My Steel Fabrication Arsenal

After much considerations on verious factors, I'd finally decided on work area of 183cm x 380cm (6'x12.5'). To prevent any further change of mind, I went on to buy the steel & started cutting...

Here is my arsenal,
The heavy artillery.
Commonly named Chop Saw, its a 15" Circular Abrasive Disc Cutter.

Others may use continuous band saw or metal cutting circular chop saw for the job, but for my budget, this will work just fine.

Another alternative may be Oxy-Acethylene cutting torch. but the heat will warp the steel which I can't live with.

Plasma cutter is on my wish-list of all cutting tools... They are just way out of my budget limit... :(

Light Artillery,
4" Angle Grinder.
for touch up job & light deburring.

Steel stock scatted all over the shop floor.
Some 3"x8" C Channels, for the X-axis carriage beam
1 1/2" x 3" C Channel for the Legs & cross bearer.
Dia.50mm Black "C" pipe for table trusses
Dia 25mm Black "C" pipe for trusses
T-bar to be cut & grind into X & Y axis rails.
50mm x 100mm x 3mm thk Rectangle Cross Section for the Gantry Beams.
 and Flat bars as drill guide then salvage as clamping strip for the Gantry.

Steel Cut to size, at least for now...

Drilling job,

Drill & tapped for mounting the X-axis Angle Rail onto the main Channel Beam.

Close up of the finished tapped the holes,

The M8x1.25 Spiral bit I used to tap the holes

This is only part of the work done so far, I would say 80% of all steel cutting, more to come... I believe in the 80/20 theory, initial 80% of the job is done with 20% of effort, and the 20% of the remaining job requires 80% of the effort.

The next order will be tough, cutting & grinding the Angle Rail.... Stay in tune!