OK, so I have a little problem.
I want to cut through some steel, most likely high-carbon really tough stuff.
Will an oxyacetylene/MAPP gas torch make the grade here? the target is around a half inch thick steel bar, and 2.5-3 inch long, I can get such a torch for not too much money.
Seen some plasma cutters on ebay for as little as 200 dollars, but thats kind of above my price range, although I know they would make mincemeat of such a target item.
Thermal lance is a possibility, but I don't want to cause collateral damage, which it would likely do and ruin the rest of what I am after.
Hacksaw with a tungsten grit abrasive wire might well wear out, not to mention leave me with a very sore arm, after a month of sundays worth of hard work.
Thermite charge might do the trick, no?
Only other idea I can come up with is trying something like fluorosulfonic acid/SbF5 mixture, or HF/SbF5, perhaps with an added oxidizing agent such as conc. HClO4, which MIGHT work, 1000x + the acidity of fuming sulfuric acid isn't to be sniffed at, toxicity concerns aside (I.E approach in gas mask, mix on the spot, pour, step well back, then come back later to dump carbonate by the metric fuckton over the area to neutralise the acid, whilst using an external O2 supply to avoid choking to death on the CO2.
Any reccomendations? high explosives,whilst they would work, are not suitable, I can't afford to put my nuts on the line so to speak, and a dirty great kablooey within earshot of an urbanish area is going to scare people unfairly.
Any ideas?
I want to cut through some steel, most likely high-carbon really tough stuff.
Will an oxyacetylene/MAPP gas torch make the grade here? the target is around a half inch thick steel bar, and 2.5-3 inch long, I can get such a torch for not too much money.
Seen some plasma cutters on ebay for as little as 200 dollars, but thats kind of above my price range, although I know they would make mincemeat of such a target item.
Thermal lance is a possibility, but I don't want to cause collateral damage, which it would likely do and ruin the rest of what I am after.
Hacksaw with a tungsten grit abrasive wire might well wear out, not to mention leave me with a very sore arm, after a month of sundays worth of hard work.
Thermite charge might do the trick, no?
Only other idea I can come up with is trying something like fluorosulfonic acid/SbF5 mixture, or HF/SbF5, perhaps with an added oxidizing agent such as conc. HClO4, which MIGHT work, 1000x + the acidity of fuming sulfuric acid isn't to be sniffed at, toxicity concerns aside (I.E approach in gas mask, mix on the spot, pour, step well back, then come back later to dump carbonate by the metric fuckton over the area to neutralise the acid, whilst using an external O2 supply to avoid choking to death on the CO2.
Any reccomendations? high explosives,whilst they would work, are not suitable, I can't afford to put my nuts on the line so to speak, and a dirty great kablooey within earshot of an urbanish area is going to scare people unfairly.
Any ideas?
.
, but if its inside, you'd wanna have some serious fire prevention and extinguishing equipment handy!!! 
26777___secretsoflockpicking.zip