Best metal cutters (?)

[les45]

I'm getting ready to skin my latest project (retro standy). I'll be using 16" wide corrugated aluminum panels very similar to those that came on my original pop-up that is being converted. I'll be cutting square ends and a few diagonals. I need a tool that will cut very precisely but I don't want to invest a lot in a high end tool that I'll only use once. I've got the usual nippers but those are a pain in the butt and are hard to keep on a straight line, especially after you get a few inches into the cut. Anyone have any experience in this area? Thanks.

[tony.latham]

Anyone have any experience in this area?

I don't, but for $10 you can get an aluminum cutting blade for a circular saw.

T

[les45]

Anyone have any experience in this area?

I don't, but for $10 you can get an aluminum cutting blade for a circular saw.

T

I looked at that but I figured it would be harder to control plus the issue of the corrugations. I was thinking about a diamond blade on my angle grinder. I've used that on ceramic tile and you can control it easily and get a nice straight line. I've got some old panels that I can practice on. Just hoping to find something a little smaller.

[Squigie]

Unless you want to send the sheets to someone with a water jet or laser cutter, I'd use a circular saw or band saw.

[Philip]

My go to tool for this is a pair of sheet metal nibblers. There are many models on the market. Just look at models in your price range.

A diamond blade on a 4.5 grinder is over kill for thin aluminum. A regular cutoff wheel will work. The weller brand are the best I have used. They last a long time. They are also thinner than all the other brands. Stay away from HF cutoff wheels. The worst on the market. Short life span with a lot of dust produced.

[tony.latham]

Just hoping to find something a little smaller.

I've done a lot of cutting on .040 aluminum with a jigsaw using fine-tooth metal blades and that works fine. Because of the corrugations, I think you'd want to use a fence.

T

[M C Toyer]

I'm getting ready to skin my latest project (retro standy). I'll be using 16" wide corrugated aluminum panels very similar to those that came on my original pop-up that is being converted. I'll be cutting square ends and a few diagonals. I need a tool that will cut very precisely but I don't want to invest a lot in a high end tool that I'll only use once. I've got the usual nippers but those are a pain in the butt and are hard to keep on a straight line, especially after you get a few inches into the cut. Anyone have any experience in this area? Thanks.

How deep is the corrugation? Can you post a pic of the profile? What gauge is the metal?

I've always used straight cut offset snips for cutting steel and aluminum siding as long as the bends in the corrugation are rounded and not angular. You don't have to spread the material on either side of the cut - the snips ride along the top



For long cuts of similar mild corrugation straight cut long duckbill snips also work fairly well but you will have to spread the material.



In both of the above make sure they are straight cut and not circular cut or combination snips.

I recently had to cut about 500 24" long sections from a 1000' long roll of 16" wide 22 gauge copper sheeting to hand make decorative shingles and used a standard office paper cutter. You might find a good used one at a surplus outlet that would work for corrugated metal providing the bends are not too tight. If you are going to cover the cut ends with angle anyway a little flattening of the cut won't affect the appearance.

[Aguyfromohio]

If you can justify the expense, a power nibbler is a fantastic tool for that.



Back in my youth I worked at a car stereo shop as an installer and we had one.
We used it to cut car sheet metal to make a hole for speakers. They cut any direction and the formed ribs and beads in sheet metal don't even slow them down.

[KTM_Guy]

A cheep metal plywood blade mounted backwards in a Skill saw works great. I have made 1000's of cuts in Aluminum siding and soffit material. Of course I would never recommend using a tool outside the manufactures recommendations.

Plasma works too.

Todd

[Squigie]

(...)
I recently had to cut about 500 24" long sections from a 1000' long roll of 16" wide 22 gauge copper sheeting to hand make decorative shingles and used a standard office paper cutter. You might find a good used one at a surplus outlet that would work for corrugated metal providing the bends are not too tight. If you are going to cover the cut ends with angle anyway a little flattening of the cut won't affect the appearance.

Not a bad idea, if the corrugation is minimal.

I have a fairly cheap paper cutter that I use for lead, copper, brass, and bronze sheet; and it's still sharp enough to run paper through without much issue.
I don't think it could handle 0.040" aluminum, though. You'd need a big'n for that. (I'm assuming the corrugated sheets are somewhere near forty thou.)

[Greg M]

Am I correct in assuming you don’t have a table saw?
If you do, a crosscut blade makes perfect cuts in aluminum.

[PCO6]

I recently had to cut about 500 24" long sections from a 1000' long roll of 16" wide 22 gauge copper sheeting to hand make decorative shingles and used a standard office paper cutter. You might find a good used one at a surplus outlet that would work for corrugated metal providing the bends are not too tight. If you are going to cover the cut ends with angle anyway a little flattening of the cut won't affect the appearance.

This won't help the OP but I made a heavy duty shear that will handle up to 1/4" metal. It's basically the same idea with a bit more oomph. It was quite easy to make if anyone is interested. Basically a metal shear from Princess Auto, Harbor freight, etc. powered by a trailer tongue jack.

I have several ways of cutting metal but I keep coming back to a 4.5" grinder with a cutting disc. They're very fast and accurate. I'd like to see what the OP plans to cut though. I think the corrugations might be the only complication.

[SCwood]

Anyone have any experience in this area?

I don't, but for $10 you can get an aluminum cutting blade for a circular saw.

T

+1. Just use a straight edge to guide the saw and it’s super easy

[les45]

Finally got my skins installed this weekend and ended up using my old Wiss offset snips like MC Toyer had recommended. They worked perfectly for most of the cuts I needed to make and for the few areas where they wouldn't go (windows and other cutouts, etc.) I used my Dremel tool with a cutting disc. Problem solved.