How To Die Cut Sheet Metal

The profiled sheet metal slug removed from the sheet by this process is called the blank or starting piece of sheet metal that will be cut or formed later see.

How to die cut sheet metal. I know i will need to buy a lot more of these to accommodate all of the dies i have and will buy in the future. The cutting clearance the distance between the cutting sections varies with respect to the metal type thickness hardness and desired edge quality. Blanking a dual purpose cutting operation usually performed on a larger scale blanking is used in operations in which the slug is saved for further pressworking it also is used to cut finished piece parts free from the sheet metal. Metal shears may resemble scissors or they may look more like small gardening shears.

You will need a strong die that is made for cutting through sheet metal because a die that can cut through card stock may not be strong enough. Steel rule die also known as cookie cutter dies are used for cutting sheet metal and softer materials such as plastics wood cork felt fabrics and paperboard. These steel rules are usually located using saw or laser cut grooves in plywood. A die is a mold like a cookie cutter that is used to punch through a sheet of material to create multiple pieces of the same exact shape.

You can create the same shape with the exact same dimensions over and over without using scissors stencils or a craft knife. Basically given a certain size does the hole have to be that size or is it important that the blank be that size. For me i know that the sheets are already pretty small. To cut metal the die must first have a cutting punch and a mating section into which the punch enters.

Jigsaws and metal cutting band saws are more work but can make most cuts in light to medium sheet metal. The sheet metal cutting clearance value may be added to either the punch or die depending on if it is a blanking or a punching operation. But i cut about 3 inches off the side of them so i can put them into a 3l really usefulbox that way all my magnetic die sheets are standing and i can easily leaf through them. Use shears to cut a small piece of silver from a larger sheet for cutting with a jeweler s saw for cutting templates from a thin sheet of metal or for chain cutting.

A handheld cutting tool fitted with a metal cut off wheel will easily cut through sheet. The cutting surface of the die is the edge of hardened steel strips known as steel rule.