Thread: Which Tool for cutting sheet metal

Maybe you could buy one of those circular saw blades which cut all manner of steel and aluminium.

LENOX METAL CUTTING CIRCULAR SAW BLADES

Originally Posted by squigs

Anyone lead me in the right direction for cutting sheet metal ?
I will only be cutting the odd fence sheeting but the young fella will use it more for cutting up sheets for his gokart..
Air or electric i dont mind.......
thanks

Budget and parameters?

Cheapest and easiest is an angle grinder with 1mm thick abrasive cutoff wheels*, can get nice straight cuts with a bit of skill. If cutting aluminium, buy one of the cheapest plain candles you can, and rub it on the cutting disc liberally (the disc will turn white when you've done it enough). Will cut faster, neater, and with less disc wear.

Lots of other options though, including air shears, plasma cutters, reciprocating saw, guillotine etc etc. Also someone was talking about toothed cutoff wheels for angle grinders recently - which just sounds like death to me, especially if your young bloke is, well, young!

All depends on how good a cut you want, and how often you need to do it. (also depends on cost and space of course!)

* On the topic of cutoff wheels, for anyone who uses these - the BEST I have ever used are Fischer branded inox wheels. Last about 6 times as long as the ones you get at Bunnings. And I believe they are similarly priced. Not 100 percent sure on that, nor even where to get them retail, I got a very special deal on 200 of them through trade connections.

The best method for cutting roofing iron I've seen (and done) is to cut a nick in the edge then tear it (yes, with your hands). Not sure if this works with flat sheet though. Seriously, you can't go wrong with an angle grinder.

If its flat sheet and under 1mm, especially in near straight lines, by far the best are air sheers. will do wide ish curves
These days not expensive arround $100 in a generic brand

nowhere near as dangerous as an angle grinder, or as messy or noisy.

I know all sorts of people are keen on angle grinders, but they are possibly THE most dangerous way to cut sheet metal.

If you are not cutting much, a good set of offset blade compound action snips will get the job done.

Of course bench sheers are a reasonable thing, and they will cut lots of other things to...I little hard to put full sheets thru on your own though.

cheers

Nibbler or Shears.

Nibbler for tight curves. Like some of these near bottom of page: McMaster-Carr

Cheers,
Joe

I use a Makita electric shear to cut flat sheet, they are available in other brand motors as well, but are around $250, I think the Makita is around $300.
I think the best thing to cut corro is one of those nibblers that go on a eclectic drill as you can follow the coutour easy and they keep going instead of running out of air.

Just remember air tools are hungry for air. I have a air nibbler and rarely use it because of this, even though I run 2 compressors (around 22 cfm all up from memory) I run out of air after short while and have to wait. Also the nibbler throws out little horse shoe shaped bits of metal that get stuck in your shoe and walked everywhere. The last time I used it, I cut everything inside my box trailer so they where easier to clean up.

With using a grinder on roofing iron it will burn the coating off the edge, which will leave it open for rust to start. Cutting it without heat is the best way.

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

With using a grinder on roofing iron it will burn the coating off the edge, which will leave it open for rust to start. Cutting it without heat is the best way.

I agree, but it is not only the edge that rusts, hot sparks from the cutting process can also damage the surface coating some distance from the cut so the surface needs to be protected while cutting.

If, as you say, you only want to cut the odd fence sheet I reckon just buy a pr each of these. Wiss snips in right and left hand.
They will do what you want and will be a lot safer for your young bloke to use. Will also teach him that you don't always need power tools.
from page 77 of this catalogue
http://www.cooperhandtools.com.au/PD...ardware%20.pdf

bollie7

I picked up a big old pair of Gilbow snips at a market for ten bucks. They cut corro like paper.

Hard to beat a nibbler on cor. iron leaves no bur to clean up . Angle grinder makes a lot of work to make safe so you don't cut yourself. You can get some very cheap nibblers that go in your portable drill,I think supercheap sell them,should be ok seeing you are not doing heaps

Thanks for the replies.

Yes grinders are easy but i dont like the edge after.

My old mate just remembered he has Sheet Metal Shears that was obtained of Ebay a few years back for under $100...
This think works great and i love the way it cuts.

looks like this one.
Sheet Metal Shears sheetmetal steel cutter air tools | eBay

Listen to Bryan.
Go to your local Sunday market and get a pair of Gilbows for $5. You'll thank me (and Bryan) later.

I'm advised that it's not a good idea to use an angle grinder on Colorbond or Zincalume, but it's OK for galvanised sheet. Reason given is that heat damages the rust-proofing coating. But, it's OK to angle grind 50mm away from finished edge, then use snips to finish.
A blade fitted backwards in a circular saw (not carbide toothed types) does a friction cut, again not advised for Colorbond or Zincalume.
An easy field method is to lay corrugated sheet on a grass lawn, and adjust cut depth to just enough to cut through the sheet in one go.
I knew someone who reckoned he could cut cars in half with a circular saw.

Jordan