Using tin snips for thin sheets.
Cutting thin sheet metal straight.
Right cutting left cutting and straight cutting snips.
The illustrations are for a small bracket but i have cut 3 foot long pieces using this method.
Choose between red blue or yellow snips based on the cut direction.
Choose a blade with 20 to 24 tpi teeth per inch for thin metal 10 to 18 tpi for medium thickness metal and about 8.
Here are a few tips for cutting metal with a recip saw.
Extend blade life by keeping the saw s speed slow.
Lift the cutoff strip and roll it to the side to prevent it from binding on the tin snips handle.
Worked well to cut thin steel.
There are many different types of tin snips but for cutting sheet metal you only need to work with three basic types.
Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer.
Longer blade was nice for long straight cuts 148 see all buying options.
Set your saw to straight rather than oscillating if there s a choice.
Using a chisel and hammer is the most basic form of cutting sheet metal.
Cutting straight lines with an electric saw.
Making detailed cuts with.
Long straight cuts are easier to make with large tin snips.
Wax your saw blade before cutting sheet metal.
If you use metal shears to cut thin sheet metal such as duct metal it curls and can be difficult to flaten properly.
If you ve hit it hard enough the chisel will cut the sheet metal if it s thin enough.
Open the cutters as wide as you can at the start of each stroke and make long smooth strokes.
How to cut sheet metal method 1 of 4.
Nice tight blade contact.