Topic: cutting torch

[74cb750]

hi,
where would be a good place to buy a cutting torch. I have around 200 aluminum & steel wheels to take apart and make some $ so i can work on my kawasaki 350 and 500's?

so far, went to trac tor supply warehouse and the only tank set they had was $ 350 without the hoses (another $40) and the tanks were 3 years old. I know you are only allowed to have tanks refilled if they are 10 years old or younger.



peace,
michel

ps. i already posted pic tures of the wheels and there is no interest either here or on craigslist, though a few people wanted all the wheels for free.

[MikeZ]

Did you check any rental stores like Sunbelt?
They may rent them and include bottles for a lot cheaper then buying

[Steve F]

What about renting a plasma cutter instead?  They make them to run on 120v and compressed air.

[dusterdude]

Arcet sells them too

[scottly]

An oxy-acetylene cutting torch only cuts steel, not aluminum. A plasma cutter will cut aluminum. NEVER use a cutting torch on a wheel with a tire mounted. Bolt cutters work very well for cutting spokes.

[BobbyR]

How about a sawzall with an abrasive blade?

[faux fiddy]

Are you scrapping any wheels that are in useable shape?

maybe just put an ad up on Craigslist if there are. I don't see that you'd get very much for scrap steel rims where it would be worth while. I think $200 is what you get for an average sized car.

[74cb750]

i have tried to cut the bolts holding the aluminum wheels together with my sawsall and at the rate of one blade per bolt....well.

Most of the wheels i have are aluminum. The steel ones i can cut with my sawsall.
My brother says it will be near impossible to cut the rear wheels with the steel brake inserts out? true or not?

I will check out renting.

I take it plasma cutters are very expensive?

[faux fiddy]

Why would you need to cut the 'rims' to recycle?

Aluminum rims I would think you would just clip the spokes.

Any 18" hoops that are aluminum and not beat to heck I would think are not just reuseable but desireable here on this forum.  Or. a 19" aluminum hoop in good shape I would love to have to lace an extra CL450 hub on to.

I know you had a photobucket type deal. Maybe you shouls post pics or a link to   what you have before you smelt it. I know the Transmissions I took to scrapper got lowballed as they are mixed metal. The alternative is to spend a week disassembling and sorting to where you get $.70/lb for the aluminum instead of the $0.18 ot whatever . Sort of a lose-lose situation where the time (and acetylene) is money.

[754]

I would try a Stihl gas saw with a cut off blade.. Should rip thru tire and rims..
Alloy rim with a cast in drum mixed metal..
 Akront dirt rims.. 75 at a swap meet you bring email back home.. Pretty soon its just a frigging hassle.  18 inches may sell but just won't bring a lot of cash.
 I gave 30 wheels away a month or two back.. Not enough. Energy left to even try to scrap them, and the times must be off.

[74cb750]

I would try a Stihl gas saw with a cut off blade.. Should rip thru tire and rims..
Alloy rim with a cast in drum mixed metal..
 Akront dirt rims.. 75 at a swap meet you bring email back home.. Pretty soon its just a frigging hassle.  18 inches may sell but just won't bring a lot of cash.
 I gave 30 wheels away a month or two back.. Not enough. Energy left to even try to scrap them, and the times must be off.

yeah, that's what I am hearing....the prices have gone down from 6 years ago. Wonder if it is even worth it. Will think on it some more, but the pressure from the wife is getting to me. :-(

[74cb750]

An oxy-acetylene cutting torch only cuts steel, not aluminum. A plasma cutter will cut aluminum. NEVER use a cutting torch on a wheel with a tire mounted. Bolt cutters work very well for cutting spokes.

good idea. i will borrow my brother's bolt cutters, as using my sawsall took forever to cut the spokes from a steel rim attached to an aluminum hub.

[74cb750]

Why would you need to cut the 'rims' to recycle?

Aluminum rims I would think you would just clip the spokes.

Any 18" hoops that are aluminum and not beat to heck I would think are not just reuseable but desireable here on this forum.  Or. a 19" aluminum hoop in good shape I would love to have to lace an extra CL450 hub on to.

I know you had a photobucket type deal. Maybe you shouls post pics or a link to   what you have before you smelt it. I know the Transmissions I took to scrapper got lowballed as they are mixed metal. The alternative is to spend a week disassembling and sorting to where you get $.70/lb for the aluminum instead of the $0.18 ot whatever . Sort of a lose-lose situation where the time (and acetylene) is money.

here are pictures of some of the wheels.....

http://www185.pair.com/canukvt/odd/wheels/

[754]

Those comstars will be painful. Even on the aluminum  spokes ones, no easy way to get rivets off to separate The rim....looks like mixed scrap is one of the only options.