beveling plate

[deereman75]

I am wondering how all of you bevel the edges of plate before welding. I use a 7 inch angle grinder, but there has to be a better way.

 

[mrmikey]

Depends on your budget, level of experience, thickness of plate and how elaborate you want to get.
A small amount I'll use a grinder, heaver plate say for a loader cutting edge I'll use a radiograph Products , a small amount a hand torch and a grinder to dress it up...Mike

 

[Shield Arc]

Yup, a tractor torch is the only way to go. I paid $50.00 for this one. :thumbsup:

 

[deereman75]

wow another good deal....
Since I do not have the space for a tractor torch, how hard would it be to free hand it with a cutting torch, and clean it up with a grinder. This is mainly for fairly small pieces, I am wanting to try multi pass welds on scrap plate when I get the powerarc 200, and I will probaly using up to half inch thick, and 6 inch wide, for that should I free hand it with the torch and clean it up with a 5 inch grinder, or get out the 7 inch and just grind it all.

 

[J_J]

Just put a straight edge on the plate, and tilt the plasma torch to ride the edge at a 45 degree angle.

 

[J_J]

Yup, a tractor torch is the only way to go. I paid $50.00 for this one. :thumbsup:

I have one similar to yours, but no track. Do you think it would ride two small angle iron strips?

 

[Shield Arc]

You can free hand that, or build yourself a burning bar. You don't need a magnetic one, just use a pair of vice grips. Maybe take two pieces of 1 1/2-inch flatbar 18-inches long, tack them together on edge at say 35-degrees, tack another piece in the center 90-degrees from the two others, this is where the vice grips will clamp.
Here is a magnetic burning square I've had for years.

 

[deereman75]

Ok so free handing will work. I think I will try to build a burning bar like you sugested. Just have to get the oxygen tank filled first.....

 

[Shield Arc]

I have one similar to yours, but no track. Do you think it would ride two small angle iron strips?

I don't see why not, just use flatbar to maintain the width.
I worked where someone took a piece of 6-inch round stock inserted a concrete nail in the center of the round stock, drilled a 1/2-inch hole through the round stock, inserted a piece of 1/2-inch round stock, as a shop built protractor, and cut large diameter circles with a tractor torch by turning the wheels. Worked great.

 

[dstig1]

We used a track torch like that to cut our beveled plates for the plate tests we were doing in class. We'd clean them up on a large belt sander/grinder with a flat section. The track torch had a front pair of wheels with a groove in them that rode on a piece of angle as the guide track. The back wheels rode on the flat platform, unguided.

 

[killdozerd11]

I am wondering how all of you bevel the edges of plate before welding. I use a 7 inch angle grinder, but there has to be a better way.

Use a piece of angle iron with the point up then lay your torch (OA or Plasma ) on the 45 angle and burn it using it as an angled straight edge

 

[weldermike]

Or you can use a chop saw, or a bandsaw if you have access to either.

 

[killdozerd11]

Or you can use a chop saw, or a bandsaw if you have access to either.

Ok you can bevel cut plate on some band saws that have tilt capability

But i have never seen a chop saw that would do that on plate of any significant size

 

[weldermike]

Stand up right and adjust your angle and cut. With a chop saw you may only get around 4in, but if its all you have and only for practice at least you will have a nice clean cut!

 

[deereman75]

I really do need to get a chop saw for the shop.

 

[weldermike]

For a little more money than a good metal chop saw you can get a nice little (JET) bandsaw. I bought one last year and it is dynamite, no red hot chips flying around, and it locks in the upright position, so now you can use it for cutting patterns and so forth. Alot of the bigger more expensive models dont have that option! I honestly beieve I havent used my chop saw since! Even use it for cutting up bones for my dogs! LOL, but serious! Just have to wash em off afterwards. Hope that helped a little bud!

 

[deereman75]

That is great except for two things, 1, we can not buy jet tools in canada, because another company called jet equipment owns the name here, and they only make industrial hand tools, simelar in quality to proto. (the only brand of hand tools I buy) And 2, we have very little space in our tiny shop, so I dont think we can fit a bandsaw in. I think I will just get a milwaukee abrasive chopsaw, I have used them alot in blacksmiths shops, and they are unstoppable. (I like sparks and hot metal, part of the fun of blacksmithing)

 

[eastexan]

Use a piece of angle iron with the point up then lay your torch (OA or Plasma ) on the 45 angle and burn it using it as an angled straight edge

+1
Very good suggestion. :thumbsup:

 

[deereman75]

+1
Very good suggestion. :thumbsup:

I agree, once I get the oxy tank refilled, I will do it that way.

 

[weldermike]

Ebay, and its on wheels so you can roll it outside, been welding and smithing for a living for 22 out of my 40 yrs, and the scars scabs and hot slivers are not fun anymore. Trust me!