Cutting Metal with an Angle Grinder

[JosephP]

Harbor Freight says their corded shear will cut 14 gauge (pretty sure that's what containers are):
https://www.harborfreight.com/5-amp-14-g...64609.html

[fixtureman]

I have one like that but the Milwalkee version and it works great on flat but not so good on corragated

[fredhargis]

Grey Mountain: do you have a plan after all this input???? Just curious.

[Roly]

Grey Mountain: do you have a plan after all this input???? Just curious.

Look at renting a plasma cutter.   Will also need a air compressor unless the plasma cutter has one built in.    Very easy to use, a few practice cuts is all you will need.    Have it all laid out before renting the unit and you will be done in a day easy.    Remember with any method you use keep a eye out for fires as the sparks will fly.  Roly

[gear jammer]

Do you have anyone in the area that does portable welding. They usually have a torch mounted on the same vehicle and know how to use it. That would be where I'd start. Someone good with a torch would be so much faster. Standing and cutting with a saw or grinder I feel would take to much out of me to do a decent job.

[MstrCarpenter]

7-1/4" carbide tipped steel cutting blade. (Steel Demon is one of them.) Don't use your favorite saw to spin it, "metal dust" is rough on bearings. The chips are also sharp enough to stick into your skin, so dress appropriately! Cut straight on long cuts; dragging the back side of the blade on the rear of the kerf will knock off the tips. The blade will cut 12-10 ga. sheet metal about as fast as you'd cut 3/4"plywood. I've used the same blades to cut 1/2" thick mild steel. I also use these blades for fitting oak treads between skirt boards. The negative tooth angle eliminates tearout. There's 15" version on my chop saw too. Most metal shops have switched from abrasive blades. Those are really tough on bearings.

[brianwelch]

The Evolution blade/system gets pretty good reviews for cutting ferrous metals...
https://store.evolutionpowertools.com/?t...967ae54b6f

[brnhornt]

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.

+1  - I built my entire smoker cutting only with an angle grinder and discs.  Other methods will be faster/etc, but to cut a few rectangles, I'm betting one to two discs per opening would be all you need.  Another nod to the eye protection, I wore safety glasses and a full face shield.  I've seen videos of those discs exploding and didn't want ANY risk from that.

[mad_planter]

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.

If you're just cutting 16gauge sheet in a straight line and you'll likely cover the edges why not just reciprocating saw with metal cutting blades?  Should do just fine.

[Oldwood2409]

Shipping containers walls are 2mm thick. Containers walls cut very well with a 4 1/2 inch grinder. You will go thru quite a few cut off discs , 0.045 inch thick work very well. I have done half a dozen windows and doors. We always welded in a angle iron angle frame to the container.  Select your window size so the window goes from outside corrugation to outside corrugation. We installed a 3 x 3 x 3/16 angle for windows and 3 x 5 for doors.

Greg