Metal Cutting Tools

[Anonymous-0]

Have some modification work to do to a wall I put up last year, to install a double door, wall is constructed of 6" wide 18 gauge metal studs. Going from memory, but I think that is the gauge of material I used due to the height and wall type needed. Regular metal studs are easy to cut with tin snips, but these were difficult to cut with a pair, wondering what might be a good hand tool, maybe a heavier pair of snips, or something that would cut this material easier.

When I put up the wall I used an abrasive metal chop saw, cut one stud at a time, can cut a whole bundle of the regular metal studs, would use a cut off wheel on the 4" grinder, but this being in an occupied office, all the sparks, just not going to work, sawz-all would do it, and may just have to do it, only concern is if it catches and edge might pull on the stud and damage sheetrock etc., reciprocating action can be rough on things, the rough opening cut has to be neat on this one, less patching etc. Just wondering what else might do the job similar to what a pair of snips does to the thinner material. Are there larger snips for heavier material ? I've seen those electric nippers, never used one, thought they were for lighter gauge material though and the studs are "C" shaped with edges returning inward.

 

[markiz41]

If you want it to be neat and clean, just use a hacksaw.

 

[Goldman]

you can try tin snips....they will cut up to 20 guauge. the electric nipper won't do so good of a job...they cut a 3/8 strip off both ends of the cut, leaves a curley Q and they are hard to get around the flange. you have to point them in the direction you are cutting. plus they don't plunge cut, you must start at the edge of the piece. I bought a pair and am quite dissapointed in them. grinder would be the fastest and cleanest. Especially if you have a variable speed one. You can set up a barrier wall with plastic sheeting similar to the zipwall system to contain the dust.

 

[KSF]

I have a portable band saw and I have used it with success cutting metal studs. Get the fine toothed blade and hold it steady. The biggest problem is getting the saw blade trapped. You may have to cut into it several times to keep relief on the blade so that it is not trapped. It will however cut fairly clean with little damage if done carefully. This of course is assuming the stud is at the opening and not in the wall itself.

 

[Anonymous-0]

http://www.studchopper.com/

http://www.malcoproducts.com/products/drywall/src24a.asp

 

[Anonymous-0]

That stud chopper is really impresive

 

[Anonymous-0]

That hydraulic shear (stud chopper) is something I've never seen before, don't recall seeing one of those lever action shears either.

On all the big high rise jobs, the drywall contractors were still using an abrasive cut off chop saws, on projects I ran, it was like pulling teeth to get the drywall contractors people to wear eye protection and hearing protection when using a cut off saw, nothing worse than walking by and someone fires up the chop saw with a full bundle of studs to cut, no safety glasses or hearing protection, hard to figure how anyone can deal with that noise and not have hearing damage, used to steer clear of those.

That stud chopper looks like a nice tool, wonder if the bitg dry wall outfits are taking notice, only problem it would have to be locked to a column or something, definitely would sprout legs and walk, looks expensive.


I've got some time before I have to do this, will keep an eye out for anything that could make it easier, may just have to just hang a light shield from the ceiling grid, cover the carpet, score each stud with the grinder then use snips or some combination thereof, once cut I'll just install the header and backers for the door jamb fasteners. I will however bring the hacksaw, sawzall and cut off saw, would be a snap if they were lighter gauge studs.

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

Hi Billy,

I wish I could help you more on this, but the problem of cutting flexible or unsupported stock is something I've never been able to do any better with than to handle on a case by case basis.

Since the location of the project and the characteristics of the material narrow your options considerably, maybe you could approach it from a different direction. For instance, since you have some time before the project comes up, maybe you could work up some kind of a jig that would clamp onto the studs one at a time above and below the cut to hold the metal rigid while providing a slot for cutting with a Sawzall. I can sort of visualize such a thing but I don't think it would do any good for me to describe it because I'm not sure I have a clear idea of what the studs look like.

All the best, Stan

 

[Anonymous-0]

Not a bad idea, the link below should provide a photo of a c-stud, the ones I put up last year are just thick enough material to make an alteration like this slightly annoying, as cutting the studs will be the most difficult part, it will be an off hours job, as the one side is occupied by the customer, other side tenant is moving out soon.

The stud is c-shaped, but the legs are rolled in at the ends to provide a smooth, not sharp edge, also holds the roxul mineral wool insulation I installed without any clips. Wall is 6" thick, i layer of 5/8" fire code gyp board either side, customer was concerned about noise so I provided a commercial 1 hour rated wall.

Now that this tenant is leaving, the customer will make use of the space, so he needs a double french door installed to connect to the space. We really pushed the limits when we did the initial job, 3 days til the wee hours to get it done ready and to make the transfer from another location to get them in there, phones, data, and electrical, move went as planned though, no glitches, thebusiness was moved and uninterrupted.


I'll do what I usually do, bring everything applicable for cutting the studs and then some, it's a time and material job, but I'd still like to get in and out just the same, the only problem with a reciprocating saw is pulling the stud against the surrounding gyp board as it gets close, not making smoke and sparks would be a real good thing, that galvanized finish sure reeks and is toxic when burning, maybe just a score and snips or cut 3/4 the way though with the sawzall using a quality metal blade, score the remaining with 4" grinder/cutting wheel, can block the sparks,and protect the carpet, spray the area down with a spray bottle, then cut the remaining with snips. I'll figure soemthing out, but it's best to know what you are going to do before you get there, henc the question here and the usual overthinking process LOL !
C-Stud

 

[NEsota]

This is a "long shot". Consider using a pneumatic grinder with the small wheel (2 1/2 inch or smaller). Use vacuum cleaner with long hose and shielding to catch debris.

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

Hi Billy,

At the top of the rough opening, the studs and the gyp board will be cut along the same line, right? I ask because trying not to disturb a finished wall on one side of a stud that has to be removed is one of the most tedious jobs I ever have to do.

When you remove the gyp board on boths sides of the wall, you could use bar clamps to clamp a (clean, smooth) 2x6 or 2x8 on each side of the wall above the cut line. That might be enough to keep the finished wall from being damaged if (when) the saw catches the edge of the stud and gives it a good shake.

A die grinder with one of those wafer thin cutoff wheels at the end, perpendicular to the axis of the tool, will provide a low vibration cut. Still plenty of sparks, etc., but this sounds like the kind of job where the prep can reasonably be expected to exceed the time it takes to make the cuts by a large factor.

I know you can't get paid for the time you spend thinking about how you're going to do a job, but I think it would be reasonable for you to charge for time you spend actually researching your options for dealing with a problem aspect.

Best of luck with it, Stan

 

[Anonymous-0]

That is a good idea, have to layout the cut, studs are 16" O.C., will have to split the difference with any left over gap, might leave sheetrock on the jambs without support depending on the layout, but at the head, clamping off a pair of 2" x 6"s would protect the sheetrock. The goal here is to make the cut and be able to cover the sheetrock with the casing/trim around the door without any patching if at all possible. I've got to install a header piece anyway, probably a leftover piece of track cut with ears on both ends to connect + some angle clips to connect the cut off studs above.

On the contracting side of things the preparation, research of means and methods is always included in the price, for an excessively odd job requiring intense research of same to determine means and methods, best to just incorporate that time into the overall job, that is if you know up front, and usually things like that end up in a designers hands, as a design issue, not always, so it's up to the prospective bidder to really know what they are doing, how they are doing it and the length of time it will take, all of which can be open ended variables on any job, the work you do up front will save you headaches later.

When making an assessment of how to execute a particular job, say on a larger scale, trade coordination, procurement, scheduling, safety etc., you can create a path for a contractor to follow, review and or use for bidding purposes, as well as a defined scope of work, which would be classified as construction management professional services, then it would be acceptable to bill a customer, as you would have been hired just for that purpose, to insure the owners interests are represented at all times while the contractors are doing the work, as a contractor, those indirect costs to the job have to be included in the overhead part of the job, and for specialty contractors, much time is needed in preparation to do a job safely and within what the contract documents call for.

Been there many times, manufacturer built 4000 lb aluminum windows for us to hang, could not be stick built in place for many reasons, one was they would never meet the performance criteria if done that way, nothing was engineered into them for rigging, principals of our company were slackers in my opinion for not having done many things, yet the general contractor was on us like flies on shite to get them in regardless, talk about a problem, stress, aggravation and dangerous work, the lack of preparation and up front problem solving really hurt us, sometimes it takes a complete staff to get through complicated scenarios, like this job, it was mishandled and mismanaged at the higher level. On this one it was just me and one of the company partners, whereas it really required a team of heavy hitter, needless to say it was an ugly situation from start to finish, one of the reasons I left the industry, for now LOL !


This small side job is just get in - get out get 'er done scenario, saturday morning type job, nonetheless without giving it some thought could take you all day, in a lump sum world the extra time could theoretically kill your profit, same principle applies to large jobs. This customer most jobs are time and material, he never has to worry about getting cheated and the money is always there at completion which is a good thing.

 

[Anonymous-0]

They make a cold cut circular saw now, 7 1/4". Might be the cat's pajamas for this type job. Slower speed than the wood saws, HSS blades, and a chip catcher arrangement around the blade to catch most of the chips. No smoke or fire, not too loud, and nice smooth cuts with a little practice. Makita, Dewalt, and John Deere are some I've seen, probably $250 and up. Good luck!
joe in ny

 

[Anonymous-0]

Billy,
I used to work in remodeling and have done what you are proposing but never in steel. I am understanding you are cutting the hole through a metal studded wall with sheetrock on both sides.

My first thought was to use a skil-saw with the blade backwards so it will not hook the studs when it cuts up to one. You would have to cut from both sides.

Your next best bet is to use a saws-all with a pretty fine tooth blade in it.

You could also cut the sheetrock hole to size, remove it, then remove what you need of the studs.

If I had problems with the sheetrock popping screws, it was usually with the wall on the far side of the cut. (Meaning on the far side of where I was standing when I was cutting.) since I assume you are framing the hole for the door, it might be a good idea to put an extra drywall screw in each stud just above the door hole.

And of course, make sure any electrical/phone/water, etc. service is disconnected before you start.

 

[Slowpoke]

Maybe you could do this: get two 1x8s by a length that's 2' longer than the measured opening. Lay out a line on the center of each board lengthwise and exactly in the same place on each board. Secure the boards back to back and drill a 1/4" hole STRAIGHT through, 16" from the end and 1 1/4 inch in from each edge, both ends. Drill another hole in the center at 1 1/4" from each edge. Enlarge the 6 holes on one board to 5/16" and insert a 1/4-20 T nut in each hole. Mark the cut line on the wall, and using the board with the 1/4" holes, place the line on the board the over the cut line, and place 1/4-20 Phillips head screws STRAIGHT through the board, wall and the second board on the other side of the wall, screwing them into the T nuts untill the heads are flush. Cut off the bolts flush with the T nuts.
Now a metal cutting circular saw can cut half way through using the line on one board, then go to the other side of the wall and make the second cut on the line. No clamps are in the way, nothing will fall until the bolts are removed, and there are only three 1/4" holes to be repaired in the finished wall. If the boards are flat and true, there should be little if any damage to the sheetrock. Provided you can find a saw that will cut half way through! It will probably need a 9" blade. Or use 1/2" plywood. Well, maybe it will give you some ideas.