Cutting Wheel suggestion? Building Brew Stand from Bed Frames

This weekend i am going to finally construct my brew stand from some bed frames.

I currently have a 21 gallon compressor and a cheap cut off wheel from harbor freight but my compressor just cannot keep up. It took me almost 2 hrs to cut an opening in my keggle.

Can anyone suggest a cheap tool (perhaps electric) that will cut through the bed frame rails with ease? With the keggle, i went through abotu 10 cutting wheels for 2 keggles. I would like to avoid this if at all possible as well (especially if the replacement bits/wheels are pricey). Just looking to save a little time.

TIA!

4.5" angle grinder with 1/16" thick cutting wheels.... a LOT of them.

I actually sacrificed an old 10" Ryobi miter saw to the task using a 7" cutting disk installed because I wanted to miter the cuts.

Do you have a circular saw? If so, look for a metal cutting wheel that meets the rpm and the diameter(blade) for your saw.

I have used different types of blades in my saw to cut wood, metal, and concrete fiber siding.

Bobby_M said:

4.5" angle grinder with 1/16" thick cutting wheels.... a LOT of them.

I actually sacrificed an old 10" Ryobi miter saw to the task using a 7" cutting disk installed because I wanted to miter the cuts.

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Alot as in a 10 wheels or alot as in 25-30?


Also what did you mean sacrifice? i have a 7" Craftsman Miter saw...does it ruin it?

i plan on using heavy duty bolts to attach everything together since i cant weld.

(side note for Bobby_M: did u get my PM on the keggle set up? Just curious, i ended up moving the T to the other fitting)

Sorry I didn't respond to the PM.. I sometimes read them and plan to respond, then life gets in the way.

I don't know if making all the cuts would ruin your saw but it throws a ton of molten slag all over it and the piece gets hot enough to melt any plastic it might be resting on. Oh, and I think I fried the bearings too because it sounds different now. I'm mean I'm still using it until it completely dies, but I wouldn't do it to a $400 saw.

If you're bolting it, you'd def want to cut the ends square vs. mitering.

I'm going to guess that the thin 4.5" cutoff blades would be able to make about 10-15 straight cuts through bedframe before they get too small to use. My dad used to have a power hack saw with an oiling system... man, wish he still had his old shop.

10 cut off wheels for 2 keggles?? My buddy and I cut a keggle this weekend with just 1 on my super-cheap-got-it-for-free angle grinder.

Good luck with the brew stand and get some pics up while you're doing it! I'd *love* to build one some day....

an angle grinder and these:
4" x .045" x 5/8" Metal Thin Cut-Off Wheel - Type 1
for $2 they last a pretty long time, just dont go forcing anything cause I had one chip at the edge and ended up shattering. otherwise I have gone through dozens of them with good success.

Oh yeah....and the cut off disk we used was a $2 one from Harbor Freight

A Sawsall works well for cutting angle iron. And anything else too.

Wouldn't recommend trying a sawzall.
Bed frame material is notoriously difficult to cut, so I'd say stick to a chop saw or a grinding wheel. You'll just flatten out the teeth on a band saw or a sawzall.

A chop saw would make quick work of it, and you can miter your cuts. I wouldn't recommend cutting with a tool that isent intended to cut metal, metal shavings can do a number on unprotected electrical components.

I built a dirt bike set up on my trailer about 2 year ago out of an old bed frame. Used a grinder with a new wheel/blade (whatever you might call it) and it worked perfectly fine. It took a little while to cut through but the Bosch worked its way. It should not really be too much of a big problem.

Atl300zx said:

I currently have a 21 gallon compressor and a cheap cut off wheel from harbor freight but my compressor just cannot keep up. It took me almost 2 hrs to cut an opening in my keggle.

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It took you 2 hours because stainless steel is a ***** to cut and because a 21 gallon compressor probably ran out of air pressure and couldn't keep up. I'm guessing you went from 90psi to about 30 within a few minutes with a cut off tool.

I just cut 2 keggles with a 4-inch Makita angle grinder. Took about 10 minutes each.

A chop saw is best. As others have said, you could put an abrasive disk on a mitre saw, but it will get pretty unhappy. You may be able to rent one from HD.

If you're limited to using stuff you already own, I would start the cuts with your compressor-driven cut off wheel. Cut down about 1/16 inch and then finish with a reciprocating saw. That way you don't have to sit there and wait for the compressor to charge back up every 10 seconds. At the same time, a reciprocating saw will give you better, straighter cuts than a cut off wheel or angle grinder.