expanded metal cutting

[diyDave]

Fastest way of doing it would be with a concrete saw with a metalcutting blade!

 

[Renze]

an ordinary guillotine shear as used in many sheetmetal aorking companies does the job just great, and gives straighter cuts than most other things.

 

[workinallthetime]

Seems the racks I see on many lawn service people's trailers would be better than just piling them in an expanded metal box.
Both are lockable, but the rack gives you an insight to when one was left lying next to a tree instead of being put back in the box. If I were going to build a box, I would use solid metal to keep the weather out and prying eyes away.

David from jax

i dont like the racks, thats almost an invitation to the those prying eyes, i dont want a sealed box due to weight and would have to be cleaned out all the time. ive seen landscape trailers with expanded metal boxes and with a lockable lid all is secure. racks would only serve one purpose where a box could hold any number of things even racks inside to hold up trimmers. now im thinking about elivating it off the floor so i still have room for debris under it.
ill post pics later, i am wondering about this skill saw idea just might work i have 1 good one and one for when somone needs to borrow one. thanks for the input guys

 

[thingy]

It'll leak I bet?? thingy

 

[thingy]

Well,you'd need to make a frame,probably out of angle iron,weld the expanded metal to out side of it,,,something like that,,,it'll still leak,,,cutting with stick welder sounds like the best idea I've heard,,1/8 rod machine turned up pretty high,,5/32 would be even better[maybe],if your machine is big enough,,but that would work pretty good and be pretty fast,,,thingy

 

[RedRocker]

Jig saw.

 

[swines]

The easiest way to cut expanded metal is with a large metal shear if you have access to one. I have a plasma cutter, but using it on expanded metal is problematic as the plasma-arc has to re-strike at each joint you want to cut.

The easiest way I've found is using a cut off wheel in an air tool (like the IR 326 pneumatic cut off tool). I snap a chalk line across the piece to mark all the metal intersections that need to be cut, and then just buzz through each intersection with the cut off tool. A jig saw or reciprocating saw would be another method.

 

[MrJimi]

I have read all the good replies on this but I do mine a little different, I use a air chisel with a heavy metal under it, very easy and controllable and clean with no sparks
Jim

 

[mopacman]

I agree with MrJimi a hammer and cold chisel would work good and neat. That is the only my dad would had cut it.

 

[workinallthetime]

hmmm never thought of that, but thats alot of cutting