Best Way To Cut Thick Sheet Metal

First if you want to cut a duct near the middle and use both ends mark and cut the duct before snapping it together.

Best way to cut thick sheet metal. Using a softer piece of material such as wood as a backer will allow the chisel to push through the metal and prevent wear on the chisel s tip. They don t cut curves well. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. Straight cutting compound snips work best for cutting thick or doubled up sheet metal.

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. For cutting steel sheet and flat materials they are easy and fast. Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer. Use a circular saw to make long straight cuts in thicker sheets of metal.

An oxy fuel torch can cut through very thick plate limited primarily by the amount of oxygen that can be delivered. The method you choose to cut sheet metal depends on the thickness of the metal and the type of cut you plan to make. To cut straight lines use an electric saw. There are several ways to cut corrugated metal.

Laser or waterjet may yield nicer edges but they are much more expensive to purchase and to run. You can also do free hand cutting steel with plasma if you re steady without much trouble. 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. Using a chisel and hammer is the most basic form of cutting sheet metal.

Cut metal with your circular saw. Plasma is definitely one of the best ways to go if you re cutting shapes from plate. There are two ways to cut round ducts. If you ve hit it hard enough the chisel will cut the sheet metal if it s thin enough.

However when it comes to shape cutting from steel plate the vast majority of work is done on 12 inch thick plate and thinner. 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. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. It is not unheard of to cut through 36 or even 48 inches of steel using an oxy fuel torch.