Best Tool To Cut I Beams?

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I want to graduate to a better welding table after using this 1/8" uneven table sitting in my garage. It's damn near impossible to line things up properly when there's peaks and valleys on the table surface. I saved some pics of an I beam table along with a few others I saw in the welding table thread. I'm hoping to incorporate the I beams with some of the table aspects I've seen so I started to cut some beams yesterday. HOLY HELL! I think I screwed up trying to cut the 6' beams into 4' lengths, damn cutting discs cut sooo freaking slow. What would your preferred cutting method be for these I beams? A plasma cutter is starting to sound more and more like the way to go.
Reply:missing that jc weld class might  keep haunting u.    they show u how to use a torch
Reply:

Originally Posted by 123weld

missing that jc weld class might  keep haunting u.    they show u how to use a torch
Reply:While they have their place, some here are not fans of plasma cutters, especially for something where you want a nice clean cut.  I would recommend using a bandsaw.  Even a portaband would get most of the way through and you can finish up the web with a skinny cutoff discCentury buzzbox that I learned on 40+ years ago (was Dad's)Crappy Century 110volt mig 70 amp pigeon pooper.Lincoln Idealarc TIG-300
Reply:A portable band saw sounds like the ticket. Just looked at a few, they can do a 5" wide cut which would be perfect for these I beams.
Reply:I start with cutting torch and grind the end. Years later I purchased a big band saw. I think torch was faster as you layout the beams cut and fab at same time. I also used a mag drill for holes.With saw you take to saw and cut then lay it out for fab and drilling. Dave

Originally Posted by Ambull01

I want to graduate to a better welding table after using this 1/8" uneven table sitting in my garage. It's damn near impossible to line things up properly when there's peaks and valleys on the table surface. I saved some pics of an I beam table along with a few others I saw in the welding table thread. I'm hoping to incorporate the I beams with some of the table aspects I've seen so I started to cut some beams yesterday. HOLY HELL! I think I screwed up trying to cut the 6' beams into 4' lengths, damn cutting discs cut sooo freaking slow. What would your preferred cutting method be for these I beams? A plasma cutter is starting to sound more and more like the way to go.
Reply:

This is one of the tables I saw online. I like the slats for clamping/cutting. I also have some 1/2" metal discarded plate, they're not that long though. Hoping to cut them a bit and weld them together and have it slide out from the table whenever I need more length or have to weld something thick. I may need to take the blueprint/welding sketch course too because I tried to draw my plans on graph paper, looks like a three year old drew it lol. I'm going to really hate life if I have to cut the 1/2" plate with a cutoff disc
Reply:

Originally Posted by Ambull01


This is one of the tables I saw online. I like the slats for clamping/cutting. I also have some 1/2" metal discarded plate, they're not that long though. Hoping to cut them a bit and weld them together and have it slide out from the table whenever I need more length or have to weld something thick. I may need to take the blueprint/welding sketch course too because I tried to draw my plans on graph paper, looks like a three year old drew it lol. I'm going to really hate life if I have to cut the 1/2" plate with a cutoff disc
Reply:Torch or Plasma, 1//2" thick, plain and simple.




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Reply:

Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds

Torch or Plasma, 1//2" thick, plain and simple.





Reply:

Originally Posted by Lis2323

A table like that is okay if you have materials on hand but that’s a lot of steel (weight wise) for what a well designed one could do for a fraction of the weight (and price). Slatted tables are an excellent way to use up awkward, archaic C-clamps.


Reply:

Originally Posted by Ambull01

I have about 10 I beams so far and tried to get more but the scrap metal place was temporarily closed this past weekend. Hope they're still in business. Every time I've gone and tried to pay for scrap metal there was a family dispute so I had to wait around until the female owner arrived to check the weight reading, ensure everything was actually steel and not aluminum, etc

They used to sell the steel for 27 cents a pound, hope their price is still around there. For clamps, I saw some pics of people welding on little steel circles on the bottom of clamps so they can slide it under the slats. Thought that looked really cool so that's my plan. Damn now that's some serious cutting

I'm jealous of your workshop space, my garage is getting really cramped. Might be time to build an engine hoist and stand so I can clean this motor up and finally sell it, one year after I pulled it lol
Reply:

Originally Posted by Ambull01

I have about 10 I beams so far and tried to get more but the scrap metal place was temporarily closed this past weekend. Hope they're still in business. Every time I've gone and tried to pay for scrap metal there was a family dispute so I had to wait around until the female owner arrived to check the weight reading, ensure everything was actually steel and not aluminum, etc

They used to sell the steel for 27 cents a pound, hope their price is still around there. For clamps, I saw some pics of people welding on little steel circles on the bottom of clamps so they can slide it under the slats. Thought that looked really cool so that's my plan. Damn now that's some serious cutting

I'm jealous of your workshop space, my garage is getting really cramped. Might be time to build an engine hoist and stand so I can clean this motor up and finally sell it, one year after I pulled it lol
Reply:Freebird makes it look simple, but there's years of practice in those cuts. Don't expect your first ones to look as neat, and if you want them near straight, use a guide.The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I agree.It is a pain moving in out saw.Not to many jobs just cutting wide flange. There away work after cutting like welding, drill,  cleaning and painting 🎨. Dave

Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds

Torch or Plasma, 1//2" thick, plain and simple.





Reply:If I was going to make something like that table, I'd saw cut the beams. Heck of a lot slower than torch cutting it, but as long as your saw cut doesn't wonder, you won't have to do much grinder work. Basically just a quick pass with a flap wheel to deburr everything. If you have the space for one,  horizontal bandsaw is really nice. You can get some that function as both a horizontal and a vertical bandsaw. Then again, if you can fit whatever size beam your cutting in a portaband, get that. If I could have one metal cutting bandsaw, it'd be a deep cut portaband. You can get vertical tables for it and horizontal "chopsaw" bases for them. Very versatile.Sent from my Lincoln Buzzbox using Tapatalk
Reply:

Originally Posted by Lis2323

A table like that is okay if you have materials on hand but that’s a lot of steel (weight wise) for what a well designed one could do for a fraction of the weight (and price). Slatted tables are an excellent way to use up awkward, archaic C-clamps.


Reply:Well yea... but whoever dies with the best toys wins, right??The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:That I beam table isn't the greatest idea. Most I beams are not very close in parallel to each other. So you would have to adjust each one. After that, they can still twist if you beat on an edge. A Porta band cuts beams ok, but it's hard to keep it straight. A cut off wheel cuts ok if you have good wheels. I'm talking a 6" cutting wheel, 4.5" won't cut through much for the price.A torch, plasma cutter, horizontal bandsaw are your best way if you know someone with that stuff.Sent from my SM-S901U using TapatalkLast edited by Country Metals; 6 Hours Ago at 09:08 PM.
Reply:I see absolutely nothing wrong with using I beams, if it's what you want.But, being somewhat contrarian..................  I believe like results can be had from a simple table with a thin top (3/16) and a set of glued together pieces of angle iron.It's not so much about the initial clamping, it's more about the knowledge to straighten what you welded on the clamped surface.  Nothing will turn out like you clamped it.  You need to be able to deal with distortion.  That's my take on it anyway.
Reply:Sounds great I had a bandsaw with 20"x20" capacity. Moving a 4,000 or 8,000 pound beam in and out of the saw is a big pain. Dave

Originally Posted by 52 Ford

If I was going to make something like that table, I'd saw cut the beams. Heck of a lot slower than torch cutting it, but as long as your saw cut doesn't wonder, you won't have to do much grinder work. Basically just a quick pass with a flap wheel to deburr everything. If you have the space for one,  horizontal bandsaw is really nice. You can get some that function as both a horizontal and a vertical bandsaw. Then again, if you can fit whatever size beam your cutting in a portaband, get that. If I could have one metal cutting bandsaw, it'd be a deep cut portaband. You can get vertical tables for it and horizontal "chopsaw" bases for them. Very versatile.Sent from my Lincoln Buzzbox using Tapatalk
Reply:

Originally Posted by farmersammm

I see absolutely nothing wrong with using I beams, if it's what you want.But, being somewhat contrarian..................  I believe like results can be had from a simple table with a thin top (3/16) and a set of glued together pieces of angle iron.It's not so much about the initial clamping, it's more about the knowledge to straighten what you welded on the clamped surface.  Nothing will turn out like you clamped it.  You need to be able to deal with distortion.  That's my take on it anyway.