I used to think a cold chisel was the only way to cut stock until I saw a guy in Maine do it with a hot cut

I was trying to split a 1-inch bar for a gate hinge and my arm was dead after ten minutes. This old timer at a demo heated the bar to a bright orange, laid it on the hardy hole, and popped it with one hammer hit. He said, 'You're fighting the metal, let the heat do the work.' I tried it in my own shop the next day and it saved me so much time. Anyone else switch to hot cutting for thick stock?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_ward2d ago

My grandpa always said you could shear a hot rivet with a pair of tin snips. Same idea, heat makes it soft.

felix4782d ago

Heard that exact thing from old timers on job sites, @betty_ward. Grabbed some hot cutters once to trim a glowing bracket, and it went through like soft butter. The trick is getting it at that dull red heat, not orange. Lets you shape or cut stuff you'd never touch cold.