I have read that a hand held jig saw can be used to cut through 1/4 inch steel plate for fabrication purposes with reasonable success. So I figured I'd give it a shot; I have a nice jig saw, some plate lifted from the scrap bin at my welding class, plus a fairly new saw blade and some cutting oil. Now I no longer have a new saw blade, as it gave up the ghost REALLY fast. I'm sure the tooth count was wrong, but I figured it'd last longer than a 1/2 inch long cut, especially with cutting oil being used. So here's my question... is a hand held jig saw really an appropriate tool for this task, regardless of what I have read? If so, what sorts of blades would be ideal? I'm guessing a coarser tooth count would be better, but it also seems like the coarser blades are all specifically meant for cutting wood.
I know I could use an oxyacetylene torch for this task, but I'd like a cleaner and more precise cut. Am I rapidly getting into plasma cutter territory? I can envision myself fabricating lots of brackets and frames from 1/4 inch thick steel plate (maybe even thicker someday), and a band saw is pretty much out of the question for my "shop" (i.e. garage) size. Also, I could see myself wanting to branch out into aluminum plate as well, which would inevitably be a substantially thicker piece than 1/4 inch. Has my jig saw met its match, and if so, where's the most economical and versatile direction to go from here?