Cutting aluminum skins?

[cuyeda]

What tools are used to cut aluminum skins? Harbor freight has a couple items on sale this month.
Item: 36567 air

Item: 92148 electric
I have an air compressor so either air or electric is fine.

What would be the weapon of choice to cut aluminum skins?

[madjack]

...the top one...it is what we use in the shop and with a bare minimum of practice you can make a very fine line cut with 'em...the other is a nibler(Ithink) and they leave a kazillion and a half of very annoying very pointy little shards...the top one leaves a very nice curly cue suitable for mounting or the recycle bin...
madjack

[Dale M.]

92148 is actually a shear.... Does not leave a kbillion little slivers as a nubbler does..... It actually will make a smoother cut in that it will not tend to curl up material as it cuts...

Dale

[madjack]

...that is good to know Dale...I wasn't sure which it was but feared it was a nibbler and not a shear..........
madjack

[len19070]

If you've got air, I use this air saw.



http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... number=113

Cuts Aluminum like butter. It is also a very handy tool for a lot of other stuff.

Happy Trails

Len

[asianflava]

I have the bottom one, it worked OK but I still used snips to trim close. I didn't trust myself with the electric's speed. It is basically a jigsaw that cuts with a shearing action rather than a sawing action.

One problem I found is the cap screw that holds the throat to the body sticks out a little bit (at least mine did). It will scratch the aluminum if you are not careful.

You may be able to dress the screw down with a file or grinder. I was almost done with the metal cutting when I found this so I didn;t bother.