Best Way To Cut Aluminum Sheet Metal

Place the sheet metal on top of the workbench and lay out your pattern using a tape measure pencil and straightedge.

Best way to cut aluminum sheet metal.

Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work. An angle grinder fitted with an abrasive metal cutting disc works well to cut all kinds of metal including bolts angle iron rebar and even sheet metal. This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line. If your project requires curved cuts make an easy economical and adjustable.

Straight cutting compound snips work best for cutting thick or doubled up sheet metal. Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the sheet metal. First if you want to cut a duct near the middle and use both ends mark and cut the duct before snapping it together. Instead we recommend using a diamond blade that s rated to cut ferrous metal.

Cutting aluminum sheet metal with a hammer and chisel is relatively straight forward line up the edge of the chisel along the line you wish to cut and strike the chisel with a hammer. Place the fracture line over the edge of a table and bend the overhang slightly downwards. 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. There are two ways to cut round ducts.

They don t cut curves well. With the aid of a straight edge and a sharp knife score both sides of the aluminium sheet. Tin snips are primarily used for cutting thin sheet metal like tin aluminum brass and thin gauge stainless steel.