Cutting Metal with an Angle Grinder

[Grey Mountain]

I recently purchased an 8X20 shipping container and I want to cut openings for a door and three or four windows. I do not have a cutting torch (wouldn't know how to use it anyway). I don't know what gauge the steel is on the container. Is it possible to cut those openings with an angle grinder and an appropriate cutting disc?
Thanks much.

[fredhargis]

I think you can do that, but it may take quite a few wheels. They wear fairly quickly, at least the ones I've tried. Another thing that might work is a recip saw with a metal cutting blade. You'd probably have a lot less sparks with the recip saw.

[JDuke]

I recently purchased  an 8X20 shipping container and I want to cut openings for a door and three or four windows.  I do not have a cutting torch (wouldn't know how to use it anyway).  I don't know what gauge the steel is on the container.  Is it possible to cut those openings with an angle grinder and an appropriate cutting disc?
Thanks much.

You can certainly do that if you want to, as the walls of those containers are only 16g steel.

I don’t think that’s the way I would do it for very many cuts.

I have a worm drive Milwaukee saw that is specifically designed for cutting metal, and some other companies make a track saw that is slowed down to cut sheet metal with a carbide tipped blade.  

That’s how I would make the larger cuts, planning to locate holes at each end of the planned cut, drill a small hole and then probably use a magnet to hold the track and cut from each side then if there were any little bits left that the saw didn’t cut deeply enough to get, I would use the angle grinder to get that last bit.

There are people that modify containers and they use angle grinders to cut the holes, you can find video on YouTube.

[blackhat]

It will work. Eye and hearing protection are a must. Get thin cutting discs. Spend a few bucks more for good name discs. Cheap ones will wear out too fast.

[BrentDH]

This question brought back a memory from my childhood. I recall my dad using a regular old circular saw with the blade installed BACKWARDS to cut a livestock self feeding bin. That was some relatively heavy gauge galvanized steel. He cut completely around it a few times to create some ~10-12” bands. Then made three rings of different diameters to create a tiered raised bed for strawberries. I can’t recommend it, but he didn’t seem to have any concerns when doing it.

[Bill Wilson]

Many years ago I cut all of the steel siding for my FIL's pole barn with cutting wheels installed on a cheap Craftsman circ saw.  We went through a bunch of the wheels and the saw was pretty much trashed when I was done, but it worked.  I would think one would have a lot more control with something like that than with an angle grinder.  At least the long, straight cuts.

[Bill Wilson]

This question brought back a memory from my childhood. I recall my dad using a regular old circular saw with the blade installed BACKWARDS to cut a livestock self feeding bin. That was some relatively heavy gauge galvanized steel. He cut completely around it a few times to create some ~10-12” bands. Then made three rings of different diameters to create a tiered raised bed for strawberries. I can’t recommend it, but he didn’t seem to have any concerns when doing it.

I remember cutting aluminum soffit with a circ saw and a plywood blade, installed backward.  We would stack several layers to make a bunch of pieces the same length with one cut.  It worked, but when I built my own house, I cut my soffit with my RAS.  Had a lot better control.

[JosephP]

Is the shipping container anywhere near a 220 power supply? Do you have a decent size air compressor? Small plasma torches are pretty darn cheap and a whole lot better for that job than an angle grinder... They are also very easy to use.

I'm guessing an acetylene torch is also easy to use for somebody that knows what they are doing. I've tried cutting metal with one once and it didn't go great. Never really had anybody try to teach me how to use it and haven't practiced. Never went beyond YouTube to learn a plasma cutter either and I can make decent cuts with that.

[tomsteve]

circle saw with metal cutting blade will work,too.

[fixtureman]

A nibbler would be a good choice they use them a lot on Metal buildings