How to prevent door spring during cut?

[TexasBurner]

I have been acquiring materials to start a backyard smoker build. I have a 20x48 piece of pipe(3/16" thick) that will be the cooking chamber. I have been looking around and would like to do a flush style door like a jambo and not have the straps exposed on the outside of the door. The ends have not been capped yet. Is there any type of tips or precut advice you could give me before I screw this thing up? I am planning on going with a single door 36" wide.
Should I weld any type of supports to the inside of the door before the cuts are made? Should I weld the endcaps on first? Weld the hinges first?

[Finatic]

The few that I've built I made my cut along the top and welded my hinges on. I then made my side cuts and tacked on a piece of strap to hold the lid in place. When making my cuts I always stopped shy of the corners and let the metal cool completely before cutting my corners. This helps prevent the lid from springing out of shape. If you don't want strap on the outside I'd leave the ends off and tack a piece of strap on the inside of the smoker before you finish all of your lid cuts to help hold the lid.

[k.a.m.]

Most doors spring when cut it happens some just do it worse than others. You can lay out the door and leave the four corners about an inch both ways also leave about 1.5" of the center top, bottom and sides intact and allow the door to cool then cut the tabs out. your best friend will be a jack and chain to tweak the door back into shape if it springs.

[txsmkmstr]

Honestly, I've never built a pit so take this for what it's worth but heat is your enemy - you'll want to use the least amount possible to accomplish your task. This could be in the form of plasma cutting vs. oxy-acetylene and use plenty of cooling during the operation. The other thing would be a cut-off wheel mounted on a grinder - take things nice and slow. I suspect that by nature the pipe has internal forces, which will show up regardless of how you cut the door. Just a thought or two. Good luck.

[TexasBurner]

I have a plasma cutter at my disposal so I will be using that to cut the door.

I guess if it does get tweaked it will give me an excuse to go buy a highlifter jack that I want but don't really have a need for (other than to look cool and use once in a millennia. lol)

[k.a.m.]

I have a plasma cutter at my disposal so I will be using that to cut the door.

I guess if it does get tweaked it will give me an excuse to go buy a highlifter jack that I want but don't really have a need for (other than to look cool and use once in a millennia. lol)

I have seen doors cut with everything from O/A to sawzalls and at any given time they have all warped like I said some do some do not. A bottle jack and 3/8" chain works great for tweaking them.

[TexasBurner]

I have a plasma cutter at my disposal so I will be using that to cut the door.

I guess if it does get tweaked it will give me an excuse to go buy a highlifter jack that I want but don't really have a need for (other than to look cool and use once in a millennia. lol)

I have seen doors cut with everything from O/A to sawzalls and at any given time they have all warped like I said some do some do not. A bottle jack and 3/8" chain works great for tweaking them.

Yeah but if I use the tools I already have I cant tell my wife I NEED to buy something else to fix the doors ( and then use the bottle jack anyway)

On that note I am not too sure how to use the bottle jack & chain method. I've seen pictures but never much on the step by step

[bobbergone]

You may also find that metal that has been rolled into a shape.such as a piece of pipe. It may still have some memory in it from before it was rolled. Once I cut the end off my propane tank, it wound up being slightly oblong in shape and had to put in a spreader to get it back to shape. It may not be the door that warps but the integrity of the tank once you remove that portion of the pipe.