Cutting Thin Sheet Metal Straight

Using tin snips for thin sheets.

Cutting thin sheet metal straight.

Using a chisel and hammer is the most basic form of cutting sheet metal. There are many different types of tin snips but for cutting sheet metal you only need to work with three basic types. If you ve hit it hard enough the chisel will cut the sheet metal if it s thin enough. Longer blade was nice for long straight cuts 148 see all buying options.

Making detailed cuts with. Set your saw to straight rather than oscillating if there s a choice. Choose between red blue or yellow snips based on the cut direction. Nice tight blade contact.

Make long strokes for long straight cuts. Worked well to cut thin steel. Lift the cutoff strip and roll it to the side to prevent it from binding on the tin snips handle. Right cutting left cutting and straight cutting snips.

These photo steps show that it can be done using a utility knife. If you use metal shears to cut thin sheet metal such as duct metal it curls and can be difficult to flaten properly. Long straight cuts are easier to make with large tin snips. Here are a few tips for cutting metal with a recip saw.

Open the cutters as wide as you can at the start of each stroke and make long smooth strokes. Cutting straight lines with an electric saw. Right and left cutting snips are used for making curved cuts while straight cutting snips make straight cuts. Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer.

Extend blade life by keeping the saw s speed slow. Wax your saw blade before cutting sheet metal.