28 replies to this topic

[Duncan]

Was hoping some of you have experience cutting out roll cages. I'm having the cage redone in my car, and need to cut if off the old base plates. I've started with a reciprocating saw, but due to the close quarters, I keep bending the blades. The tubing is too big to use a cut off wheel and I can't get a torch around the entire tube, especially at the main hoop.

Any tips? Going to Home Depot tomorrow to buy more cutting supplies.

thanks,

Duncan

[Jim Boemler]

Find a shop with a plasma cutter -- it makes quick work.

[dstevens]

We've salvaged cages from car before. My preferred method is a plasma. We've also used 7" cut off wheels and sawzalls for other cars. If you use a sawzall you are going to need a lot of blades. I find the best prices from industrial supply joints, but not Grainger or McMaster-Carr. A place like Roark has them in bulk less expensive for a better blade. You should be able to do it with a good sawzall with several of a couple different lengths of blades. If you want to rent a plasma, you'll need a compressor big enough to run it. You can rent one from someone like Red-D-Arc or Sunbelt.

On edit, just remembered some guys posted in another thread about using a body saw. You could get one cheap enough at Harbor Freight though most are air tools. Here is one that is electric.

http://www.harborfre...r:referralID=NA

[Jim Boemler]

Body saw would be useless on a cage. BTW, part of the problem is that welding leaves the metal hard and brittle, and that's just where you're trying to cut. Plasma doesn't care.

[dstevens]

Jim, what did you use to remove your last cage?

[Jim Boemler]

Never had to remove one, thankfully.

[joeg5982]

A sawzall with a 'TORCH" blade will manage and a cut off wheel will also do the trick with lots of patience and blades.

Obviously if you have access to plasma...case closed. But if you don't, go at it with the foregoing.

[Ron Alan]

Sawzall only works when the end of the blade(on the stroke) can end beyond the material...don't wast your time and money on blades otherwise. Not having a plasma cutter I had decent luck with 5" cut off grinder blades on my small grinder without the guard off(wear gloves!)...went through a bunch of discs but managed.

[Duncan]

Well,

Got it out. Ended up using the sawzall as the main tool. I used the shortest blade I could find and went very slow. The only tubes I could not reach were the firewall tubes. Those really need a plasma torch.

About 3 hours of work.


IMAG0119 by duncanrellis, on Flickr

Couldn't quite get to these.


IMAG0114 by duncanrellis, on Flickr

thanks for all the help.

[Charlie Hayes]

What exactly was wrong with the cage? You were at Infineon this last weekend with NASA right? Could have sworn I saw a '99 with that paint scheme.

[Blake Thompson]

I used a sawzall with a extrication blade in it, it took me a little time to get through the welds but it was decent. If I had access to a plasma I would have tried that but it only took about 45 minutes with the sawzall.

edit: sorry didn't see this is resolved.

-Blake

[Jim Boemler]

What's an "extrication blade", Blake?

[Blake Thompson]

What's an "extrication blade", Blake?

http://www.amazon.co...20610325&sr=8-1

I use these for cutting up car shells when I'm done with them.

[Jim Boemler]

Thanks!

[Duncan]

What exactly was wrong with the cage? You were at Infineon this last weekend with NASA right? Could have sworn I saw a '99 with that paint scheme.

The builder left almost an inch of clearance between the top of the main hoop and the hard top. I'm a tall guy and the lack of head clearance made me nervous.

[dstevens]

That's a good price on the demolition grade blades at Amazon, Blake. My guy at Roark wants 5 bucks a blade for those. Bosch has one that is 8/10 TPI at are about 3 and 1/2 bucks but I haven't tried it yet.

[Blake Thompson]

That's a good price on the demolition grade blades at Amazon, Blake. My guy at Roark wants 5 bucks a blade for those. Bosch has one that is 8/10 TPI at are about 3 and 1/2 bucks but I haven't tried it yet.

I've used cheaper blades, for what I'm doing I generally end up using 2x the blades to get through the project. It takes about 2 blades to cut up a car well enough for our scrapper.

[dstevens]

I've been able to get the bi metal Dewalts for just over a buck each in bulk. I can burn through them pretty quickly but since I got the Hypertherm a few years back it's been my go to tool for cutting. When salvaging a cage from a late model it takes about half dozen blades and a cut off wheel or two. And that doesn't completely scrap the chassis.

[Ron Alan]

http://www.amazon.co...20610325&sr=8-1

I use these for cutting up car shells when I'm done with them.

If you do a lot of this the best tool is a gas powered concrete saw...but instead of a diamond blade you put in the 10-14 inch carborundum metal blade. I watched a guy cut up a miata in about 15 minutes. Concrete guys like these when they have to demo/fix/cut rebar in place.

[Blake Thompson]

If you do a lot of this the best tool is a gas powered concrete saw...but instead of a diamond blade you put in the 10-14 inch carborundum metal blade. I watched a guy cut up a miata in about 15 minutes. Concrete guys like these when they have to demo/fix/cut rebar in place.

I have my reasons for not, but thanks.