Fastest way to remove this metal

[CuttersCov]

Ok the square piece that I want to cut down to the diamond shape is 10 feet long times 2 plus 2 more at 6 feet each--32 linear feet, considering the amount of metal I have to remove any thoughts?

I don't want to mill it. Heat is an issue as well. Accuracy is not a priority neither are looks. It's cold rolled steel.

I was thinking: lay it all out, and take a grinder to it. When it starts to get warm simply move down to a cool spot and do some more. Any suggestions on grit for the wheel?

Thanks,

Matt

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[Geof]

Judging from your picture it seems you are dealing with 1" square cold rolled and are going to turn this into guide rails. Grinding is certainly the high exercise way to go. Before you go to the effort it might be worthwhile taking a piece 2 feet long and grinding it the amount you need then checking how much it has warped. I have machined lots of cold rolled flat bar and when you take off one side or one corner the way you are planning the warpage as the stress is relieved on one side is sometimes dramatic. I have seen a .06" curvature over about 15 inches just from taking a cut about 0.1" deep off one side.

[CuttersCov]

Geof,

So it's possible to get warpage even if the metal stays cold because of stress relief? Ack, not something I wanted to hear. Maybe I'll just leave it as is. I don't want to because it's forcing my bearings to sit farther away than I'd like.

Here's a pic with a little more detail. The motor and gear rack mount on the back of the large channel and aren't drawn yet.

[Geof]

Yes, the cold rolling process puts a lot of stress into the surface of the bar so even if you keep it nice and cool while removing metal you are removing stress on one side along with the metal so it becomes unbalanced. It is possible to take a tiny cut along one side, then the other side, then back to the first and repeat this three or four times to minimize the final warpage but this does not seem very practical by grinding.

[ctate2000]

Linear guides and rails? You can buy "off the shelf" guides and rails ready to mount. If you are dealing with 1018 it will warp no matter how you machine it.

[ViperTX]

Reconsider you need to machine it and you might consider using a bandsaw (now that will be a lengthy endeavor...)