Steel Seal

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Just completed and installed this one-off custom harbor seal mail box post for a beach house. I cut it out of 3/8 plate with a jigsaw and a couple Lennox heavy metal cutting blades. Whew...wish I had a plasma or laser table like some of you fancy dudes.. Took me about 5 hours...but edges came out nice and smooth. I find it difficult to plasma cut freehand these days...not very steady anymore and half blind...(great attributes for a welder). Anyway, projected seal from computer onto 1/4 plywood, adjusted size etc., then traced with marker then cut out and retraced plywood seal onto steel. Eyes are top of the line Red Fox glass prism reflectors. (Sorry about the inverted pic..ipad does that occasionally). Attached ImagesPOVERTY...is the Mother of InventionMillermatic 211Millermatic 140Miller Thunderbolt XLArcOne 100STS inverter w/TIGThermal Dynamics 38XL Victor Oxy/AcetyleneJancy Slugger Holemaker IIJet 5x6 BandsawNever enough time & sleep.
Reply:Oh. . . . s e a l!!!Hobart 125 EZHobart Handler 140Everlast STH 160Generic 210 Amp Welder/GeneratorHobart Air Force 500i plasma cutterChinese 50 amp plasma cutter! Youtube Channel : Henrymac100
Reply:Nice work.Ranger 250 thick stuffHobart Handler 140 not thick stuffthe pane and oxy setup
Reply:Man, you have patience!  Really nice looking job!!!
Reply:Looks great,good job.
Reply:Originally Posted by BrianCMan, you have patience!
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjr3/8" plate and a jigsaw - that is beyond patience. Props to you. That is really cool looking
Reply:Hot about using a torch? That would be a piece of cake with a torch.
Reply:Originally Posted by BobHot about using a torch? That would be a piece of cake with a torch.
Reply:Nice work. A beach house in Maine? How warm does the water get that far North?GravelThe difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference.
Reply:5o's, maybe low 60's mid July, the water is more black than blue. Brutal! Lots of people here love it. But not me!POVERTY...is the Mother of InventionMillermatic 211Millermatic 140Miller Thunderbolt XLArcOne 100STS inverter w/TIGThermal Dynamics 38XL Victor Oxy/AcetyleneJancy Slugger Holemaker IIJet 5x6 BandsawNever enough time & sleep.
Reply:Originally Posted by SMC Weldcraft5o's, maybe low 60's mid July, the water is more black than blue. Brutal! Lots of people here love it. But not me!
Reply:Great job for sure. A dewalt jig saw huh,  super work. I was looking at a Bosch jig saw for steel work but never decided on one. You did really well. Wondering how many teeth per inch blade did yo use ? I know they have some narrow steel blades that are rated for steel that allows for a tighter radius. Great idea.
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1Great job for sure. A dewalt jig saw huh,  super work. I was looking at a Bosch jig saw for steel work but never decided on one. You did really well. Wondering how many teeth per inch blade did yo use ? I know they have some narrow steel blades that are rated for steel that allows for a tighter radius. Great idea.
Reply:Thanks, that's a awesome looking saw.
Reply:I've used that exact jigsaw before. They are awesome. Never used it in metal, but still am extremely nice tool. What is the model number on that? Been wanting to get my own, but couldn't find them in stores. Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk
Reply:He stated it's a Dewalt DW331.  I had to reread it too. Read right past it. I found it is around  $150.00
Reply:Looks great, very time consuming cutting
Reply:Thanks everyone ...I am humbled by your comments. Let me just add that the Dewalt DW331..being variable speed...runs at less than half speed when cutting steel and generates minimal vibration. This is not your grandpa's jigjaw. I've got my dad's 50 year old single speed Craftsman and it is a piece of total sh!t and will vibrate your hand and arm numb in 5 minutes. Also, with the Lennox blades I use, the do-able radius that you can cut smoothly is maybe 6 to 8 inches...smaller than that and you have to re-attack the cut as you go. I haven't tried (or seen) narrower metal blades. You oughta see this thing cut aluminum! Sweet...perfectly smooth and clean...Yea..I stared at my plasma cutter for a few moments but decided that the extra time using the jigsaw would be worth it given the $200 slab of steel.. and that cleanup would only require a light rounding off of the edges. Actually, total clean up took only 10 minutes with an 80 flap disc! Torch or plasma freehand would have made a mess. Of course, I used my circular metal saw to cut away all the large "waste" areas.Last edited by SMC Weldcraft; 06-23-2014 at 05:33 AM.POVERTY...is the Mother of InventionMillermatic 211Millermatic 140Miller Thunderbolt XLArcOne 100STS inverter w/TIGThermal Dynamics 38XL Victor Oxy/AcetyleneJancy Slugger Holemaker IIJet 5x6 BandsawNever enough time & sleep.
Reply:Dig it!Now I lay me down to sleep, by the bed a Colt I do keep.Should I wake and find you inside, a coroner van is your next ride.
Reply:Excellent work and nice post. Enjoyed reading ones like this.
Reply:Nice work with the jigsaw. I never thought a jigsaw would fair well  on thicker metal.
Reply:Very nice SMC Weldcraft, Kudos to you!aevald
Reply:How do you move that piece of steel around?