There are several different ways to go about cutting metal. Each method is used for a specific outcome, whether it is artistic, industrial, functional, or for some practical use. The method you choose to employ depends solely on your own skills and abilities, and on the purpose of the cutting. Of course there are also other factors to take into account such as the type of metal you are working with.

The first method we will talk about is simple steel hack saw cutting. Generally, the craftsman’s medium will be iron, but again it all depends on the job. This technique is not delicate; it is used for practical, handyman type work such as bolt cutting. This is probably the most difficult of all metal cutting processes, especially when compared with laser cut metal (usually employed for cutting sheet metal).

A hack saw will not work for cutting hardened steel, because the teeth on the hack saw itself are made of steel. You might be able to take a few good chunks out, but the teeth would quickly become dull and useless. In order to cut steel the old fashioned way, you will need to grind it. Grinding is usually used to smooth out the surface of the metal, however.

Water jet cutting is gaining in popularity, ranking with laser cut gifts, although it is possible to build your own laser, and still quite difficult to build your own high powered water jet.

This method is good because it is relatively cheap and doesn’t use any toxic chemicals. Highly pressurized water is mixed with an abrasive substance and is shot in a concentrated stream (or jet) at the object desired. Basically, it is an extremely sped up version of the process of erosion.

You can use this method on many different types of steel, and heat is unnecessary. This makes it ideal for cold rolled steel wall art. Laser cutting works for the whole list of steel grades. The laser is controlled by a computer; the person doing the cutting just tells the computer what to do, and the result is flawless every time.  

It is the fastest method, and is used for a wide range of things from industrial manufacturing to metal art. Depending on the type of material being cut, it could be melted, burned, vaporized, or blown away by the laser.

This is an excellent method because you never need to touch the surface of the metal once it has been shaped to your liking, and so there is no risk of contamination. There are no sharp edges to mangle yourself upon, and it is easy to control the intensity of the laser beam.

One final process is that of plasma cutting. This one uses a plasma torch, where a gas is shot out of the nozzle at the same time as an electric arc, which turns some of the gas into plasma. The plasma melts the metal away.  This method is dangerous for beginners and rather expensive, but for industrial craft a robot is used.

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