Best Way To Cut Thick Sheet Metal

Straight cutting compound snips work best for cutting thick or doubled up sheet metal.

Best way to cut thick sheet metal.

You can also do free hand cutting steel with plasma if you re steady without much trouble. An oxy fuel torch can cut through very thick plate limited primarily by the amount of oxygen that can be delivered. If you ve hit it hard enough the chisel will cut the sheet metal if it s thin enough. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade.

Plasma is definitely one of the best ways to go if you re cutting shapes from plate. For cutting steel sheet and flat materials they are easy and fast. Use a pair of snips if you want to avoid power tools altogether and are working with thinner more flexible metal or need to make curved cuts. Cutting aluminum sheet metal with a hammer and chisel is relatively straight forward line up the edge of the chisel along the line you wish to cut and strike the chisel with a hammer.

First if you want to cut a duct near the middle and use both ends mark and cut the duct before snapping it together. They don t cut curves well. Start by taping both sides of the sheet metal directly over the line you want to cut and clamp the metal to a work station so it doesn t move. Laser or waterjet may yield nicer edges but they are much more expensive to purchase and to run.

It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool. However when it comes to shape cutting from steel plate the vast majority of work is done on 12 inch thick plate and thinner. In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. There are two ways to cut round ducts.

You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. To cut straight lines use an electric saw. Use a circular saw to make long straight cuts in thicker sheets of metal. Using a chisel and hammer is the most basic form of cutting sheet metal.

There are several ways to cut corrugated metal. Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer. Cut metal with your circular saw. The method you choose to cut sheet metal depends on the thickness of the metal and the type of cut you plan to make.