How to Cut a Circle in a Metal Angle Grinder

In the metal, you can cut any holes with high accuracy and all thanks to such modern cutting methods as plasma and laser cutting of metal.

Unfortunately, for home workshops such precision equipment is a luxury, and therefore they have to use other methods, some of which are quite extraordinary.

Metal marking

The contour of the hole to be cut should be applied to the metal. Marking is carried out using a marker, a ruler and a marking compass. For a hole consisting of straight lines, the marking is carried out using a ruler and marker. For marking a round hole using a compass. To make it more visible, they point it with a marker.

Hole cutting

The rectangular hole in the metal is easiest to cut through the angle grinder. To do this, a circle with a thickness of 0.8 to 1.2 millimeters is installed on the machine. Carving is carried out along the intended straight lines until a sheet of metal is cut through through. The angle grinder should be used carefully in the corners, since it is easy to make a cut larger than necessary here.

Round holes are cut in most cases with a gas cutter:

• It is necessary to light the burner;
• The torch should be well adjusted;
• Slow movements should be carried out by a torch along the intended contour.

Not every home master has a gas cutter and then a round or oval hole is cut out using a welding machine. The device is set to the maximum possible current. A lighted arc is installed anywhere in the hole contour. After a while, a hole will appear in the metal, after which the electrode should be guided along the contour as the metal burns through.

The metal has a different thickness and not every device can take any device. So with a device with a capacity of not more than 150 amperes, it will be possible to cut metal with a thickness of not more than 4 millimeters.

The cutting speed in this way greatly depends on the thickness of the electrode. The fastest work is carried out by thin electrodes, however, they have their drawback. Fast combustion, leading to frequent replacement of the electrode. When replacing the electrode, the metal has time to cool and it has to be heated first.

Round hole in metal angle grinder

You can try to cut a round hole through an angle grinder. Numerous short cuts are made along the perimeter of the entire outlined contour, until they merge into a single contour. In this case, the hole is a polygon, with a large number of sides and the more there are, the stronger the polygon will resemble a circle. It is worth noting that this option is chosen only in the case of thin metal. A maximum of 3 millimeters.

The finished hole necessarily needs additional processing, which allows it to get a more regular shape. If the size of the hole is significant, it will be possible to process an angle grinder with a thick disk. To do this, place the circle inside the hole and at the same time make sure that it is in the same plane with the metal sheet. By turning on the angle grinder, you can grind the contour.

Unusual metal cutting option

In the absence of an angle grinder, gas torch and welding machine, an electric drill will help to make a hole in the metal. This method should be resorted to only as a last resort, since it is considered the most time-consuming. At a distance to the floor of the drill selected for work inside the desired circle, draw another circle. In a circle of smaller diameter, marking of drilling sites is carried out. The distance between such markings should be the diameter of the drill. Through-hole drilling is performed in the marked areas, and the rest is knocked out of the metal sheet with a hammer. With this option, a serrated edge remains inside the hole, which can be removed with a file or an angle grinder.