Easy Way To Cut 16 Gauge Sheet Metal

Steel comes in many different forms and thicknesses.

Easy way to cut 16 gauge sheet metal.

Thicker steel like pipes tubes and plates may require the use of power saws and torches. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in. It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool. Cut metal with your circular saw.

These problems are common for those of us who don t work with sheet metal every day. The lower the number the thicker the metal is. In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. Most sheet metal cutting tools are limited to 16 gauge and thinner 14 gauge is still sheet metal but in common forms 11 gauge while technically sheet metal is 1 8 thick and not really sheet metal for the purposes of this article so we will focus on 16 gauge and thinner.

The method you choose to cut sheet metal depends on the thickness of the metal and the type of cut you plan to make. Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. They use to contain a wire like blade. Hot metal chips will fly.

Red for left green for. Steel thickness is referred to as gauge the smaller the number of gauge the thicker the steel. Aviation snips and tin snips are a common method of cutting thin sheet metal for hobbyists. But you don t have to be a tinsmith to cut sheet metal successfully.

While cutting a 16 gauge metal sheet with that use the coarse cut method. Commonly known as aviation snips or tinsnips these scissor like tools are great for cutting soft sheet metals such as tin aluminum brass and thin gauge 24 gauge or thinner steel. You ll also be limited to the gauges you can work with i don t believe you ll be cutting anything thicker than 16 gauge cold rolled steel with this method. To cut straight lines use an electric saw.

And finally use a dremel tool for cleaning it up. Also referred to as aviator snips these scissor like hand tools cut sheet metal materials up to 18 gauge in thickness accurately without leaving a ragged bent edge as the finished product. Start by taping both sides of the sheet metal directly over the line you want to cut and clamp the metal to a work station so it doesn t move. That might be a perfect tool to cut 16 gauge sheet metals.

These tools are good for cutting soft sheet metals such as tin aluminum and brass. The edges are sharp the cutoffs are stiff and get in the way the snips bind or you just can t seem to negotiate the curve. Cutting sheet metal with snips can be tricky and frustrating.