Replies

1. 
   OneofmanyBobs | Jun 07, 2002 12:50am | #1

   Abrasive blade, good insurance, and a nearsighted

   spouse.

2. 
   coonass | Jun 07, 2002 02:56am | #2

   monster,

   I think a saw cut will blue the stainless, try renting some shears. If you do use a saw be prepared for big sparks and lots of noise.

   KK

1. 
   McDonnel3 | Jun 07, 2002 03:56am | #3

   Good, slow rpm jig saw......lot of blades.

   And use hearing protection. You be ringing for days otherwise.

1. 
   user-34024 | Jun 07, 2002 04:11am | #4

   Find somebody with a plasma cutter.  I wouldn't cut stainless anyother way. 

1. 
   4Lorn1 | Jun 07, 2002 04:54am | #5

   During the renovation of a restaurant I watched, we were waiting for the areas around the circuits to become free, the guys installing an extensive stainless countertop. Most cutting was done with a plasma needle gun and welding with a MIG welder.

3. 
   JohnSprung | Jun 07, 2002 04:55am | #6

   There are a variety of stainlesses.  Many exhibit a nasty property called work hardening, which means that any attempt to cut them, say with a saw, shears, or a drill, only makes them harder.  For machine shop work, there are stainlesses that are called "free machining" that don't work harden.  IIRC, #316 is free machining, and 18-8 work hardens.

   Alas, your countertop is most likely a work hardening variety.  The abrasive approach, with cooling, is the way to go in that case -- that or pop for the expensive plasma cutter.  Perhaps you could clamp down a guide strip to let you make numerous light passes with an angle grinder.  That way the heat at any one point would have time to dissipate between passes.  Try testing in an unobtrusive place first.

   -- J.S.

   
   

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   Edited 6/6/2002 10:01:46 PM ET by JOHN_SPRUNG