What other options are there for cutting up body panels and car metal work other than the good old angle grinder?

I find angle grinders far too imprecise and they have a wide cut and seem to need a fair bit of tidying up afterwards to get a neat edge.

Are there any neater powertools out there that can cut automotive panels leaving a fairly neat edge?

 

do you have a compressor? air saw's are good.

 

I dont have a compressor. No space for one really, although i was thinking of getting one of those small portable ones and sticking it in the shed when not used.

Anything run off the mains would be ok. Even nicer if a decent battery powered jobby existed. I borrowed a battery angle grinder once and it just didnt have the onions to cut through 2mm steel. Plus battery lasted so short a time to be almost useless. that was a few years ago though.

 

if you`re thinking a getting compressor what about a plasma cutter?

 

try a nibbler or slit cut disk's for your grinder

 

I use a dewalt cordless grinder and really thin discs (paper thin nearly) lol

 

Jigsaw with metal cutting blades

 

its a shame there arent any mini grinders same size as a dremel or similar.

 

ive got a recipricating saw from lidl or aldi it was Ł20 iirc and its cut a fair few things up form 4" wooden stumps to the rear turrets out of my car you can get different length blades for them from 4" long to about 8"
very versatile

 

you probly use the wrong discs the good ones are 1mm thick and very good ,a jigsaw with rite blade in is good for flat pannels ,aldi normaly have a few in

 

As said above get plasma cutting discs from machine mart for grinder, or if you aren't loaded get em off eBay for a tenth of price.

Or an electric nibbler, makes piss easy work of it, but won't cut up or downhill like the line around an arch, you can do whatever curves you want to cut but just not lips or panel creases etc.

 

its a shame you cant get a battery powered mini-grinder for scrap yard scavenging or work on tight spaces inside the car.

 

U can get battery powerd grinders we have one not much
Smaller than a 4 inch grinder tho

 

what would be cool is something dremel sized.

 

Air cutoff tools are quite small, as are electric nibblers.

 

I have used a Dremel for cutting out and patching bodywork, buy yourself a speed click adapter with some metal cutting 38mm disc's they are just like a miniature grinder disc and are very strong, I also use it with the flexy shaft for getting into tight spaces it cuts quick clean and with no over cut.

I have also seen this! but I think that the body and the guard would get in the way for cutting in tight areas

Look here: http://www.dremel-direct.com/acatalo...mpact_Saw.html