How To Cut Aluminum Gutters With Tin Snips

Rest the base of the carpenter s square against the top edge of the metal gutter and align the blade of the square.

How to cut aluminum gutters with tin snips. Laying your gutter on the workbench measure off the amount of gutter you want to cut and mark it with a pencil. This method doesn t produce the cleanest results. If you re using tin snips you ll want to use one of shears to poke a hole in the downspout along the line you ve marked when you measured. Flip a section of aluminum gutter upside down and set it on the table.

Use a hacksaw to cut through gutters quickly if you prefer to use one instead of a miter saw. Pull the tape measure along the length of metal gutter and mark the length you need to cut the gutter with the carpenter s pencil. Pattern shears tin snips work table. Cut a two inch long notch in the front lip of the gutter with tin snips to join a rain gutter section with an inside or outside corner piece.

Punch a starter hole for a circular cutout with a straight blade screwdriver. Pattern shears are tin snips that have long handles and long narrow jaws that reduce the amount of distortion caused to the cut end of the aluminum gutter. Then work the tin snips through the downspout and cut along the line until you ve completely cut through the downspout. Pound on the back of the screwdriver with a hammer to puncture the metal and create an opening for the tin snips.

They are also handy for smaller cuts where a miter saw might be considered overkill. How to cut metal gutters hunker. An important part of the aluminum gutter is cutting the pieces of gutter to length. Measure the length that you need to cut and make a pencil mark on the bottom of the gutter.

The blade on a hacksaw is interchangeable which means you can switch it out depending on whether you are cutting through plastic or metal. Making a circular cutout in a duct is simple using the techniques shown in photos 5 and 6. Cut a four inch long notch to overlap and splice together gutter sections. Steps for how to cut gutters.

Use a carpenter s square to get around to the bottom. Although there are many methods of cutting the aluminum gutter the simplest method is to use pattern shears.