How to Cut Steel
Use compound snips to make small cuts in thin-gauge steel., Choose a nibbler to make longer cuts in thin-gauge steel., Use an angle grinder fitted with a metal cutoff wheel for rough cuts., Use a hacksaw for simple, shallow cuts., Use a bench shear...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use compound snips to make small cuts in thin-gauge steel.
Compound snips are sometimes referred to as “aviation snips” or “tin snips.” These scissor-like tools allow you to cut through thin steel – 24 gauge or thinner – in the same way you would cut through paper with ordinary scissors.
Snips are a good choice if you need to make quick, short cuts on very thin steel.
There are three kinds of compound snips, with color-coded handles to make them easy to tell apart.Straight snips have yellow handles and allow you to cut straight lines.
Left-cut snips have red handles and allow you to cut counter clockwise curves.
Right-cut snips have green handles and allow you to cut clockwise curves. -
Step 2: Choose a nibbler to make longer cuts in thin-gauge steel.
Compound snips work great for short cuts, but longer cuts are best handled by a nibbler.
Nibblers are hand-held tools.
They are relatively inexpensive and make clean, high-speed cuts with minimal distortion and very little noise.
They also create no sparks when cutting.
Thicknesses vary from brand to brand, but in general a nibbler can cut up to 14 gauge steel.
There are hand-operated, drill-powered, electric and pneumatic versions on the market.Every time the nibbler makes a cut, it punches out a small piece of sheet metal.
By the time you’re finished, you’ll have many tiny crescent-shaped steel pieces littered all over the floor.
Definitely clean those up as soon as possible – otherwise, the sharp little edges can get embedded in the soles of shoes and cause injuries., An angle grinder is an affordable handheld power tool that can handle many different grinding and cutting tasks.
It can be fitted with an assortment of different blades, which makes it very versatile.
The blade you need to use in order to cut through steel is called a metal cutoff blade.
You can make fast cuts with the cutoff blade, but the downside is they will be fairly rough.It’s difficult to get perfect accuracy with this tool.
Wear face protection, ear protection (it’s very loud) and thick work gloves when operating this tool.
Sparks will fly when the blade touches the metal, so make sure there’s nothing flammable nearby.
Make sure you read the instruction manual carefully and are using the correct blade for cutting steel. , A hacksaw can cut through sheet metal, but its shape limits the types of cuts it can make.
The cuts may also be a bit rough, you won’t be able to maneuver the saw much and its blade can’t cut very deep.
However, a hacksaw is great tool to have on hand to take care of simple steel-cutting tasks.
Keep its blade in good condition by rubbing wax on it after each use.
To get a cleaner cut, try using a strip of masking tape on the bottom and top of the sheet metal.
This will prevent scratching., Bench shears come in two general types: straight shears and throatless shears.
Straight shears make cuts that are straight lines.
Throatless sheers can cut inside curves and other complicated shapes, in addition to outside curves and straight lines.
They look and operate much like office paper cutters.
A lever fitted with a blade is pulled down over the place you want to cut.
To operate, mark the cut line on the piece of sheet metal.
Situate the metal under the blade and line the blade up with the cut line.
Pull the handle down slowly with your hand and slice through the metal. -
Step 3: Use an angle grinder fitted with a metal cutoff wheel for rough cuts.
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Step 4: Use a hacksaw for simple
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Step 5: shallow cuts.
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Step 6: Use a bench shear to easily cut most gauges of sheet metal.
Detailed Guide
Compound snips are sometimes referred to as “aviation snips” or “tin snips.” These scissor-like tools allow you to cut through thin steel – 24 gauge or thinner – in the same way you would cut through paper with ordinary scissors.
Snips are a good choice if you need to make quick, short cuts on very thin steel.
There are three kinds of compound snips, with color-coded handles to make them easy to tell apart.Straight snips have yellow handles and allow you to cut straight lines.
Left-cut snips have red handles and allow you to cut counter clockwise curves.
Right-cut snips have green handles and allow you to cut clockwise curves.
Compound snips work great for short cuts, but longer cuts are best handled by a nibbler.
Nibblers are hand-held tools.
They are relatively inexpensive and make clean, high-speed cuts with minimal distortion and very little noise.
They also create no sparks when cutting.
Thicknesses vary from brand to brand, but in general a nibbler can cut up to 14 gauge steel.
There are hand-operated, drill-powered, electric and pneumatic versions on the market.Every time the nibbler makes a cut, it punches out a small piece of sheet metal.
By the time you’re finished, you’ll have many tiny crescent-shaped steel pieces littered all over the floor.
Definitely clean those up as soon as possible – otherwise, the sharp little edges can get embedded in the soles of shoes and cause injuries., An angle grinder is an affordable handheld power tool that can handle many different grinding and cutting tasks.
It can be fitted with an assortment of different blades, which makes it very versatile.
The blade you need to use in order to cut through steel is called a metal cutoff blade.
You can make fast cuts with the cutoff blade, but the downside is they will be fairly rough.It’s difficult to get perfect accuracy with this tool.
Wear face protection, ear protection (it’s very loud) and thick work gloves when operating this tool.
Sparks will fly when the blade touches the metal, so make sure there’s nothing flammable nearby.
Make sure you read the instruction manual carefully and are using the correct blade for cutting steel. , A hacksaw can cut through sheet metal, but its shape limits the types of cuts it can make.
The cuts may also be a bit rough, you won’t be able to maneuver the saw much and its blade can’t cut very deep.
However, a hacksaw is great tool to have on hand to take care of simple steel-cutting tasks.
Keep its blade in good condition by rubbing wax on it after each use.
To get a cleaner cut, try using a strip of masking tape on the bottom and top of the sheet metal.
This will prevent scratching., Bench shears come in two general types: straight shears and throatless shears.
Straight shears make cuts that are straight lines.
Throatless sheers can cut inside curves and other complicated shapes, in addition to outside curves and straight lines.
They look and operate much like office paper cutters.
A lever fitted with a blade is pulled down over the place you want to cut.
To operate, mark the cut line on the piece of sheet metal.
Situate the metal under the blade and line the blade up with the cut line.
Pull the handle down slowly with your hand and slice through the metal.
About the Author
Zachary Perez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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