what tools do you use to cut metal

[49wood]

Ok...i am teaching myself how to fabricate and weld metal. I can't afford a plasma cutter at the moment. I have tried using a cheap air die grider and cheap air shears and tin snips. None of these tools work good at all. Maybe is because they are not good enough quality or what? Please help me out in cutting sheet metal without going to the extreme of buying a plasma cutter.
Thanks
Ryan

[ProBell]

I do most of my cutting with tin snips and a saws all. They make different types and styles. Some work better than others.

[rockdogz]

I used a 3 1/2" (electric) grinder for just about everything.

[CDJr]

Depends on the thickness of the metal to me, and how precise it needs to be. Usually I use an angle grinder with a cutting wheel for 16 ga and a 3" cutting tool for thinner stuff.

[jaybee]

Here's a tip for tin snips. Some of them are made to cut straight, some off to the right, and some to the left. Use the left and right at once on sheetmetal, cutting with one on the line in one hand and the other about an inch to the side in the other. By cutting with both at once you'll cut a strip out between the two and all your curling will be confined to the wast strip. You'll cut a flat piece of sheet a lot easier and more accurately with that technique.

[redss86]

You might try some type of nibbler (air or electric). That is if you are cutting sheet metal. If you are cutting thicker than 16ga I would use a cutoff wheel or possibly even an oxy-acetylene torch. It sounds to me like you are cutting sheet metal, try the nibbler.

Joe

[parsonsj]

Band saw. There's nothing better for cutting sheetmetal.

jp

[BADVELLE]

Bandsaw, angle grinder, sawzall, chop saw, torch, it all depends on the type of metal being cut, how yea and snips! I would love to have a plasma, but can't justify the cost when I just work out of the garage.

[Patrick]

I work out of my garage at home and I dont have a huge compressor with an endless supply of air so I mostly use a 4.5" Makita with cut off wheels. I also use a straight die grinder and an angle die grinder. I recently purchased a pnuematic reciprocating saw (its like a mini sawzall). It is really nice for cutting lighter gauge metals.

[astroracer]

I use whatever it takes. I used a combination of plasma cutter and die grinder/cutoff wheel to take the wells and floor out of my van. The plasma cutter made quick work of the job. I had everything out in about 15 minutes after I started cutting.

I don't have any expensive air tools. Most of my die grinders I pickt up at HF. 10 bucks or so and they work fine... The Plasma cutter DOES make a difference though and it was one of my better investments.
Mark

[PRRC]

try wood ward fab we use there throatless shear. works great you can cut up to about 18 guage with it. Tim

[wicked67]

plasma cutter is a good investment if doing major work. your buddies will appreciate you for having one.

[00fxd]

A Zip wheel on a cheap angle grinder.
A jig saw with a metal blade makes accurate cuts, I have even used the jig saw to cut 3/16 aluminum plate for my dash gauges. Uses lots of blades but blades are cheap. In a pinch when I have run out of fine metal blades I use coarser wood blades with very good results. A very versatile cutting tool.

[toxicz28]

Depending on what I cut, I use either torch, 4 1/2" grinder with an .040" wheel, snips, saws, nibblers, electric shears

[mikey]

Tinsnips, plasma cutter, sawzall, diegrinder w/cuttoff wheel, torch,air hammer (rough cut) and pnuematic center cut shears.

[73-TYPE-LT-LS1]

I have to say, I bought a cheap plasma off E-bay that advertizes 3/4" clean. I was very skeptical at the $500 price to my door. I can honestly say, it does what it advertises..

Cut50D is what it was called..

[jason@gmachine]

i got a badass toy for cutting sheetmetal, Its called the EVO 180 but around the shop its called the "ultimate saw", this thing eats, sleeps, and breaths sheet metal cutting!!!!





www.medfordtools.com

Jason

[Camaro Zach]

i got a badass toy for cutting sheetmetal, Its called the EVO 180 but around the shop its called the "ultimate saw", this thing eats, sleeps, and breaths sheet metal cutting!!!!


www.medfordtools.com

Jason

We have a couple of the larger 230Xtreme models at work and they are nice but once warmed up constantly trip the thermal overload. Causing quite a bit of down time when cutting more than a few feet of material.

[jason@gmachine]

We have a couple of the larger 230Xtreme models at work and they are nice but once warmed up constantly trip the thermal overload. Causing quite a bit of down time when cutting more than a few feet of material.

sorry to hear about the down time, that is like lost money.
we use it to cut big sheets of sheet steel (4130) for our CNC plasma table and never had any issues!

Jason

[parsonsj]

i got a badass toy for cutting sheetmetal, Its called the EVO 180 but around the shop its called the "ultimate saw", this thing eats, sleeps, and breaths sheet metal cutting!!!!

Damn Jason, do you go down by the winos and wave bottles of Southern Comfort around too?

You should know better than to show a pic of a cool tool around here: I nearly bought it just now. But I remembered the 12 steps of beating tool addiction, and was able to call a friend before getting my credit card out. That was close!

Seriously, that looks like something I'll likely buy someday. Nice stuff.

jp