a maximum of 4-5 mm. The cutting edges turn out to be uneven and melted, and the cut workpiece has an irregular shape, which must be processed on a lathe or manually on a grinding wheel.
A simple, but rather labor-intensive operation is cutting out a circle with a grinder. Cut lines in the sheet on all sides of the drawn circle, located tangent to it. The greater the number of cutting lines, the closer the shape of the cut out figure approaches to a circle. But in any case, it will not be a circle, but a polygon, which will have to be brought to a circle on a sharpening machine.
Circle metal thickness up to 3-4 mm can be cut using hand lever scissors. First, cut a square with a circle inscribed in it, then cut the workpiece on all sides, running the blades of the scissors along lines tangent to the circle. The shorter the final length of the tangents and the greater their number, the less work will be required when turning the workpiece on a sharpening machine.
The most labor-intensive way to cut a circle is to drill holes around its perimeter. But sometimes, in the absence of other possibilities, you have to resort to this method. From the same center from which the original circle was drawn, draw another one with a diameter larger than the diameter of the existing one by the size of the diameter of the drill that will be used for drilling (usually 4-5 mm). Make a core along this circle in such a way that the recesses from the core are spaced apart from each other at a distance of the diameter of the drill. Drill holes in the punched areas around the entire perimeter of the circle. Use a hammer or sledgehammer to knock out a circle from the sheet and grind it along the outer diameter on a sharpening machine.
Metal is the material that the angle grinder (angle grinder) was originally designed to work with. Now it is used to cut reinforcing bars, various metal sheets, pipes of various diameters, brick, concrete, stone, tiles and other building materials. Thanks to the presence of a variety of attachments, the grinder also allows you to polish and grind the surfaces of products. Cutting metal with a grinder is one of the main, most common jobs. To reduce the likelihood of injury, it must be performed correctly, with strict adherence to general and personal safety requirements.
Bulgarian belongs to the category of relatively dangerous power tools. You can get injured from a flying disc or a tool falling out of your hands. In both cases, the danger is associated with the high speed of rotation of the device's electric motor.
To increase the efficiency of the grinder and expand its functionality, in practice they use such additional accessories:
- tripods;
- retainers.
Their use makes it possible to improve the quality of sawing metal workpieces and increase the accuracy of the process. Working conditions also improve in terms of safety, and productivity increases.
The use of additional accessories allows you to use the tool as a machine designed to perform different types of work.
To make the cutting process as safe as possible, working on metal with an angle grinder should follow a number of rules. They are conventionally divided into preparatory and main (working) activities.
Before cutting begins, a number of manipulations must be carried out.
If possible, the material to be sawn should first be securely fixed, for example, in a vice, in order to eliminate possible accidental movements. Holding workpieces in your hands or between your knees is prohibited.
Correct use of the tool
When you start sawing any part using an angle grinder, you should adhere to these rules.
- When cutting metal, you need to hold the grinder firmly, with both hands.
- The wheels can be changed only after they have completely stopped rotating and cooled down to an acceptable temperature, disconnecting the power tool from the power supply.
- Do not place the working tool on the ground or table (do not let it out of your hands).
- Required periodically for about 5 minutes stop to rest, and to keep the disk cool.
- It is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the cutting wheel, preventing it from being pinched by the edges of the workpiece being cut.
- Do not leave the tool plugged in unattended.
- Use only discs of the correct size as specified in the operating instructions for the device you are using.
- Get the job done better on a flat surface so that the body position is stable.
- Make sure that the power cord is kept away from the rotating circle, sharp edges, and objects heated above 100 degrees.
- Movements not directly related to cutting must be performed only with the power tool turned off.
- You need to position yourself on the side or behind the tool, doing the work with your own hands so that parts of the body are not in the cutting plane.
When cutting metal with a grinder is finished, you should wait until the disk stops completely and disconnect the power cord of the tool from the mains. Afterwards, it is recommended to ensure that there are no signs of fire. When cutting materials, a right-handed person should correctly hold the handle of the device in the area of the on/off button with his right hand. The left hand is placed on the handle screwed into the body of the power tool from above.
It is unacceptable to perform work using an angle grinder in a very tired state, or while under the influence of alcohol, psychotropic or narcotic drugs.
As for the question of which direction—toward or away from you—the disk of a switched-on angle grinder should rotate, there is no definite answer. The operating instructions indicate that the first option is correct. This is due to the fact that the resulting sparks fly away in the direction opposite to the operator, without causing harm. Also, fragments of the circle will fly in that direction if it breaks into pieces.
But if the rotating disk jams towards itself, the tool will fly off towards the worker. For this reason, many specialists prefer to cut metal so that the circle rotates “from itself”. A power tool torn out of your hands will fly in the opposite direction. This reduces the likelihood of injury, and clothing, shoes and gloves will protect the user from flying sparks.
Cutting sheet metal with a grinder
To cut metal of different types and thicknesses, use appropriate cutting wheels of various thicknesses and diameters. The algorithm for sawing sheets is as follows.
- To cut using a grinder, sheet metal is first laid on a flat surface.
- Mark with chalk (marker) the exact dimensions of the cut out fragments on the surface of the sheet.
- Sawing is carried out along the marked lines, without changing the angle of the initial inclination of the disk to the working surface, so that it does not jam and break the power tool.
If you do not have the skills to saw sheet metal with a grinder, it is recommended that you first practice on soft material- this will give you the opportunity to feel the operation of the instrument.
It must be taken into account that the lower proximal segment of the disc cuts metal more effectively.
When cutting a sheet of metal, the following recommendations should be taken into account to obtain a high-quality result.
- To improve cooling, a sawing area is required water, which will also increase the life of the circle.
- You should start cutting metal only when the disk is rotating: you cannot turn on the tool if the stationary circle is in contact with the surface of the workpiece.
- To saw tin (thin sheet metal) or cut out various geometric shapes, it is more convenient to use small, worked out circles(“bits”)
- You should not press the angle grinder with significant force: cutting should take place almost exclusively under the angle grinder’s own weight.
- If the cutting wheel stops in the slot (when you turn off the power tool), you can resume work only after removing it.
If sawing the sheet occurs slowly, you should change the working nozzle. Excessive load on the angle grinder when cutting metal will lead to overheating or jamming of the rotating wheel.
Cutting a round hole in metal using an angle grinder
In practice, it is often necessary to cut a circle in metal, and the only tool available is an angle grinder. But it is quite enough for this purpose. The algorithm of actions is as follows.
- Draw a circle with a compass on the surface of the metal or on a pre-made paper (cardboard) template with chalk or a marker.
- Holding the grinder at an angle to the surface of the sheet, make a preliminary marking cut of the metal along the marked contour, making short movements with the disk (sawing in small sections).
- Then, moving the nozzle in the same way, deepen the slot until it is completely cut out.
Need to cut along the outer contour of the circle so as not to reduce the size of the circle. If its diameter is small, then they cut by touching the metal with a disk point by point (without longitudinal movement of the nozzle). The round hole will have an oblique cut, as well as some minor flaws (they depend on the skill of the worker). Afterwards it is processed, if necessary.
The entire process of cutting a round hole in sheet metal using a special tool is shown in the video:
Features of working with thick metal, copper, cast iron, aluminum
When it is necessary to cut thick metal into separate fragments, it is recommended to additionally perform the following steps:
- constantly cool the area of contact between the metal and the disk using cold water due to the strong heating of the slot;
- make all cuts only in a straight line;
- different curved contours should be cut out in separate straight sections of short length, removing unnecessary parts;
- You need to completely cut the workpiece in several approaches, deepening the slot with each subsequent one;
- if you need to cut corners, I-beams, channels, rails, then each of their structural parts is sawed separately.
Cutting cast iron, stainless steel, as well as non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum and copper, is carried out using special circles designed to work with these materials. All necessary information about the discs is contained in the markings of these products, printed on their sides. In this case, the circles differ in the composition of the fillers:
- in some, the additive is a super-strong material that can cut alloy steel;
- others use mild binders.
Cutting stainless steel with conventional metal cutting discs is prohibited, because they contain substances that lead to accelerated corrosion of the cut site. Aluminum and copper are very viscous non-ferrous metals. They are sawed using a grinder, pouring kerosene the slot formed by the disk. In this case, it is necessary to comply with fire safety rules.
Cutting pipes from different metals is a popular operation when carrying out repair and construction work. Products have to be cut off when installing sewer and heating systems and water lines. In this regard, the grinder copes well with various tasks. Discs for work are selected according to the material from which the pipe is made.
Using an angle grinder makes it possible to:
- sawing pipes at different angles, for example 45 and 90 degrees;
- cut large diameter products;
- cut profile (rectangular or square) pipes smoothly;
- perform longitudinal cutting of tubular blanks;
- sawing cast iron pipes;
- cut thin-walled tubes.
If you need to cut a large diameter pipe, then using a grinder allows you to complete this work without significant financial costs. But at the same time, labor productivity is low, and the risks are considerable. When long pipes lie on supports, only saw off hanging parts. If you cut in the center, the cutting edges will jam the cutting wheel, which will lead to jamming of the tool and possible injury.
Specialists not only cut pipes from different materials at the required angles, but also cut holes of the required shapes in them. Work with profile and round workpieces is carried out in a similar way, with mandatory observance of safety regulations.
Sawing pipes at different angles
It is necessary to cut round and profile pipes at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees when laying various communications. In any case, it is necessary to saw off the pipe evenly so that the elements that need to be connected are connected to each other as tightly as possible.
Res at an angle of 45 degrees cylindrical pipes are carried out as follows:
- take an ordinary square sheet of paper;
- fold it exactly diagonally;
- This template is used to wrap the pipe;
- use chalk or other marking device to mark the future cutting line;
- remove the template;
- clamp the workpiece in a vice;
- cut off the marked piece of pipe.
When applying the template, either of the two short sides of this triangle should be parallel to the central axis of the pipe.
When to cut at an angle of 90 degrees, the pipes are simply wrapped in a circle (cylindrical) or around the perimeter (profile) with a sheet of paper. After this, mark the cutting line. You can also mark a profile pipe very simply using a regular square.
If it is necessary to cut a significant number of profile pipes at an angle of 45 and 90 degrees, appropriate templates are made from this material, only with a larger cross-section. This allows you to perform the required measurements only once. In this case, a construction square or a protractor is used for initial marking. When the template is made, the cut pieces are inserted inside it, marking the cut lines. Then sawing is done.
Templates are also made for other angle values. This method increases labor efficiency.
Features of cutting cast iron and thin-walled pipes
Cast iron is brittle material. To cut a cast iron pipe with a grinder, proceed in the following sequence:
- mark the cutting line;
- place a wooden block under the pipe, which will serve as a support for it;
- make a cut along the contour several millimeters deep;
- insert a chisel into the recess made;
- the instruction is hit hard and sharply with a hammer.
After the impact, the pipe will split along the cut line. Its edges will be quite smooth. If necessary, they are further processed.
To perform longitudinal sawing of a pipe, it is also important precise marking. To apply it, various devices are used, for example, construction thread (“beat”). The entire sawing process should be carried out carefully, slowly, so as not to stray from the marked line.
Thin-walled pipes are one of the varieties of this type of product. They are often made of non-ferrous metals: copper or aluminum. Cutting them is a difficult task. In this case, you should use grinder wheels that match the material of the workpiece.
Sawing thin-walled tubes must be done very carefully, because they can easily become deformed even when a slight load is applied.
To reduce the likelihood of bending of the cut part, various bulk fillers are poured inside it, for example, ordinary purified sand.
Cutting corrugated sheets and metal tiles
Quite often in practice one has to face the need to cut a profile sheet or metal tile. These materials are made of steel, which is coated with zinc and polymer protective layers and painted.
There are different opinions regarding the possibility of using a grinder for cutting them. The installation instructions say that the corrugated sheet cannot be sawed using an angle grinder. To do this you need to use other tools. But they need to be purchased, which is not always justified by the volume of work to be done, and also requires additional financial investments. When there is no tool other than an angle grinder, before sawing with a grinder, you should know the possible Negative consequences.
- If you cut metal tiles or corrugated sheets with an angle grinder, the protective coating in the cut area and a little near it will be destroyed, and the cut edge will begin to rust.
- The material is removed from warranty.
- Flying sparks can not only ruin the appearance of the rest of the sheet (sear the paint), but also damage the polymer coating.
- The edge of the cut may turn out torn.
All considered negative consequences can be minimized if you cut corrugated sheets or metal tiles with a grinder, following the following recommendations:
- carry out all work immediately before installation;
- treat cuts with anti-corrosion compounds;
- cover the cut edges with a primer and paint;
- use metal discs of minimal thickness (up to 1 mm);
- To keep the edges neat, you need to cut quite quickly;
- Carefully sand the torn edges.
Before sawing, as usual, carry out marking sheets.
If you need to cut a square, do this:
- draw it on the surface of the sheet;
- cut through the material along the marked contour with a grinder;
- At the end, carefully cut out each corner.
Circles or other shapes are cut out using the same pattern.
Using a grinder for cutting metal tiles and corrugated sheets makes the job easier. It becomes more convenient to perform it, because you can adjust the sheets to size directly on the roof.
In order for metal tiles or corrugated sheets to remain under warranty, you should measure the object and order factory cutting of the sheets. You can also try to choose a material with dimensions such that trimming is not required.
Cutting metal with a grinder is a cheap, practically accessible and quite effective way of sawing it. In this case, appropriate discs without defects should be used for each material. Not only the quality of the result obtained, but also your own health will depend on this. When cutting metal, it is imperative to follow safety rules and use personal protective equipment. You should always remember that when working with an angle grinder, any shortcomings or inattention can result in injury. Therefore, you need to work with concentration and caution.
For a hole in metal, you will need at least one of the following devices: grinder, drill, electric welding machine or gas cutter. Each of these tools has its own advantages and is used depending on the size of the hole and the thickness of the metal. If the question is how to cut a round hole of large diameter, then a gas cutter is best suited for this. But first you need to mark the hole using a compass. The outline should be made very clear so that it is clearly visible even under the sparks of an angle grinder or a welding machine.
After the hole is marked, you should light the torch of the gas cutter. Next, you need to correctly adjust its torch and make the cut itself. The cutter should be moved smoothly and at the same pace as the metal is cut. This is certainly not as difficult as drilling a hole in glass, but you still have to be careful. And if you don’t have a gas cutter, you can use an electric welding machine. True, this method is limited by the power of the device and the thickness of the metal. The power of most of them is enough for 3-4 mm metal. Well, the cutting process itself boils down to the fact that you first need to install a welding dock, then light the arc and then burn the metal along the markings.
But how to drill a hole in metal if there is no gas burner, no welding machine? In this case, a grinder (angle grinder) can come to the rescue. However, it should be noted that it can only be used when the hole is no smaller than the cutting wheel of the grinder, and the thickness of the metal does not exceed 3 millimeters. In addition, it will not be possible to make a round hole at once, because you have to make many short cuts along the contour of the circle. Even with their minimum length, it will still form not a circle, but a polygon. Therefore, after the operation is completed, you will have to trim the shape of the circle using a file.
Another way to drill big hole, is to use a drill. The advantage of this method is that the drill is a very common tool and it will not be difficult to get one. The downside is that this method is the most labor-intensive. Its essence lies in the fact that along the entire contour line the metal is drilled through with many holes. It should not be forgotten that since the drill has a certain thickness, you need to mark another hole, the diameter of which should be reduced by the diameter of the drill. And then drill along the smaller contour. The same method can be used if you need to solve the problem of how to drill a hole in the wall.
People who work with metal quite often have to face the need to cut a round blank from a metal sheet. In production, this problem is solved simply - using oxygen-gas, plasma or laser cutting. Each type of these operations requires specialized equipment, which there is no reason to have for private use. Therefore, in private workshops, a circle of metal is cut out in different ways - taking into account the available equipment.
Ways to cut a circle from metal
To cut a circle from metal you will need:
- gas cutting equipment;
- welding machine;
- angle grinder;
- electric drill with a set of drills;
- grinder;
- hand lever scissors;
- core;
- marking compass.
Mark the center of the circle on the steel sheet so that it is spaced from the edges of the sheet at a distance slightly greater than the radius of the circle. Place the leg of the marking compass in the mark of the core and draw a circle of the required diameter on the metal.
The most common and technologically advanced method is cutting metal using a gas cutter. To make the circle clearly visible, trace the outline drawn with a compass with a marker or chalk. Light the torch, adjust the flame and cut the metal in the designated circle. Theoretically, the thickness of the metal that can be cut using a gas cutter is 250-300 mm. In practice, such thicknesses are extremely rarely encountered.
You can cut a circle from a steel sheet using electric welding. Light the welding arc at any point on the intended circle and hold the electrode in place until a hole is burned into the sheet. After this, begin to melt the edge of the hole by running the electrode along the drawn circle. Low-power welding machines operated by private owners can cut metal of relatively small thickness - a maximum of 4-5 mm. The edges from cutting are uneven and melted, and the cut workpiece has an irregular shape, which must be brought to a round shape on a lathe or manually on a grinding wheel.
A simple, but rather labor-intensive operation is cutting out a circle with a grinder. Cut lines in the sheet on all sides of the drawn circle, located tangent to it. The greater the number of cutting lines, the closer the shape of the cut out figure approaches to a circle. But in any case, it will not be a circle, but a polygon, which will have to be brought to a circle on a sharpening machine.
A circle from a sheet of metal up to 3-4 mm thick can be cut using hand lever scissors. First, cut a square with a circle inscribed in it, then cut the workpiece on all sides, running the blades of the scissors along lines tangent to the circle. The shorter the final length of the tangents and the greater their number, the less work will be required when turning the workpiece on a sharpening machine.
The most labor-intensive way to cut a circle is to drill holes around its perimeter. But sometimes, in the absence of other possibilities, you have to resort to this method. From the same center from which the original circle was drawn, draw another one with a diameter larger than the diameter of the existing one by the size of the diameter of the drill that will be used for drilling (usually 4-5 mm). Make a core along this circle in such a way that the recesses from the core are spaced apart from each other at a distance of the diameter of the drill. Drill holes in the punched areas around the entire perimeter of the circle. Use a hammer or sledgehammer to knock out a circle from the sheet and grind it along the outer diameter on a sharpening machine.