# Cutting ladder cable tray



## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Cordless circular saw with a metal cutting blade. It's a game changer.

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2682-22


----------



## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

use band saw, cut one half, turn, cut other half. No sense reinventing the wheel on this one


----------



## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

Vintage Sounds said:


> Cordless circular saw with a metal cutting blade. It's a game changer.
> 
> http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2682-22


That looks like the way to go.....


*Error: *My tip is wear a dust mask our respirator when cutting that chit, it does give off some smoke and when you make it into your 50's like me you will not have the problems I'm having Now--I'm paying the price of not protecting my lungs over 40 years of construction.

So protect yourself...


----------



## chevyvortech (Aug 18, 2010)

I use a grinder with a zip cut. Circular saw works good but it makes a hell of a lot of noise and I usually get complaints if I'm doing it indoors


----------



## oliquir (Jan 13, 2011)

battery grinder with zipcut also, if only few ones


----------



## Nuzzie (Jan 11, 2012)

hacksaw. it's just ally, goes through like butter


----------



## glen1971 (Oct 10, 2012)

Metal cutting skill saw or a band saw is a great way to go.. Just watch the blades in both - skill saw has carbide teeth that can make a mess if broken and band saw/hacksaw teeth can get plugged with aluminium if you're not using some kind of cutting oil... I'm ran miles with a regular skill saw and a metal cutting disc, but they are loud, messy and leave a bit of work with a file...

As a tip - look at where you are running your tray and cut 45s on the edge that might be pant rippers or head bangers.. The next guy will thank you...


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Metal cutting circular saw and a speed square as a guide, perfectly straight cuts every time. Vicegrip C clamps are indespensible for holding plates together for drilling holes into it also.


----------



## metalpats (Apr 11, 2011)

metal cutting circular saw, 
you'd be better with the makita. the milwaukee one is made in china... and the milwaukee blade are more expensive while makita use easier to find 7 inch blade


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

metalpats said:


> metal cutting circular saw,
> you'd be better with the makita. the milwaukee one is made in china... and the milwaukee blade are more expensive while makita use easier to find 7 inch blade


The Makita is also made in China, country of origin is a moot point when it comes to power tools unless your talking Festool, Protool or other high end plant.


----------



## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

Just bend it back and forth until it breaks.


----------



## Jhellwig (Jun 18, 2014)

When I was running tray 12 years ago I used bandsaw, cordless impact, drill and a piece of all thread. The bandsaw is quick if you know how to use it. The all thread is better than a file cause it doesn't plug with aluminum and it is always available when making trapezes.


----------



## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

I've been know to use a porta-band, some times a skill saw with a metal blade and even a cordless reciprocating saw with metal blades. 

Anything that cuts metal will work if you know how to use it properly.


----------



## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Porta ban


----------



## nbb (Jul 12, 2014)

glen1971 said:


> Metal cutting skill saw or a band saw is a great way to go.. Just watch the blades in both - skill saw has carbide teeth that can make a mess if broken and band saw/hacksaw teeth can get plugged with aluminium if you're not using some kind of cutting oil... I'm ran miles with a regular skill saw and a metal cutting disc, but they are loud, messy and leave a bit of work with a file...
> 
> As a tip - look at where you are running your tray and cut 45s on the edge that might be pant rippers or head bangers.. The next guy will thank you...


Haven't cut this stuff personally, but good call on the oil. I use this stuff for all drilling, cutting and tapping. I can't believe how much using a few drops of it have saved me in time, blades, and bits. I mainly got it because I was trying to protect my expensive Greenlee holesaw kit, but then started using it with my Milwaukee sawzall blades. Been using the same blade for thousands of cuts and it seems to be in perfect shape, no signs of heat damage, annealing.


----------



## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

TGGT said:


> Just bend it back and forth until it breaks.


huh???????


----------



## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

circular saw will go through it, but the NOISE is not worth it, bandsaw all day


----------



## Jhellwig (Jun 18, 2014)

nbb said:


> Haven't cut this stuff personally, but good call on the oil. I use this stuff for all drilling, cutting and tapping. I can't believe how much using a few drops of it have saved me in time, blades, and bits. I mainly got it because I was trying to protect my expensive Greenlee holesaw kit, but then started using it with my Milwaukee sawzall blades. Been using the same blade for thousands of cuts and it seems to be in perfect shape, no signs of heat damage, annealing.


Good for drilling and tapping but not worth the time for cutting.

Guys gotta love you taking time to use cutting fluid to cut a 2 dollar stick of emt with a 50 cent blade.

And that stuff isn't any good anymore since the took the trichloroethane out of it. Mystic metal mover also had the trichloroethane removed.


----------



## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Jhellwig said:


> When I was running tray 12 years ago I used bandsaw, cordless impact, drill and a piece of all thread. The bandsaw is quick if you know how to use it. The all thread is better than a file cause it doesn't plug with aluminum and it is always available when making trapezes.


Bahco have ceramic coated aluminium files now which are pretty good.


----------



## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Grinder with an aluminum cutoff disk and another with a flap disk to clean up.


----------



## Error (Feb 12, 2014)

Good points from everyone minus the "just bend it" guy. I've never used a circ saw yet. I agree it can be done with many thing but I'm trying to find something that my ****ty apprentices can use lol zip wheel is to dangerous for them. I'm in a shop mostly so I might try the circ and fab something up to kill some of he noise. Bands saw my go to but not there for some reason... Anyone hiring ?


----------



## nbb (Jul 12, 2014)

Jhellwig said:


> Good for drilling and tapping but not worth the time for cutting.
> 
> Guys gotta love you taking time to use cutting fluid to cut a 2 dollar stick of emt with a 50 cent blade.
> 
> And that stuff isn't any good anymore since the took the trichloroethane out of it. Mystic metal mover also had the trichloroethane removed.


I haven't caught any flak from my boss yet. If he bought the blades and bits, then I would use them however he wanted me to. I don't buy Harbor Freight blades, and usually get the Milwaukee 24TPI 6" ones for ~$3 a blade, unless there is a multipack on sale, which is why I have lots of brand new wood blades. It's not like I go out of my way and grab the oil for cuts every time, but if it is nearby, i'll throw a bit in there.

That stuff seems better than the 3in1 oil I was using before, and definitely better than using no oil at all, when using a hole saw, at least. To hell with future generations having an ozone layer, right?


----------



## Jhellwig (Jun 18, 2014)

nbb said:


> I haven't caught any flak from my boss yet. If he bought the blades and bits, then I would use them however he wanted me to. I don't buy Harbor Freight blades, and usually get the Milwaukee 24TPI 6" ones for ~$3 a blade, unless there is a multipack on sale, which is why I have lots of brand new wood blades. It's not like I go out of my way and grab the oil for cuts every time, but if it is nearby, i'll throw a bit in there.
> 
> That stuff seems better than the 3in1 oil I was using before, and definitely better than using no oil at all, when using a hole saw, at least. To hell with future generations having an ozone layer, right?


Your company doesn't provide you with sawzall blades? I would find a better company instead of a can of cutting fluid.

Using cutting fluid on a sawzall seams like it would be a messy pain in the butt.


----------



## fisstech (Feb 2, 2013)

360max said:


> circular saw will go through it, but the NOISE is not worth it, bandsaw all day


circ saw will cut straighter, faster, with a 100% consistency. the tray i work with you have to turn on its side to cut with a bandsaw since the walls are too high. the band saw is heavy as **** and too easy to screw up your line with.


----------



## Error (Feb 12, 2014)

fisstech said:


> circ saw will cut straighter, faster, with a 100% consistency. the tray i work with you have to turn on its side to cut with a bandsaw since the walls are too high. the band saw is heavy as **** and too easy to screw up your line with.


What kind of blade do you use with the circ ?


----------



## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Error said:


> What kind of blade do you use with the circ ?


5-3/8" carbide tip 30T for steel, 50T for aluminum. If you have to have just one, 30T is pretty good all around.


----------



## metalpats (Apr 11, 2011)

Error said:


> What kind of blade do you use with the circ ?


the blade that come with the machine, you need a metal cutting circular saw, not a generic wood cutting one


----------

