Anyone ever cut a steel T Post?

[TheGerman]

The regular green with white stripe ones from Lowes/Home Depot. Have been wanting to cut some in half or further down to hold my T post targets where I don't need something 4-5 feet up in the air.

Was thinking a table saw with a metal cutting blade would work but have never tried and would prefer to not find things out the hard way.

Anyone ever cut any of these? What do I need to make it work and not break shit?

 

[bogeybrown]

I've cut a bunch. Usually with a sawzall with metal blade, a cutoff saw, or grinder with cut off disc. for doing a few here and there the Sawzall is your cheapest readily available option. I personally hate using a cutoff wheel on a grinder.

 

[cnwrobb]

Woods brush hog will cut them slicker than owl shit. Don't ask how I know

 

[vh20]

Cut-off wheel on a 4 or 4-1/2 in. hand grinder. Harbor Freight sells a cheap one for like 14 bucks and a "better" one for about 20 , plus the cut-off wheels (which are dirt cheap).

 

[TheGerman]

What metal blade do you use for the sawzall? I have a Bosch one I cut random wood with, didn't even think of using it as I thought it would go crazy once it hit the metal.

 

[natdscott]

Woods brush hog will cut them slicker than owl shit. Don't ask how I know

BAAAhahahaha!!!

I know a guy...who knows... it was a friend....or somethin..

-Nate

 

[vh20]

Good Lord, we all posted at once!

 

[natdscott]

Good Lord, we all posted at once!

It's vicious around here come Friday afternoons!

 

[DuneBoer]

I've cut a bunch. Usually with a sawzall with metal blade, a cutoff saw, or grinder with cut off disc. for doing a few here and there the Sawzall is your cheapest readily available option. I personally hate using a cutoff wheel on a grinder.

This is the way to go. I cut them the same way when I have to.

 

[padronanniversary]

plasma cutter or disc or chop saw

 

[natdscott]

But hey...since we're talking. WHY don't you just get some shorter posts?

Or are they already in place?

Or do you already have a stack of 396 of them like I do?

 

[Maggot]

Damn, German, youre a bad ass, just bite them off and spit out nails

 

[pmclaine]

Sawzall with bimetallic blade, shortest one for the job, keep the foot tight to your post.........

 

[bogeybrown]

What metal blade do you use for the sawzall? I have a Bosch one I cut random wood with, didn't even think of using it as I thought it would go crazy once it hit the metal.

Grab one marked specifically for steel, I think Milwaukee call theirs "the torch". An actual tool guy at your nearest hardware or big box store can get you dialed in. I've got some carbide blades made by Hitachi IIRC that I used to cut up 20 cast iron heating radiators.

Or, as @vh20 said, you can grab a grinder setup from Harbor Freight for probably about the same money as quality sawzall blades. I've just had way too many cutoff wheels come apart on me to mess with them if I don't have to. If you have a miter saw you could probably get an appropriately sized cutoff wheel for it and bang them out.

Hell, take one morning's ammo budget and buy the Milwaukee cordless band saw and thumb your nose at us chuckleheads that don't own one.

 

[Rthur]

Chop saw will do it great.

R

 

[sirhrmechanic]

A HERRING!

 

[bogeybrown]

But hey...since we're talking. WHY don't you just get some shorter posts?

Or are they already in place?

Or do you already have a stack of 396 of them like I do?

Man, tell me you live somewhere close to the Gulf Coast? I'd only ever messed with t-posts that someone else paid for by the pallet or truck load. I just had to go buy six of those fuckers the other day and lost my mind.

I'd rather pay a guy for a handful of them then ever buy them retail again.

 

[diverdon]

4 inch disc grinder with cutoff wheel is my first choice, I like being able to direct a thick stream of sparks.

 

[vh20]

4 inch disc grinder with cutoff wheel is my first choice, I like being able to direct a thick stream of sparks.

Yep. That's usually right when I look down and discover that's where my saw gas can has migrated to. It follows the grinder around like a little puppy.

 

[hermosabeach]

the posts are designed to be hit... so the metal is softer, not brittle, so it will bend, but not shatter....

You can cut them with a hacksaw... but power tools are way easier.....


Get a metal blade for one of your existing tools or.... pick up something new....

 

[MosesTheTank]

4 inch disc grinder with cutoff wheel is my first choice, I like being able to direct a thick stream of sparks.

This is what I use. After that they whittled down with lead.

 

[oneshot86]

Yep. That's usually right when I look down and discover that's where my saw gas can has migrated to. It follows the grinder around like a little puppy.

thats funny, lol...

 

[Foul Mike]

I would use a chop saw but turn the post so it is going through cuts that are not too thick and the sparks carry through.
The wheel will go through the web of the post post haste but if it is laid out on the bottom of the cut as in laying it flat on the chop saw vice
and it hits 1in flat it takes forever. Turn it on an angle and make the cuts minimal even though it goes against your grain.

 

[QuickNDirty]

Sawzall works fine on anything like that. Bi-metal blades will work, but the ones with 8 +/- a couple teeth per inch (TPI) will fuck it up faster.

I've even sawed through some 3/8 grade 5 bolts with a wood blade. That was a shitty day.

 

[oneshot86]

im a welding fabricator, i hate abrasive cutting, dangerous and you breath that shit.
for that type of stuff i would use my porta bandsaw, 10-14tpi saw blade. not a 10 or a 14, a variable tpi of 10-14...
next way is sawzall with same tpi as above...
the cutting disks should only be used if you ONLY have to, for all other option available i would call you a fool to use the cut off wheels

 

[Tnc]

Cutting torch

 

[kabarNC]

Or you could use something like the HangFast Target hangers, and hang your targets wherever you wanted down the posts.

 

[pmclaine]

Real operators shoot them off at desired length.

 

[Hookturnr]

Either use the milwaukee Torch blades in a sawzall (best damn metal blade made ) or break out the 4 1/2" grinder and a cutoff wheel. Don't try to use some bullshit all purpose demo blade or something that's gonna fight you. The Torch blades swill walk right through 4" cast iron pipe..A t post isn't gonna slow it down.

 

[diverdon]

im a welding fabricator, i hate abrasive cutting, dangerous and you breath that shit.
for that type of stuff i would use my porta bandsaw, 10-14tpi saw blade. not a 10 or a 14, a variable tpi of 10-14...
next way is sawzall with same tpi as above...
the cutting disks should only be used if you ONLY have to, for all other option available i would call you a fool to use the cut off wheels

If you can't use a cutoff wheel without breathing the dust, then who is the fool again? Lowes sells dust masks that work fine.

 

[my human host]

I use cutoff wheels at work damn near every day. Are they dangerous? Absolutely, but 20 years of using them has taught me how to protect myself. They are just about the handiest damned thing in the world.

 

[pmclaine]

Damn sawsall just about killed me cutting through mine. I used bimetal blades still a pain in the ass

You gots to plant the foot square against what you are cutting and let the saw do the work.

Cuts like butter.

 

[QuickNDirty]

You gots to plant the foot square against what you are cutting and let the saw do the work.

Cuts like butter.

Yep, there's only one right way to use a reciprocating saw. All the other options range from sub optimal to kinda dangerous.

 

[diverdon]

You gots to plant the foot square against what you are cutting and let the saw do the work.

Cuts like butter.

That is the foot of the saw not your foot---I don't need to hear how some one lost a toe cutting a T-post.

 

[Tazman308]

I accidentally cut one in half using my 308 and a misadjusted vertical scope adjustment. Two shots at 600 yards cut it in half quicker than any saw or grinder. I don’t recommend this method but it does work

 

[natdscott]

I accidentally cut one in half using my 308 and a misadjusted vertical scope adjustment. Two shots at 600 yards cut it in half quicker than any saw or grinder. I don’t recommend this method but it does work

Your toe?

 

[oneshot86]

If you can't use a cutoff wheel without breathing the dust, then who is the fool again? Lowes sells dust masks that work fine.

you just go play the odds with yourself, if you have a very reasonable way around using a cut off disc spinning between 10k to 20k, and dont use it, you are a fucking idiot...

 

[TheGerman]

Managed to get 2 in half with little effort with a sawzall and a metal cutting blade. Got to the 3rd and it barely did anything; thought the blade went bad. Put a new blade on same thing. I'm guessing whatever alloy they used on the 3rd one is different.

 

[mheimer_45]

Well the torch would be my first choice. If flames and power tools are not readily available you can stick them in a vice and bend them back and forth. They will break after a few good bends.

 

[QuickNDirty]

Managed to get 2 in half with little effort with a sawzall and a metal cutting blade. Got to the 3rd and it barely did anything; thought the blade went bad. Put a new blade on same thing. I'm guessing whatever alloy they used on the 3rd one is different.

Sure you weren't just being a pussy?

 

[oneshot86]

are they galv, you could have a thick area gumming up on you

 

[diverdon]

you just go play the odds with yourself, if you have a very reasonable way around using a cut off disc spinning between 10k to 20k, and dont use it, you are a fucking idiot...

Every tool has some way is can be misused and cause injury. If you don't feel safe with a cutoff wheel then I guess they are not for you. Still I think most can easily use them for jobs like this.

 

[2ndamendfan]

The regular green with white stripe ones from Lowes/Home Depot. Have been wanting to cut some in half or further down to hold my T post targets where I don't need something 4-5 feet up in the air.

Was thinking a table saw with a metal cutting blade would work but have never tried and would prefer to not find things out the hard way.

Anyone ever cut any of these? What do I need to make it work and not break shit?

Double check rpm rating of the metal cutting blade. I have a chop saw that uses "blades" instead of "disks" and the RPM. Of the saw is 1/2 a regular chop saw. FYI

 

[demolitionman]

PortaBand if you've got access to one. Abrasive chop saw would be my second choice unless you've got a cold cut saw which would obviously be better. Not much is faster than an oxy acetylene torch if you know someone with those. And of course a 4 1/2" grinder with a metal abrasive cutting wheel works fine but for god sakes where safety glasses. I'd prefer portaband over anything.

Also, Im nearly certain you can't just chuck up an abrasive wheel into your wood chop saw. The RPM's will shred them, and I believe the same is true with a carbide tipped metal blade. The teeth will launch off of those in a high rpm motor.

 

[jungle45]

......Cutting torch

 

[Mater2009]

Grinder and cutting wheel. Or 308

 

[natdscott]

Man. There's a lot of angst in this thread for just a few GD steel posts.

 

[mtrmn]

Woods brush hog will cut them slicker than owl shit. Don't ask how I know

I am mtrmn and I agree with this statement

 

[QuickNDirty]

Double check rpm rating of the metal cutting blade. I have a chop saw that uses "blades" instead of "disks" and the RPM. Of the saw is 1/2 a regular chop saw. FYI

Fucking evolution RAGE 3 is the shit. I dunno if anything exists that it doesn't just munch through with ease.

 

[MtnCreek]

From first in space, first ballistic missle, first operational jet fighter, bad ass tanks... to can't cut a damned t post. WTF. I don't know, maybe hire a Russian to beat them in two with a hammer?