Tools for Cutting sheetmetal????

What amazes me about our bosch is it WILL cut as fast as you can push it. it's fun! if you need to "rip" a peice off of something (lets say you have a basic size for say...a firewall hole that needs filled) you can pick it up, pull the trigger, and so long as you have the sheet supported (kinda-it does not have to be 100%) you can go through 18 guage as fast as you want to. My only words of caution are to use a full face shield of some type, 'cause whatever itty bitty peices of metal are coming off are not only in a hurry, but they're damn near red hot. in the eye would suck. on the lip will make you pray for sweet baby Jesus to take you early.

 

Thanks for the responses, I had the same questions about cutting sheet metal and the floor pan gauge. I always learn something new here at the forum.

 

You can also use a circular saw with a metal cutting blade for sraight cuts.

 

Cutoff wheel and jig saw are too noise and make a mess, nibbler is fast, quiet and next to no mess.

 

Nibblers suck. Make small, sharp bits all over the place that stick to the bottom of your shoes. A real pain in that ass. Bought an IR pneumatic nibbler, used it once and went straight to ebay. Now use a DeWalt electric shear, which works pretty good up to 18 gage. Not sure if it will handle 16.

 

http://www.metaldevil.com/

i know this has been gone over a few times before, but I have bought a few of these, and you can use the 7 1/4" circular saw. Avg price is about $50 and can make about 700 cuts easily. I even have cut 1"x2" flat stock with it before. It cuts 2"x4"x1/8" tube like a regular circular saw cuts a wood 2x4! I Love mine, they rip through Metal siding as well. Leave clean cuts to boot. Anyway I have advertised enough, It is just a good product I really enjoy using. Although my plasma is kick ass too www.plasmadyn.com Check out the 40 amp and M50 combo machine. He is coming out with an 80 amp plasma that will cut 1 1/2" carbon steel. Price is right too.

 

If you don't have access to a metal shear, the 3" cutoff wheels do a nice job. I use a .035 thick wheel for cutting. For longer cuts, the 3" wheel seems to take forever, so try a .045 thick cutoff wheel made for your 4-1/2" electric grinder. The plasma cutter is good and quick, but the excess heat seems to do more harm than good. (that's why mine seems to stay covered in dust) They're probably better suited for heavier gauge metal than your sheet metal.

 

. Now use a DeWalt electric shear, which works pretty good up to 18 gage. Not sure if it will handle 16.[/quote]
Yes it will