Cutting Tiny Shapes In Sheet Metal

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.

Cutting tiny shapes in sheet metal.

In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. For less precise cuts metal shears cut sterling silver quickly. Place the dremel cutter on the cutting line perpendicularly to the sheet metal. Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work.

I m trying to cut a very large shape out of sheet metal about 3 x5 overall. Metal shears may resemble scissors or they may look more like small gardening shears. Loosen up the drill head with the provided wrench. I have to cut out all the solid lines and then fold on the dotted lines.

The other tools mainly make round holes and to use them you start by drilling a small pilot hole. 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. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. 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. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. 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. For clarity here is the shape below.

There are hundreds of complex small angles in this shape. Compound snips also called aviation snips are color coded. Plus a plasma torch can be used for thick metal too so they are really handy. Tin snips are primarily used for cutting thin sheet metal like tin aluminum brass and thin gauge stainless steel.

Hot metal chips will fly everywhere. Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the 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. Cut metal with your circular saw.

This is a pepakura pattern if anyone is familiar with the concept. Green snips are designed to cut clockwise curves and red snips to cut counterclockwise curves. The fastest way to cut sheet metal in complex shapes or straight lines without a shear is a plasma torch. Mark the cut line with adhesive tape and draw your cut lines.