How to cut a Stainless steel table

erickpanger · January 2012

I picked up a 6 foot Stainless steel table with a shelf at a used restaurant equipment place. Should work well for my one large egg and someday when I get another one I'll have plenty of room to add it to this table

From what I understand cutting SS is a difficult. I have a Recip saw, Jib saw, and circular saw. My guess is the circular saw is out. Do they make blades for jig saws that will cut SS.

Or is this a good excuse to buy another tool. If so which one.

Mighty_Quinn · January 2012

Question marks are helpful...I thought you were giving advice on how to cut a stainless table.

Little Steven · January 2012

You can use a jig saw with a coarse metal blade but it is agony. FWIW I would find somebody with a plasma cutter and take it to them

JGIFFORD · January 2012

Plasma. You should be able to get it cut for less than a hundred. You will spend more than that in bladed and beer.

Hillbilly-Hightech · January 2012

You can use a jig saw with a coarse metal blade but it is agony. FWIW I would find somebody with a plasma cutter and take it to them

+1 on the plasma cutter. I have one. Where are you located? Keep in mind though, that if you find someone w/ one, that the edges still need to be ground down smooth (unless you are VERY good, and have a VERY good plasma cutter - neither of which I can admit to).

As far as obtaining one, rather than forking out upwards of $1000 on a plasma cutter for a one time use (unless you plan on using it often) - You may check out your local tool rental place to see if they have any you can rent.

You could also get a "Nibbler" (there are many different brands, and some use air - if you have a compressor, while others are electric). But for the gauge of metal that a SS table top is, I'd say that you'd have to get a pretty darn NICE Nibbler (not a Harbor Freight one, if they even make one).

The only other option I can think of is to get a metal cutting wheel for a grinder (again, a nice air-powered grinder would be preferable).

HTH,
Rob

erickpanger · January 2012

Question marks are helpful...I thought you were giving advice on how to cut a stainless table.

really are we going to sqable over punctuation on this forum.

lwrehm · January 2012

Yes you can use a jig saw, but look for good quality Bi-metal blades, medium to small sized teeth. Years back I cut the tops off a couple of 1/2 barrels when building my home-brewery. oh, and go very slowly, don't force the blade otherwise it just heats and will go dull in seconds.

Little Steven · January 2012

If you use a jig saw you should tape the area the saw will ride on with masking tape. You will mar your good stainless otherwise

BOWHUNR · January 2012

+1 on the plasma. Find a fab shop that has one and have their guy do it. It would take someone that is experienced less than ten minutes and shouldn't cost much. Way worth it in the long run for looks and quality.

Mike
Omaha, NE

bigguy136 · January 2012

Yes you can use a jig saw, but look for good quality Bi-metal blades, medium to small sized teeth. Years back I cut the tops off a couple of 1/2 barrels when building my home-brewery. oh, and go very slowly, don't force the blade otherwise it just heats and will go dull in seconds.

I agree but go slow because SS work hardens.

erickpanger · January 2012

+1 on the plasma cutter. I have one. Where are you located? Keep in mind though, that if you find someone w/ one, that the edges still need to be ground down smooth (unless you are VERY good, and have a VERY good plasma cutter - neither of which I can admit to).

I'm in NJ just outside Philly. Come on over I'll buy the Scotch

Hillbilly-Hightech · January 2012

Erick - if you were closer to the Bay Area, you'd have a deal.... but NJ is a bit far to travel w/ a plasma cutter!!! heh

erickpanger · January 2012

Ok I tried a nipper a friend loaned me but it went about an inch. So off to HD to have a look. Ended up with an angle grinder. Bought a thin disk and tried it out. Went like butter. So here is the hole. Will set the egg tomorrow night and should be cooking Saturday.

Ricklesss · January 2012

For the future: I made a (don't mind if I say so myself) beautiful SS table a few years ago, and had a local fab shop do some cutting on it for me with their high pressure (obviously, right?) water jet.

Computer controlled so the egg circle cutout and the corner miters came out dead accurate.

It was fun to watch, too!

25000 psi and can cut nearly about a foot of solid steel in one pass......could be me, but I thought that was pretty dang cool

Ricklesssssss in Oregon.

ShedFarm · January 2012

I know you said your table is 6' long, but how wide is it, from front to back, and what size hole did you cut for which size Egg? I've been toying with the idea of getting a SS table, but was leery of the underside supports getting in the way of the hole I need to cut.

erickpanger · January 2012

My table is 30" deep by 25" high. A little lower than I would like as a work surface but with the egg sitting on the bottom shelf the grill height should be perfect I think. I'll know tomorrow.

What I found out about this table and I suspect all restaurant style tables is that the SS top is bolted to the base. Also some double stick tape was involved I found out. So I removed the top from the table. Cut the hole and then used double sided carpet tape and bolted the top back on. I then cut the middle brace and had to trim the two outer ones a bit. Those are I believe galvanized steel and cut easily with a Recip saw. I used the existing hole as the guide for the recip saw. I took the piece I cut out of the middle and bolted it to the bottom shelf where the egg will sit to stiffen that up some.

stilllaughing · January 2012

Keep in mind that many SS tables are not SS all the way through and can rust around the edge where you cut. I used the rubber you slide on the outer edges of car doors that you can buy at auto parts stores. It comes with self adhesive and protects you and the egg from the sharp edge.

erickpanger · January 2012

This table is SS and is NSF rated Might even be 14 gauge it was pretty thick. But I was considering that stuff they sell for door edging on cars as you suggest as a trim piece

JGIFFORD · January 2012

Note. If carbon steel comes in direct contact with ss via grinder, wire brush, carbon sitting on ss in weather or anything of this nature it will contaminate the ss and it will rust. If you use aluminum and cross contaminate with certain chemicals it will oxidize terribly. SAFETY NOTE. Never grind on aluminum with a standard grinding rock. You MUST use one made for aluminum.

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