Cutting Tiny Shapes In Sheet Metal

The cutters are offset below the handle so you can keep your cutting sheet metal hand above the work and the compound action allows you to cut thicker material with less effort.

Cutting tiny shapes in sheet metal.

When set to a low amperage a plasma torch won t warp the metal and can yield quick clean cuts that help you get the job done quickly. Use shears to cut a small piece of silver from a larger sheet for cutting with a jeweler s saw for cutting templates from a thin sheet of metal or for chain cutting. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool.

I m trying to cut a very large shape out of sheet metal about 3 x5 overall. Sheet metal cutters and nibblers can be used for cutting irregular shapes and for cutting up big sheets but they cannot cut holes less than 25 to 50mm across. Hold the tool tight. Instead of using a pencil a magic marker or soapstone kevin caron suggests.

Mark the cut line with adhesive tape and draw your cut lines. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. Green snips are designed to cut clockwise curves and red snips to cut counterclockwise curves. For less precise cuts metal shears cut sterling silver quickly.

This is a pepakura pattern if anyone is familiar with the concept. Loosen up the drill head with the provided wrench. Place the dremel cutter on the cutting line perpendicularly to the sheet metal. Cut metal with your circular saw.

Metal shears may resemble scissors or they may look more like small gardening shears. Install one of the cutoff cutters. Plus a plasma torch can be used for thick metal too so they are really handy. The other tools mainly make round holes and to use them you start by drilling a small pilot hole.

There are hundreds of complex small angles in this shape. For clarity here is the shape below. The fastest way to cut sheet metal in complex shapes or straight lines without a shear is a plasma torch. I have to cut out all the solid lines and then fold on the dotted lines.

Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the sheet metal. Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work. Hot metal chips will fly everywhere. When cutting a thin piece of metal precisely you need to make sure to start with a good line and a good mark to follow.