Tools for Cutting sheetmetal????

Im going to make a real floor for my truck. Was considering 16 ga and cut to fit. What is the best hand/ power tool for this . and is 16ga thick enough.
Thanks guys , and Happy Holiday

 

I used 18ga for the floor in my Dodge and cut it with a stomp shear. 16ga may be overkill.

 

for something as small as a floor i'd use a cutoff disk in an angle grinder, some beading or bending on 16ga will make a great floor.

 

16 is too much. 18-20 is fine. I use a saber saw a lot. Easy and cheap. Cut off disks are slow messy and hard to use(Me anyway)

 

I like my air shear, or my nibbler...16 ga will be nice and sturdy, but also harder to shape with home/hobbyist tools...go get yourself either a good air or electric shear or a good nibbler, their great tools to have instead of trying to use tinsnips all the time...

 

Use 18g and pnuematic or electric shears, or take measurements and get a shop to use a step-down or hydraulic shear to cut it for you, then it will be nice and straight.

 

I use a cutoff wheel in a electric die grinder. It's an animal

16 ga. will work if you don't plan on rolling beads in it or shapeing it. I've rolled beads into 16 ga. with my bead roller and I considered it tool abuse. Harbor Freight sells a electric hand shear that works great on flat sheet steel.
Jeff

 

Plasma cutter...no comparo...

R-

 

I've been using the same Makita electric shear for 20 years. Will cut up to 16 ga. I do all my floors with 18 ga and bead rolled. 16 is too hard to work with.... but I do use it for subfloor s and other structural stuff that doesn't require much shaping.

 

You can have the best of both worlds and use 18-20 guage for forming the driveshaft and tranny tunnel and use 16 gauge for the flat work. If you've ever tried forming 16 ga. you'd understand why. The thinner stuff is plenty strong after you add curves and angles to it.

 

Before I got my shear I used a jigsaw with a good lenox bi-metal blade. It cuts smooth , easy to control and no burr like when you use a zip disc.

 

I like my Malco Turbo Shear. It says 18to 20gage but it will cit much thicker Ive used it with great results on up to 14 gage

 

I have a set of electric shears from Menards (toolshop brand) they were super cheap and work great I have had them for a few years and work fast and clean lines with no distortion of the metal. With any type of shear you can cut sheet metal just about as fast as you can push it thru

 

Dyce, I've got a Milwaukee electric die grinder slightly larger than the one you show, man your right! that S.O.B. is an animal! I use it rarely because it's hard to get an accurate cut with it, but it will cut Anything! Hang On!

 

Ha..yea plasma cutter is awesome on sheetmetal....but its a little overkill ....which is why I like it too!!!!

 

electric shears are great... and right now I don't have any
I will be fixing that soon, I've been using some air nibblers but it doesn't leave as nice of an edge. and the plasma cutter is bit of work for knocking out some sheet metal...

 

I used a Black and Decker recip saw for years until I got my Plasma. It worked well, even cut curves with a schroll type blade. I even used it during the recent Ice storm to clear my drive when the chain saw wouldn't work!

 

Nice I like that set up pretty good idea.

 

i have a snap on air nibbler the works up to 16g (which is why i got it) off of ebay, i hear the electric shears work good too. on the floors my rule of thumb is 16g for flat panels (when your not planning on rolling any beads) and 18g on the trans tunnel. i don't like the oil can feel and i'm a big guy .

 

I got an electric sheer from harbor freight. Bought one cause my uncles is awsome. It has done lots of floors, cheap, and works great. Mainly use it on 18-20 guage though

 

Ya you need to be awake with your shit all in one pile. I grab it all the time. Sure beats listening to the air compressor beat away. You need to buy the good wheels though. the cheap crap vaporizes quick.
Jeff

 

I have the same thing and love it!

Duke

 

Personally, I would use 18 guage. 16 is pretty darn thick stuff.

Either way, a bosch electric jigsaw with thier metal blade is a MONSTER for cutting sheet. basic jigsaw rules still apply (you gotta have it supported-I use the edge of a table, or cut throgh "cheap" plywood) but it is still faster than my air shears, cleaner than a cut off wheel, and you don't have to deal with the warpage/heat issues of a plasma cutter. it's fast enough for quick work, but slow enough to remind you to measure twice and cut once. I would also be shocked if you used more than 1 blade to reduce a 6X8 sheet of steel into dime sized shrapnel.

 

eletric shear works great i use 16 ga but if you do not have a way to cut it then use 18 ga no lighter unless you but some beadrolls in it

 

I used a Milwaukee sawzall and flap disc for my initial straight cuts. Im going to grab some shears for more intricate cuts. I like the 16 ga for the floor

 

I've used all of the above methods at one time or another with varying degrees of success. I say this because I think I've now got the "answer". It's in the form of a 52" X 14 ga. power shear (3 phase, 220 volt). It's not for everyone mainly due to cost and power requirements.
I was at the right place at the right time to aquire it and I had my shop equiped with 3 phase power for my Bridgeport, lathe, surface grinder and a couple of other appiications. With the touch of my toe I can shear a 48" cut in the time it takes to sneeze. I love tools and power tools head the list.

Frank

 

Show off. (I'm gonna sit here and be jealous for a while. don't mind me.)

 

Nibbler

 

I got a chance to use a friends Dewalt shear. A real pleasure, although at about $500, well out of my range for occaisional use

 

I second the jig.. slow and steady end up with a damn fine cut..