To cut straight lines use an electric saw.
Where to cut sheet metal.
These photo steps show that it can be done using a utility knife.
Once you have the starter hole work your way out to the desired radius using the correct red or green colored snip.
The edges are sharp the cutoffs are stiff and get in the way the snips bind or you just can t seem to negotiate the curve.
For cutting out holes in sheet metal it s going to be necessary that you begin with a starter hole this can be formed by using the hammer and chisel method to punch through the metal.
These problems are common for those of us who don t work with sheet metal every day.
If you use metal shears to cut thin sheet metal such as duct metal it curls and can be difficult to flaten properly.
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.
Standard sheet metal is thin galvanized steel.
Then grip the saw with both hands and push the blade through the metal to cut it.
The illustrations are for a small bracket but i have cut 3 foot.
For thin sheets of metal you can use tin snips to cut through it.
But the discs wear down quickly cut slowly and shrink in diameter as you use them.
How to cut thin sheet metal and keep it flat.
But you don t have to be a tinsmith to cut sheet metal successfully.
Apart from hand nibbler there are electric nibbler drill powered nibbler and pneumatic nibblers and so on.
Cutting sheet metal with snips can be tricky and frustrating.
Jigsaws and metal cutting band saws are more work but can make most cuts in light to medium sheet metal.
Instead we recommend using a diamond blade that s rated to cut ferrous metal.
Also referred to as aviator snips these scissor like hand tools cut sheet metal materials up to 18 gauge in thickness accurately without leaving a ragged bent edge as the finished product.
It s the same material ducts are made of and is commonly sold in large flat sheets in 18 to 28 gauge thicknesses you can also find sheet metal in aluminum or even copper and brass and they all can be cut using the same tools and techniques.
