How to efficiently break down metal for scratch stocks, scrapers etc?

[Scott H]

I decided I had too many square card scrapers and tried to cut one of them up the other day to try making scratch stocks.

Long story short, I was disappointed with a dremel's speed -- maybe it's just the particular wheel I was using or my technique -- and I ended up using a bimetal hacksaw blade to cut it. Still, making a five inch cut with that is a lot of work. Supposedly the scraper was 50 HRC, 0.032".

Anyone have any methods they like that are easy and ideally not super loud? I'm mostly interested in making scratch stocks, recycling saws into scrapers, etc at this point, but also stuff like cutting up a saw plate to make a kerfing plane blade. I might eventually try making a new saw plate out of spring steel stock but that's far in the future.

 

[Oka]

Don't use a dremal, use a 4 1/2 inch grinder with a .020 grinding disc. They break easy so cut straight and do not push too hard, let the disc do the cutting.
Jig it up between 2 thin pieces of wood.
THere is no real quiet way to do this

 

[tvrgeek]

And wear a dust mask. Metal dust is not good for you either. Just use decent quality wheels. The ones from Horrible Freight chip apart way easier than decent ones. I use PFERD. .040 wheels for most things. Don't see the need for a super thin blade.

I doubt a jig saw blade would last very long in steel that hard but a good Bosch bi-metal may do the job. Bosch T321AF maybe but only 24YPI. T118E is 36 TPI but not carbide.

 

[creasman]

I frequently make scratch stocks and scrapers from an old handsaw blade. I use a Dremel with one of the thin cutting wheels to score a line where I want the blade to break. After scoring clamp it in a vise at the line and give it a quick push to break the blade. If it's a small piece I'm breaking then I will use pliers to hold it. Works great and is so much easier/faster than sawing or cutting all the way through.

The break will follow the score. I don't worry about breaking it perfectly straight. After it's snapped a few seconds with a file or grinder will get a straight edge.

Obviously, wear eye protection while you do this. I've never had an issue with a shard flying away, but best to be safe.

 

[Scott H]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. That is probably one more point on the "I should buy an angle grinder" score card. I have never been able to find an 0.020" 4-1/2" abrasive cut-off wheel though, only down to 1/32".

I tried the dremel scoring approach over a short distance too, to snap off a small piece. It worked pretty well! I will have to experiment more with that, too.