Hello, I am wanting to make magnet boards. I'm really needing to find out how to cut sheet metal. I have tried snips, but I get uneven lines from using those. I need a very straight cut, so that I can cut 10"x10" squares.
How do I do this? HELP?
Thanks-
The tool is called "a sheet metal shear". Most sheet metal fabricators possess one.
Alternatively, you can sandwich the metal between 3/4" particle board, and cut it with a table saw, or you can cut with a nibbler and file the edges true.
LLoyd
Practice. To cut a straight line with snips, first, you need straight bladed snips, not the corrugated "aviation snips". I like Wiss brand bulldog snips, myself.
Second, you need to scribe a line on the sheet metal- I use a carbide scribe, and a steel ruler. General makes a nice carbide scribe that you can get in most hardware stores. Accurate measuring, and a straight line to follow are needed. Then you start snipping- you dont cut all the way to the end of the blade- you cut about 3/4 of the blade length, then slide the snips in, and repeat.
With practice, you can cut perfectly straight lines in sheet metal this way. In the old days, no apprentice was allowed to touch big shears until he could do this.
Its true there are all kinds of expensive tools that will cut sheet metal- a decent 4 foot shear can easily run 3 to 4 grand. But a $25 pair of Bulldogs, and a bit of practice, and you can cut straight lines. Dont blame the tool.
ries
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:
If you have a bunch to do, I would contact somebody with a water jet.
With all the time and grief and bandaids it will entail, take it to a shop and pay whatever they want. You will get it back FINISHED edges, and be ready to do whatever you want to with it. It's nice to be able to fabricate things. But some things that one needs to have done are worth the cost of taking it to a professional and getting back professional results.
Steve
Suggest you contact a heating/cooling contractor shop. They should have both materials and equipment on hand to do what you want, and if I guess correctly that it is a 'club' project, they should not gouge you too much.
Next alternative, clamp several sheets together and use a band saw/sabre saw to saw them as best you can, then sand edges to eliminate burrs.
Most trophy shops have shears that will slice nice accurate straight and square. If they are just 10 inch squares that is perfect. Tell them you want the finished pieces to be BURR EDGE DOWN. An experienced shear operator will know what this means and it only takes a few minutes more.
What gauge?
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