Best Way To Cut Thick Sheet Metal

To cut straight lines use an electric saw.

Best way to cut thick sheet metal. The method you choose to cut sheet metal depends on the thickness of the metal and the type of cut you plan to make. It is not unheard of to cut through 36 or even 48 inches of steel using an oxy fuel torch. Cut metal with your circular saw. You can also do free hand cutting steel with plasma if you re steady without much trouble.

Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer. There are two ways to cut round ducts. Laser or waterjet may yield nicer edges but they are much more expensive to purchase and to run. An oxy fuel torch can cut through very thick plate limited primarily by the amount of oxygen that can be delivered.

Use a circular saw to make long straight cuts in thicker sheets of metal. It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool. There are several ways to cut corrugated metal. 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.

In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. 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.

However when it comes to shape cutting from steel plate the vast majority of work is done on 12 inch thick plate and thinner. Plasma is definitely one of the best ways to go if you re cutting shapes from plate. Hot metal chips will fly everywhere. 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.

If you ve hit it hard enough the chisel will cut the sheet metal if it s thin enough. For cutting steel sheet and flat materials they are easy and fast. 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. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade.