How To Cut Aluminum Sheet Metal Straight

If your project requires curved cuts make an easy economical and adjustable.

How to cut aluminum sheet metal straight. Place the fracture line over the edge of a table and bend the overhang slightly downwards. Punch a starter hole for a circular cutout with a straight blade screwdriver. 2 x research source. Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal.

And you can use the same technique anytime you need a straight cut on aluminum or other light gauge sheet metal even steel. Choose a saw with a tooth number of at least 24tip teeth per inch to ensure even cuts in the metal. Cutting straight lines with an electric saw. Use curve cutting snips to cut circles.

Bench mounted tools such as shears or band saws cut aluminum sheet relatively slowly and with varying amounts of accuracy. Cutting aluminum sheet metal with a hammer and chisel is relatively straight forward line up the edge of the chisel along the line you wish to cut and strike the chisel with a hammer. Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. An air powered sheet metal nibbler or a nibbler head attached to a power drill can cut through galvanized corrugated aluminum sheet as well as flat sheet up to 16 gauge.

Making a circular cutout in a duct is simple using the techniques shown in photos 5 and 6. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it. This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line. Using a softer piece of material such as wood as a backer will allow the chisel to push through the metal and prevent wear on the chisel s tip.

Using your power tool ensure you re up against the straight edge and can follow along the. With the aid of a straight edge and a sharp knife score both sides of the aluminium sheet. To cut the sheets of metal rathe. Pound on the back of the screwdriver with a hammer to puncture the metal and create an opening for the tin snips.