Bed Trimming Tool Recommendations

goodtimes

Expedition Poseur
david despain said:
sounds like the perfect excuse to get that plasma cutter you've had your eye on

I have a plazma cutter here....and for brackets and the such off...it is friggin' sweet. For sheet metal....not so sweet. I mean, it does a fine job...but not as fine as a .040" thick cut off wheel on a 4.5" grinder.

The grinder makes it relatively easy to keep true lines when going around complex bends, with a thin disk, there is minimal heat introduced to the sheet metal (and the paint covering it), the edge it leaves is crisp and strait....it is just a no-brainer for the job.
 

madizell

Explorer
A plasma cutter throws a long hot stream of molten metal out of the cut, and I would not use one for trimming a fender, especially while the fender was still on the vehicle. Plasma has a tendency to make a puddled edge on sheet metal because there is so little mass to carry the heat away from the cut, so the edge of the cut tends to melt, and without a jig or robot, it is almost impossible to make a straight cut with a plasma cutter.

The air chisel blade shown does essentially the same job as the shear, although I prefer to use an electric version of the tool (shear) rather than air. I have and have used both versions of the shear, but find the electric has more torque and is easier to control. I used the shear extensively in fabricating a new floor for my CJ-5. Due to the shape of the tools, I would expect both the shear and the chisel to turn about the same radius corner, and both have the problem of turning up a long curl of metal as they cut. I would expect the air chisel to take more practice to get a good clean cut in light metal because they stroke toward the work, and as they speed up and slow down (just as you start and stop the cut) they can hammer the work site and leave you with occasional bends in the sheet metal. The shear takes far less skill and is easier to master. For going slow and careful, the electric shear is far easier to use because it cuts cleanly and with good torque even at slow motor speeds, whereas the air shear does not run well at low speeds and tends to just bleed off air rather than reciprocate as it should.

For doing curved cuts, the shear or chisel will do a better job than a cut-off wheel, and in the end it may take more than one tool to finish the job, such as at joint lines and in tight spaces. Trying to use a straight cutting tool to make a curved line will usually lead to little jags and deviations. Trying to use a shear or chisel to cut a straight line has the same problem the other way around, they only cut as straight a line as your hand and eye can control.

Another option would be a nibbler. They can also do nice clean cuts in sheet metal without rippling the work, and they are fairly easy to control. A nibbler will cost about the same as an air hammer and chisel tool, or a shear.

A chisel, shear, or nibbler needs a clean edge to start on. The cut off wheel can start anywhere and burn its way through the metal to begin a cut. So again, it might take more than one tool to get the job done. If you only have one tool, the cut off wheel is probably a bit more versatile because of the ability to cut anywhere without a starter hole or open edge.
 
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Dave Bennett

Adventurist
Thanks for all the AWESOME expert advice everyone has given in this thread!

Joaquin, I would LOVE to come up anytime, even if just to sit in Casa Azul :drool:

But, my work schedule between now and the ExPo Death Valley trip is crazy so we can't... :(

goodtimes said:
I have a plazma cutter here....and for brackets and the such off...it is friggin' sweet. For sheet metal....not so sweet. I mean, it does a fine job...but not as fine as a .040" thick cut off wheel on a 4.5" grinder.

The grinder makes it relatively easy to keep true lines when going around complex bends, with a thin disk, there is minimal heat introduced to the sheet metal (and the paint covering it), the edge it leaves is crisp and strait....it is just a no-brainer for the job.

So, I'm thinking I'll take the advice quoted above and make a trip down to Sears to buy a Craftsman electric 4.5 grinder and a couple of .040 cut off wheels and plenty of tape is in order.

This should do the job and I will be able to use the grinder again down the road for other stuff I'm sure.

Wish me luck!
 

Spikepretorius

Explorer
Years ago I saw photos of a large grinder wheel (230mm) that had broken in half and thokked into a guy's forehead. Quarter was sticking out and he was having two minds about the other quarter. Rather dangerous
 

StumpXJ

SE Expedition Society
Tacodoc, I just cut my buddies 05 quarter panels last week, and will give another nod to the thin (1/16th) cut-off wheels. The best and easiest way to cut a nice straight line, and it doesn it fast. However, as the last two post suggest, they can be very dangerous without experience in using them. Keep everything straight and dont try to do it too fast. Any flex in the wheel (i.e. trying to curve the cut) will likely result in you eating chunks of grinder disk. One thing I noticed on the 05's compared to the older tacos, there is a lot of double and tripple wall stuff around/below the tailight. Dont go too deep on your first cut until you get an idea of whats behind it, and how much you want to cut off.

Good luck!

~James
 

goodtimes

Expedition Poseur
To put the exploding wheel thing in a bit of perspective....I have never....NEVER had one blow up on me. I have gone through hundreds and hundreds of cut off wheels over the last 10 - 15 years.

Yes, they can explode, just like any grinding or cutting wheel. Make sure they are rated for a speed at least as fast as the grinder turns. Make sure you use the right disk/wheel for the right job. Cut off wheels are for cutting, they are not for grinding. If you are grinding an edge, use a grinding disk...they are made to support side loads, cut off wheels are not. Do not use a grind or cut off wheel that is chipped or damaged (seriously--don't). Keep the guard on the grinder (duh!). Do not grind on the cord (duh!). Do not put any body part in the path of the sparks coming off the grind wheel (duh!). Do not grind/cut around flammible materials (duh!). Do not grind with the door between the house and garage open (or else you wife will kill you when the house fills up with grind-wheel dust). Do not forget to wipe your feet before going inside (or else your wife will kill you for tracking all that crap into the house). WEAR EAR PLUGS!!! WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!!!

Oh yea...measure twice, cut once. It really isn't as bad as it sounds.
 

madizell

Explorer
goodtimes said:
I have never....NEVER had one blow up on me. I have gone through hundreds and hundreds of cut off wheels over the last 10 - 15 years.

That's interesting. Nearly every thin cutting wheel I have ever owned has died eventually by breaking into pieces in use. The results are not always explosive, but I have almost never actually worn one out.
 

StumpXJ

SE Expedition Society
Ive exploded a few thin ones, but it was mostly due to the wheel binding/snagging on the steel im cutting. The thin sheet metal of your fenders shouldnt be a problem...

~James
 

Colorado Ron

Explorer
Ive never had a cutting wheel explode either.

We used a sawsall for the front fenders, with the right blade they work nice!:
2104401853_f2ec6a69d9.jpg


To cut the rear quarters we used a cutting wheel, also worked nicely!:
2052078080_40c6a5d8bd.jpg


Sorry couldnt find a pic of us actually cutting it, but it cut like butter! The quality of your wheel makes all the difference. We cut about 6 inches off the quarters.
 

crawler#976

Expedition Leader
I've also spent considerable time with a 4" or 4.5" grinder with cutoff wheels in the last few years. I prefer to use a full face shield vs safety glasses. It gives you better protection for your entire face. I also recommend getting a set of welder's gloves for forearm protection. My local welding shop always has Tillman gloves on sale for less than a regular set of work gloves - $8.00 or $9.00. And I'm real fond of a good old welding hat for head protection - being partially hair challenged, it keeps the spark burns to a minimum...

While your shopping for a grinder get a couple 80 grit flapper wheels. They are great for heavy stock removal and fine finish work.

I prefer Makita grinders - IMO the best bang for your buck. My last 4.5" Makita cost $85.00. Make sure you get a grinder with a cast alum head vs. plastic. I have two grinders setup - one with a wheel, the other with a flapper. One Makita 4.5" lasted for 6 years of hard use with a wheel, the one with a flapper is still going strong.

Check your local welding shops for grinders and supplies. I've found that they are cheaper than most other stores - welders use up tool, so they sell a lot of'm.

Mark
 

lowenbrau

Explorer
Jobs like this tend to take combinations of everything you've got. I have used everything mentioned so far with varying sucesses. All of them are good for certain parts of the job. An air saw is remarkable efficient and doesn't have the problems associated with a full size sawzall.

About $90 for a good one and you'll find all kinds of use for it afterwards.
 

p1michaud

Expedition Leader
Face and eye protection.

crawler#976 said:
I've also spent considerable time with a 4" or 4.5" grinder with cutoff wheels in the last few years. I prefer to use a full face shield vs safety glasses. It gives you better protection for your entire face. I also recommend getting a set of welder's gloves for forearm protection. My local welding shop always has Tillman gloves on sale for less than a regular set of work gloves - $8.00 or $9.00. And I'm real fond of a good old welding hat for head protection - being partially hair challenged, it keeps the spark burns to a minimum...

That's just too funy! I use a toque to keep the hair singe free!

I'll second your comment about full face shield. I actually use the following when doing any work with the three 4.5" grinders hanging on my garage wall:

  1. toque
  2. ear plugs
  3. safety glasses
  4. full face sheild
  5. insulated welder's gloves
  6. non flamable long sleeve top (yes, I've set myself on fire one because this old jacket I was wearing had so much oil soaked in and the liner was polyester. :oops: provided my onlooking friends with a good laugh, no one was hurt luckily!).

Happy grinding/cutting! Can't wait to see the new bumper installed.
 

jim65wagon

Well-known member
p1michaud said:
That's just too funy! I use a toque to keep the hair singe free!

I'll second your comment about full face shield. I actually use the following when doing any work with the three 4.5" grinders hanging on my garage wall:
  1. toque
  2. ear plugs
  3. safety glasses
  4. full face sheild
  5. insulated welder's gloves
  6. non flamable long sleeve top (yes, I've set myself on fire one because this old jacket I was wearing had so much oil soaked in and the liner was polyester. :oops: provided my onlooking friends with a good laugh, no one was hurt luckily!).
Happy grinding/cutting! Can't wait to see the new bumper installed.

7. And good leather boots, ever have a molten chunk of metal find it's way under the tongue of a tennis shoe? You'll dance like you've been served!
 

86cj

Explorer
lowenbrau said:
Jobs like this tend to take combinations of everything you've got. I have used everything mentioned so far with varying sucesses. All of them are good for certain parts of the job. An air saw is remarkable efficient and doesn't have the problems associated with a full size sawzall.

About $90 for a good one and you'll find all kinds of use for it afterwards.


The body saw seems to be that tool you reach for when the latest whatever you built does not quite fit like it did last trial fitting and now nothing will fit in the tight area. Freehand cutting is easy with the small high speed fine tooth blades, mine is a cheap one that works great on plastic interior to.

My dog was very tolerant of most loud tools but the body saw just plain made her Mad, I think she was considering removing it from my possesion on occasion.....

I agree you need several type of cutters to get a nice result on all the fender shapes. The hand version of the sheetmetal shear mentioned works good for tight areas also.
 

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