For a cleaner cut put a strip of masking tape on the top and bottom of the sheet to keep chips from scratching the material.
Cut sheet metal with hand tools and keep it flatten.
The illustrations are for a small bracket but i have cut 3 foot.
I have identified 14 distinct ways to shrink.
You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in.
Using hand tools and machines.
These photo steps show that it can be done using a utility knife.
Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the sheet metal.
But i found that sand or bead blasting one side of sheet aluminum will put a bow in the metal bowing toward the blasted side.
How to cut thin sheet metal and keep it flat.
Tin snips or aviation snips are one of the most widely used tools to cut sheet metals.
You have to adjust your mind to the concept that when you hammer on sheet metal with a steel hammer onto a steel dolly or anvil that you will expand or increase the surface area by thinning the metal.
Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer.
Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade.
There are some cuts that you can do with decent tin snips.
If you ve hit it hard enough the chisel will cut the sheet metal if it s thin enough.
A hacksaw can cut sheet metal but its shape limits its turning radius and depth of cut.
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If you use metal shears to cut thin sheet metal such as duct metal it curls and can be difficult to flaten properly.
It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool.
Align the blade of the snips with the pattern that you drew and keep it in contact with the sheet metal.
Sheet metal that won t flatten could have had an area of it expanded.
Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work.
Such as straight cut snips left cut the right cut etc.
They look like scissors and work fine with sheet metals like brass aluminum tin steel etc.
Cut metal with your circular saw.
It got a bend in it from trying to cut it with a shear.
Remember to open the snips wide as you begin each cut and place the edge of your sheet metal deeply into the throat or jaws of the snips.
A soft wood backer will allow for the chisel to pass through more easily by providing support for the metal.
To prolong blade life rub wax along the length of the blade.
If so it will not flatten by bending.
Carefully squeeze the tin snips handles with one hand to start cutting.
Tin snips are primarily used for cutting thin sheet metal like tin aluminum brass and thin gauge stainless steel.
