Started on floors

[Bakins]

Started cutting out the floors. Went through several cut-off wheels - cheap ones from tractor supply. Used a sawz-all for the braces. Didn't get a whole lot done and I need to use some better and thicker cut-off wheels or it'll take for ever. Would it be okay to use sawz-all to cut out big chunks? It seems to shake the whole car when I use it.

Also, someone "patched" the floor in places by welding much thicker (16 or 14 gauge?) over rust spots. Slow going on those places

[smooth 56]

I used a saws all and plasma to cut mine out,then went back and cut the spot weld's where ever I needed to.Did you ever find the info you were looking for on the metal part's?

[chevynut]

I used a plasma cutter....cuts like butter.

THINNER cutoff wheels work better than thick ones. I use 1/32" thick 3" diameter cutoff wheels in my 90 degree IR air die grinder. I cut lots of stuff with that and it cuts fast. Go get one of the cheap die grinders from HF and find some of the thin discs. I like the 90 degree grinders a lot better than the straight ones.

[markm]

I also use the cheapies I dont see that much difference in quality, but I cry a lot less when I sit on tool and break wheel.

[chevynut]

I've bought stuff from here before.....good prices.

http://www.abrasives4sale.com/2to4.htm

This is similar to the die grinder I use:

http://www.tooltopia.com/ingersoll-rand-301b.aspx

They also have cutoff wheels, and you will need a mandrel:

http://www.tooltopia.com/shark-26-10.aspx

http://www.tooltopia.com/shark-32.aspx

[Bakins]

I was using a die-grinder with an arbor and 1/32" cut-off wheels. I got maybe 18" off cutting out of each one - maybe that's normal...

I think a sawzall blade with more teeth-per-inch would not "shake" so much. I was just using the ones out of one of the "variety packs."

[Rick_L]

Whether to use 1/32" cutoff wheels or 1/16" is a mixed bag. But if you're only getting 18" before the wheel is gone, you may be trying too hard, applying too much pressure. Try lightening up and letting the cutter and the rpm of the tool do the work rather than pressure and bogging down. I've found that spending more on cutoff wheels can pay off but not always. Seems to pay off better when using a 1/16" wheel as a grinding disc, rather than cutoff. And then there are just plain junk cheap cutoff discs. Best advice there is just try another cheap source. HF usually works for me.

On the saw blades, you have to use a fine enough blade to keep it from catching, usually this means 32 teeth per inch on most of the sheet metal. But anything slightly thicker will go better with 24 teeth/inch.

[chevynut]

Do you know anyone with a plasma cutter you could borrow? If you were local I'd loan you mine.

I agree with Rick...I can cut a lot more than 18" of sheetmetal with one 3" cutoff wheel.

[Bakins]

Should I be cutting towards the rotation of the wheel or against it?

I may grab a box at HF if they have them locally - I don't recall seeing them, but I have a hard time finding crap in there.

[smooth 56]

Myself I dont think it matter's I cut with the rotation if I can that way I can follow a line if I have one.What kind of RPM is you'r grinder turning? Kind of sound's like it's a little slow to cut so little.I'm like Rick and chevy I get a lot more mileage out of one disc than that.

[markm]

I find on such projects I end up using a sawzall, cut off wheels and plasma cutter before I am done. Did I forget any WMDs, yes I did the fire wrench.

[Bakins]

I cut out most of the big part of the floor today using cut-off wheels for the floor and sawzall for the braces. Now to start on the fine work - drilling out spot welds, etc. I'll be out of town for work for a bit, so it'll be a couple of weeks before I can get back on it.