Ok, I'm gonna start cuttin my brackets for my axles and frame on Sunday with the gas cutting outfit I have. But, my question is that I have never done this at home, only at shops where theres steel grate tables to do this on. Should I go through the trouble of building a rolling table with the slat steel top so the slag and flame can shoot through and have a catch pan at bottom? Or will I jsut be able to do this a few feet off the ground and sweep up the metal that lands on the ground? Really not into ruining my new concrete and all. But I don't want to spend another 100 bucks on another table I have to build. But if I have to I have to.

Jason
Big Willy Style
http://www.industrialoffroad.com


Best Auto Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

FWIW, my grandfather is a mstermechanic and a blacksmith by trade. he's been welding and torcking over the concrete in his shop for the lat 40 years or so...and theres nothing wrong with it. i wouldnt waste the time building a new table...thats just me though.
---peacock

<font color=red>96 Z-71 EXTcab, richmond 3.73, detroit rear, cold air, dual flowmasters, new drive-train </font color=red>

So if I just get some 1-1/4 angle, which I have laying around, and lay it on the ground to space the steel plate an inch or so up off the gorund it should work fine? Or should I pan the angle accross some saw horses and lay the plate on that?

Jason
Big Willy Style
http://www.industrialoffroad.com


Best Auto Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote

I wouldn't recomend doing it close to the concrete if you have a nice floor. Hot slag falling on it is one thing, but direct torch would be rather difficult to clean I imagine.

Set up some sawhorses and you should be fine.

Beat up 78 GMC 3/4T Camp. Spec. 350/465/205; needs less work. 265/75R16 BFG M/T

i would say at least a couple feet up to be safe...its definitly a pain to keep the torch from schorching your pavement that close, especially when you get a big booger falling down.

88 chevy 1500, 3" body lift, 33's

Willy,

My dad's been a welder and steel man for 35 years. Even 1 foot off concrete, oxy-acetylene debris won't hurt a thing. Yes, you can just sweep it up. Watch your friggin Nike's, though, and for God's sake, don't be chargin' a battery nearby.

Elk Muncher
"We're all pink on the inside!"

'99 Silverado 2500HD ext. cab/SWB, 6.0L, manual, 4.10's etc. etc.- not even close! no mods yet!

I didn't know red hot slag wouldn't hurt concrete, so when I was at a friend's house (in his new shop) I lined the floor in that area with sand to protect it (about 1/2" thick and 4'W X 4'L) they were installing a pool and I stole some of that sand. Then the metal and sand mix was swept up at the end of the day. I figured it would be better to be safe rather than sorry[img]/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]. I used some metal saw horses too. The sand may be overkill, but even if so I'd imagine when building a project like that you'd expect it to leave a mark in your life (and your shop).

<font color=red>Nearly no mods...lots to come[img]/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Of course it's always better to be safe than sorry. In a nice new shop like that, the sand is an excellent idea. Not because the molten steel will hurt the concrete, but because as soon as it hits, all that heat is instantly transferred into the floor, and the metal actually breaks into a buncha little beads and goes sliding around. Kinda like when you were a kid and busted open a mercury thermometer and poured it on the floor, only little hot pieces instead. Very easy to inadvertently step on one, and you won't know it until you smell your socks smokin'. Plus, it's a harder cleanup if nothing like sand is there soakin' it up (you'll find beads spread all over). I'm just sayin' whatever the melting point of concrete is, probably only molten lava or a nuclear weapon would hurt it. Sawhorses...angle iron..whatever you want to use to get it up off the floor for a clean cut. beaterchevy is right though....get too close to the floor, and the torch itself will you leave you a nice little black spot.

If you don't care about the environment like me, do what I do....cut outside and send it all back to mother nature.

Elk Muncher
"We're all pink on the inside!"

'99 Silverado 2500HD ext. cab/SWB, 6.0L, manual, 4.10's etc. etc.- not even close! no mods yet!

All these guys got you on track. I just want to mention, don't cut directly on concrete. I have seen it done several times. That amount of heat causes a little explosion on the surface of the concrete. Not only does it leave a little hole in the floor but blasts hot concrete at you. I have been told it happens from heating air pockets up in the floor. But like every one said as long as your a few feet up off the floor no damage will be done.

Yeah, I know about the whole concrete pop thing. When I was like 7 and plumbing in my tree house, I was soldering some copper pipe on the concrete and pop pop pop all over the place. Yes, I had a tree house wired for 220 and hot and cold water[img]/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]. What can I saw, I'm a contractor[img]/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm startin in about 30 mins as soon as I make some more room in the garage, I finally got all my moms christmas decorations out of there and put in storage last night.

Jason
Big Willy Style
http://www.industrialoffroad.com


Best Auto Insurance | Auto Protection Today | FREE Trade-In Quote