Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: kolias on December 31, 2015, 06:19:57 PM

Title: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: kolias on December 31, 2015, 06:19:57 PM

Happy New Year to all

The sliding rails on the attached picture are about 2” longer than I wanted. I tried to cut off the extra length with a hacksaw but did not even make a mark on the round part.

Perhaps a reciprocating saw may do the job?

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: Overloaded on December 31, 2015, 06:30:50 PM

That stuff is hard to about 1/16" or so deep, then it is softer.
I grind all the way around with a cut off disc about 1/8" deep then saw it.
Or just cut it off with the disc in a hand grinder. If you have one big enough.

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: BR549 on December 31, 2015, 07:04:12 PM

Thin Cutoff disk in a cheap 4" hand grinder will do just fine.

(;-)TP

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: kolias on January 01, 2016, 12:29:06 AM

Great idea, thank you both

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: ger21 on January 01, 2016, 06:40:03 AM

You might want to wrap it with a wet towel to keep it cool while cutting.

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: BluePinnacle on January 04, 2016, 04:52:14 PM

Or use a masonry type petrol cutoff saw with water feed, these are great for keeping dust down and should help with cooling.

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: kolias on January 04, 2016, 07:56:53 PM

I will use a Cutoff disk in a cheap 4" hand grinder which I have and wrap the rest with a wet towel

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: Raychar on January 11, 2016, 03:24:24 AM

4"  disc angle grinder is good in use. Personally, I made an holder for it in the Z- slide of my router, so different type material can be cut with nice cut efge or surface by reciprocating the x or y axis motion. Taking care to have less in depth of cut, to have  thru' cut at both ends, enough surrounding safety shield on your machine.

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: Raychar on January 11, 2016, 03:29:16 AM

Coolant flood as well.

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: kolias on January 11, 2016, 07:51:43 AM

Very good idea Raychar, thanks

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: Davek0974 on January 11, 2016, 08:07:06 AM

Unless the rails are big, I would just use an ultra-thin cut-off disc and cut it off, the end won't get hot enough to bother anything unless you really attack it with the disc, a lot of discs don't like coolant and it makes a mess.

Just ease through it and get it done ;)

Title: Re: How do you Cut a Slide Rail?
Post by: Raychar on January 11, 2016, 11:41:00 AM

Angle grinder usually fits with 4" grinding disc to do grinding or parting off on thin metal, like steel. Just make it clear, yes, no coolant is necessary.

It also can mount with 4" carbide teeth circular cutter, for parting off non-steel metallic material, likes aluminium, wood or etc.. For that applications, care must be taken not to hand-held the angle grinder to do cutting, dangerous!, mounting it rigidly in machine as mentioned previously. And, for aluminium cutting, coolant is necessary.

Thanks