What jigsaw blades for stainless steel sheet 2~3mm thick?

I need to cut a circular stove pipe hole in a sheet of 2~3mm stainless steel sheet.

My local ironmonger doesn’t list a special blade, would an ordinary steel cutting jigsaw blade work?

I doubt it.

You will probably go through about 50 of them.

Get it plasma cut at a local blacksmith probably charge £10 at most and will be a much better cut.

Too be honest, I’d get it done at the nearest engineering/fabrication place. They will do a lot tidier job than you would do yourself with a jigsaw…stainless steel work hardens and can blunten your tools very quickly.

(was beaten to it!)

Mcm – search my pellet tank thread some tips in there.

Stainless Steel is very hard and is difficult to cut. You will really struggle to cut 2 – 3mm stainless with a jigsaw. Think Stevewhyte has it right even drilling quite small holes in stainless is difficult. You will also generate quite a bit of heat that may discolour the stainless.

this suggest it can be done but it looks messy;

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_5883908_cut-stainless-steel-jigsaw.html

3mm stainless with a jig – you’re mental. Any heat generated hardens the material and eventually it becomes virtually impenetrable. Contact the professionals with proper tools. If you continue to you want the hardest, fine toothed blade you can find and a continuous flow of coolant/lube over the cut.

Tungsten carbide hole saw? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150mm-Hole-Saw-Tungsten-Carbide-Grit-Edge-/200450544758

Maybe problematic with anything bigger than a 6″ flu though

or this – http://www.abbeypowertools.co.uk/drills/holesaws/showitem-TS-868562.aspx

Cut a hole in 1.5mm with an ordinary steel cutting blade and it went through like butter so I would give it a go

It looks doable, but I know a guy with a plasma cutter, I’ll give him a shout. I remember trying to cut some galvanised sheet perhaps slightly thicker, I went through a box of blades in no time even using cutting oil. I ended up using cutting discs on a grinder.

I’ve got the frame almost ready to support the stainless fireplace cover. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get it all installed and fired up. Sweeping the chimney was a laugh.

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get it all installed and fired up

not trying to dampen things down at all but don’t you need to be some sort of ‘registered’ fitter to connect up these things to a chimney now?

Thermite FTW, you know you want to, or you would if the stove wasn’t so bling.

Earwig ‘O
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/galvanised-steel-sheet

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get it all installed and fired up

not trying to dampen things down at all but don’t you need to be some sort of ‘registered’ fitter to connect up these things to a chimney now?

Damn, I’m on a roll here. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

My sheet was just under 2mm, I nipped to the ironmongers and got some jigsaw blades, with cutting oil they worked a treat.

I would check this out;

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_building_regulations.html

I’m sure it’ll be fine too but always best to be aware of what rules you;re breakign when you do stuff, imo.

You sure its stainless Steel. 😉