Cutting any sort of material with an angle grinder can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to start. I listed a few items that I know extensively how to cut with an angle grinder. I have done it so many times on materials ranging from a whole lot of different sizes and thicknesses.
How to cut different metal profiles with an angle grinder
Only allow the size you want to cut with a bit of excess to hang over the end of your workbench when securing your workpiece. This can go for any longitudinal profile of metal you are looking to cut. Make sure your cutting wheel is securely fixed to the grinder, switch it on, and slowly take the grinder towards the piece you are looking to cut.
Please note: do not put the wheel against the material before switching on the grinder. Read on the safe usage of an angle grinder.
If you want to cut a piece of metal, that is 6 meters long, in the middle, for example, you should place the piece securely on one side and have something or someone hold the other side in the air to avoid it falling to the floor.
Depending on the type of metal you want to cut and the size of the grinder, I recommend reading my article on how to safely cut metal with an angle grinder. I have a table in it that can help you out a lot before starting a project.
How to cut flat bar with an angle grinder
First of all, you should clamp it securely flat to the surface. Then follow the above-mentioned steps in how to cut metal profiles. This is the same for all profiles.
When the length of the piece of flat bar you want to cut is 3 times more than the width of it, you should secure the piece you are going to cut off as well. Do this because or else it will vibrate and cause the cutting wheel to bounce around, resulting in an inaccurate cut or damaged material.
How to cut angle iron with an angle grinder
Cutting angle iron you should follow the same steps as cutting a flat bar. When securing a piece of angle iron before cutting, I recommend clamping it down in either an L or an upside-down L.
Try to avoid clamping it in an upside-down v, because you won’t have a flat surface to clamp. The vibrations of cutting can cause the clamp to come loosen which is dangerous.
How to cut pipes/tubing with an angle grinder
Follow the same steps as mentioned above to cut profiles. You should use a table vice rather than any sort of G clamp. You won’t be able to securely clamp the pipe to a surface with a G clamp.
When you cut tubing you can just follow the same steps and you can use a G clamp
because the tubing has flat surfaces all around it.
How to cut a beam or channel with an angle grinder
When cutting a beam or channel you should first cut the flang/s then move on to the web. Clamp the material down with the beam in a sideways “I” and the channel in a “u”. This will help to avoid any sort of knockback or bitting of the cutting wheel.
This is great for when you cut a channel because while you are cutting it the gap will become wider due to the gravity pulling on the loose hanging side.
Cutting the web of a beam can be difficult with an angle grinder or even impossible. You should consider using an oxy-based cutting torch.
How to cut straight with an angle grinder
Cutting straight with an angle grinder is one of those things that sound simple, but is hard to do. Here’s how I cut straight with an angle grinder.
- Mark and drag a clear and straight line with chalk on the metal. Always use a rule/r.
- Make sure the metal you want to cut is secured and won’t vibrate when cutting.
- Slowly drag the grinder over the line or just next to it to form a light trench on the metal.
- Apply a bit more force and run the grinder back and forth until you are completely through.
- Just remember to keep your eyes on where you are cutting, because you can easily go off course.
Tip to cut a straight line; If you have a long straight line you need to cut, it can help to tack a flat bar or angle iron next to the line and use it as a guide to cut straight
How to cut at 45° or any other angle with an angle grinder
Mark out clearly where you want to cut then follow the line. Similar to how you would cut a straight line.
Cutting an angle iron or any other profiled metal with a 90° you should mark out the angle line and square the line down afterward. You can cut the squared down line in one of two ways.
The first way is to just hold the grinder square to your workpiece and cut straight through. This is the easiest way, but it can leave a bit of a gap when you want to put the pieces you cut together.
The second way and my preferred way is to cut at an angle. How I like to achieve this is by keeping the grinder straight with the angle line when I am cutting the squared-off line. Try to hold the grinder square with your body and stand at an angle to the material you are going to cut.
You might not have a neat finish when cutting like this, but don’t grind down the angle to your marked line with a cutting wheel. Rather change to a grinding wheel and try to keep the angle to the best of your ability while you grind it down to the line, as seen on these images.
