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Fabrication DIY videos?

Because you reference a shear, I'm going to assume you are cutting sheet or plate. If not, let us know. Wall makes me think tubing or pipe though, for which there are different options.

For sheet or plate: depending on thickness, a good quality jigsaw with the right blade and guide can do a really good job. The key is supporting it underneath so that it doesn't bind as the cut progresses. That can be tricky because the material bends and pinches off the blade, which dulls it until it fails. You'll know you did it wrong if the cut starts out beautifully, then fails as you progress; it's pinching the blade. Some guys find using two (not one) straight edges as guides and clamping them at both ends works. But if the length of cut is longer than about two feet, you need to find a way to clamp in-between the edge clamps. Without expensive commercial jigs, the best way to accomplish this is to use flat bar as guides on both sides of the cut and tack weld it along the sheet. I've never cut anything with a jigsaw over 1/8" (plate), and I find anything under 20 gauge doesn't work well either.

If within throat specs a nice vertical bandsaw with a proper fence can do a terrific job. Of course over a practical size limit bandsaws are useless for an individual to handle.

Metal circular saws have their place. I don't own one, but I think @Janger does and may wish to comment. I suspect the same issue of support to prevent binding is key.

There are grinder attachments that run along a sheet and use a thin kerf cutoff wheel. From the ones I've seen the cut is so-so and requires cleanup.
 
CalgaryPT said:
Because you reference a shear, I'm going to assume you are cutting sheet or plate. If not, let us know. Wall makes me think tubing or pipe though, for which there are different options.

For sheet or plate: depending on thickness, a good quality jigsaw with the right blade and guide can do a really good job. The key is supporting it underneath so that it doesn't bind as the cut progresses. That can be tricky because the material bends and pinches off the blade, which dulls it until it fails. You'll know you did it wrong if the cut starts out beautifully, then fails as you progress; it's pinching the blade. Some guys find using two (not one) straight edges as guides and clamping them at both ends works. But if the length of cut is longer than about two feet, you need to find a way to clamp in-between the edge clamps. Without expensive commercial jigs, the best way to accomplish this is to use flat bar as guides on both sides of the cut and tack weld it along the sheet. I've never cut anything with a jigsaw over 1/8" (plate), and I find anything under 20 gauge doesn't work well either.

If within throat specs a nice vertical bandsaw with a proper fence can do a terrific job. Of course over a practical size limit bandsaws are useless for an individual to handle.

Metal circular saws have their place. I don't own one, but I think @Janger does and may wish to comment. I suspect the same issue of support to prevent binding is key.

There are grinder attachments that run along a sheet and use a thin kerf cutoff wheel. From the ones I've seen the cut is so-so and requires cleanup.
Click to expand...
I was thinking of clamping angle iron as a guide and using cutting torches as I don’t have a plasma cutter

But then I’m also trying to figure out how to hold the pieces I want to cut while cutting

I’ll post a couple pics in the morning when I have the pieces
 
Chicken lights said:
I was thinking of clamping angle iron as a guide and using cutting torches as I don’t have a plasma cutter

But then I’m also trying to figure out how to hold the pieces I want to cut while cutting

I’ll post a couple pics in the morning when I have the pieces
Click to expand...
For plate that thick your practical DIY options are plasma or torch. I don't use O/A anymore but those torch guides on rails yield darn good results.
 
I do have a circular saw style metal cutting saw. It will cut 1/2” plate. The blade goes dull fast doing that though. It’s rated for 1/4”. Very good cuts with a straight edge like a piece of angle. It’s a evolution brand saw. The fancy blade and lower rpm is the key. Just a regular framing saw isn’t suitable for steel but you can aluminum like that. Material closing on the kerf can be a problem.
 
It is done. I am pretty happy with how it turned out. The back up lights are very bright. As you can probably see I welded some tow hooks onto each end of the bumper. This meant I had to mount the bumper with new brackets so it dosen't get pulled off during a recovery. In total there is fourteen bolts mounting the bumper to the frame in 4 places.
 

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That turned out great!

I just had my lights wired up in my rear bumper. Two LED license plate lights, black to match the bumper. Then had the two lights in the bumper added to the light circuit for the two on the headache rack. Mine are wired to an aux switch though, I’m not using the reverse light circuit. I want them as work lights not dedicated reverse lights, if that makes sense

Nice to see yours is finished too!
 
What kind of paint did you use? Primer? coats? rattle cans or ? It does look great.
 
That turned out very well. Now I have to add that to my list of things to do. The rear bumper on my truck is very rusty.
 
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