Technical How do you cut sheet metal ?

Might try clamping a guide next to any long straight cuts and see if it helps any..........

 

I have used a guide, it does help maintain a straight cut. I am contemplating building a jig to hold the tool in an inverted position. This would let me feed the metal into the cutting
head if it could be built to hold the tool steady enough. The
problem then would be the nibbled debris would be launched
upwards instead of at your feet? Might work. If it was feasible it
would made the tool much more useful to me.

 

That's not a bad idea, sort of like a router table. A clear plastic guard over the business end would eliminate the clippings from flying at you and welding a flange onto the cutting head would make mounting easy. A foot control to run it. The only downside is this limits the size/shape of some of the pieces you'll want to cut.

 

I recently picked up a 8” throatless hand shear and wonder how I did without it. I’ll be needing to replace my floor pans on my 79 IH Scout, and will be in the same boat. I was wondering for long straight cuts if you could just score both sides with a sharp knife and bend like drywall. Probably only good if you plan on using 20 ga or lighter though.

 

I use one of these style.
https://www.harborfreight.com/18-gauge-35-amp-metal-shears-61737.html
Inexpensive, Easy to cut straight or curves with it, no waste, no mess to clean up, easy to follow cut lines and if adjusted properly and you make your cuts the right way any distortion (minimal) is on the waste side of the material. Usually I use it for rough cuts, within 1/4" of my line, then fine turn with tin snips on more complicated shapes but for basic stuff like floor pans I just cut right on the line.

 

Hey k13 I had looked at those a couple times but they seem to have mixed reviews, glad to see someone here has actual experience.

 

They also showed a 14ga 4 amp with 3 jaw. I’m gonna have to get one, I don’t think I need to worry about 14ga, so should last a bit longer

 

I have most of the tools everyone else has mentioned. The one that I would like to have is a stomp shear, maybe someday.

 

I don't have the Harbor Freight one specifically but have an older chinese made one I got from a company up here. I have also never used it for anything over 18g so I have no idea how it would perform on heavier material. I rarely use anything heavier so haven't had the need.

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^^^^^^^^^^

 

@stanlow69 Can you put a pic up of the one you have?

 

Same here, I have one as well. Works great


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It`s like the one K 13 posted but it`s a Bosch. Double insulated. Was over $300 30 years ago. I use it to cut waterproof panel board. As well as metal. And I use it ALOT. I need to get a spare. Sorry, I have a stupid phone.

 

I have cut plenty of sheet metal with a torch. It was on industrial jobs and worked ok. I would make the flame ox rich and turn the
pressure up a bit. Then lay the cutting head almost flat to the
metal. Once you got in a good position you could run the cut
ahead of the flame several inches and move quickly with a
sweeping arm motion. It took a bit of practice but makes a decent
cut once you get the hang of it. I worked for a steel demolition
out fit for a few years and we used this method often.

 

I have always used mostly the type with the two fixed blades, one each side of a center blade that moves up and down between the two to do the actual cutting.

 

...also as faux said, true snips to do fine stuff. You can get them in right handed, left handed and straight.

 

I take a completely a different approach. I use a grinder with a 1mm cut off wheel but I don’t actually cut the sheet metal, I just score a line along it about a third of the way into the metal, then fold it back and forth and snap it clean. For an precision cutting I use aviation snips.

 

There is no one right or wrong answer, it totally depends on where you need to cut it, the type of cut you need to make (curved versus straight), or even the type of sheet metal.

If the sheet metal is off of the car, I prefer my Pexto 36" shear, which is a jump shear now powered by a pneumatic ram. It cuts clean and straight, leaves no burrs, and doesn't distort the edges of the metal.

Aside from that, I have hand-held Bosch electric shear that is great for cutting curves. Other than that, I have a long reach 4.5" air cut off tool, right angle air cutoff tools, even electric right angle grinder. For fine work, a body saw is the preferred method, which is slow but doesn't create collateral damage.

 

I would love to have a stomp shear! But its one of those "do I really need it?" And "how often would I actually use it?" tools, of course so does a English wheel, planishing hammer etc and I still want those too.

And a lathe, pullman,.......etc....

 

Cutting and grinding tools used for sheet metal - YouTube