Best Way To Cut Thick Sheet Metal

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.

Best way to cut thick sheet metal.

Plasma is definitely one of the best ways to go if you re cutting shapes from plate. Laser or waterjet may yield nicer edges but they are much more expensive to purchase and to run. It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool. Hot metal chips will fly everywhere.

It is not unheard of to cut through 36 or even 48 inches of steel using an oxy fuel torch. The method you choose to cut sheet metal depends on the thickness of the metal and the type of cut you plan to make. However when it comes to shape cutting from steel plate the vast majority of work is done on 12 inch thick plate and thinner. 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.

First if you want to cut a duct near the middle and use both ends mark and cut the duct before snapping it together. For cutting steel sheet and flat materials they are easy and fast. To cut straight lines use an electric saw. There are several ways to cut corrugated metal.

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. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter.

You can also do free hand cutting steel with plasma if you re steady without much trouble. Cut metal with your circular saw. Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer. An oxy fuel torch can cut through very thick plate limited primarily by the amount of oxygen that can be delivered.

If you ve hit it hard enough the chisel will cut the sheet metal if it s thin enough. Using a chisel and hammer is the most basic form of cutting sheet metal. They don t cut curves well. There are two ways to cut round ducts.