Cutting metal sheets sounds easy, right? Take a cutter, mark the cutting point, and simply cut. This is a familiar concept for every newbie. However, this process is tedious and requires skills and expertise. Having a key knowledge of how to cut sheet metal is crucial.
Without proper know-how, you’ll need to make the wrong cuts. Remember, cutting thicker material and metal sheets is entirely different. The margin of error is small when you cut the metal sheets. This article will discuss step-by-step metal sheet cutting. You’ll also learn about the different methods you can use to cut sheet metal. So, let’s get started!
Overview of Metal Sheet Cutting
Metal sheet cutting is a metal fabrication process. It helps cut, grind, and slice the workpiece efficiently. Manufacturers cut the sheets and use them to make different parts and products. Various tools and advanced methods are available for the precision cutting of metal sheets.
Depending on the material you cut, this process can be complex, tedious, or simple. It requires you to know and understand the properties of sheet metal. There are sheet metals that are thick and have rigid strength. Cutting such sheets is generally challenging and time-consuming.
Conversely, some are flexible and can be reshaped using hand or minimal cutting tools. The cutting process achieves a specific shape or dimension. Small mistakes can result in the wrong cut of the metal sheet. Choosing the right tool, cutting methods, and expertise play a key role. Remember, cutting metal sheets is not as easy as cutting any material.
How To Cut Sheet Metal? Step By Step
Multiple tools and equipment are needed to cut the metal sheets. The key equipment includes a saw frame, steel ruler, square, marker, saw blade lubricant, bench peg, and anvil. You should arrange them before starting the cutting process.
1- Fix the Saw Blade to The Frame
To fix the saw on the frame, loosen the nuts at each end and fix the blade. While fixing the blade, ensure it is in the right direction for cutting. When you see that the direction is right for cutting, run your hands along the blade. Then, tighten the nuts on each end of the saw. To check the tightness of the blade, pluck it like you are doing for a guitar string. When it gives an excellent ting sound, it indicates it is suitable for use.
2- Mark the Sheet Metal
Before you cut sheet metal, you should know the shape you want to cut, whether square or rectangular. You need to work with perfectly straight lines to cut any of these shapes. Mark the lines to accurately cut on the sheet metal to what you desire. Not marking lines on the metal sheet can result in wrong cuts.
3- Use the Bench Peg
Using the bench peg allows the sheet metal to be placed in a comfortable and central position. While setting the metal sheet on the peg, let the middle notch of the peg fall over the line. Cutting through the sheet metal will be clean and smooth with this set.
4- Create a Notch in the Metal Sheet
Making the first cut in the sheet metal is always tricky and can mess up the whole process if care is not taken. To avoid this, create a notch in the metal sheet with a gentle forward stroke of the saw. You can start sawing at a slight angle with the small hole created.
Keep on sawing the metal along the line you have on the metal. As you are sawing, use the fluid sawing motion together with the weight of your hand to initiate the cutting. As you cut through the sheet metal, always dust the small shavings away from the surface. If the blade isn’t moving smoothly while cutting, lubricate it to keep going.
How To Cut a Hole or Circle in Sheet Metal?
Cutting a hole in sheet metal is less complicated, especially if you know how to cut sheet metal in a straight line. Here is the straightforward procedure you can follow to cut the hole on sheets:
- Make a loose grip on your saw, not a tightened one, so the saw can easily move on the sheet metal.
- The blade should not be moved forward to get a perfect circle, like cutting a straight line. Instead, the saw should be held upright, moving it up and down to do a perfect circle cutting.
- To cut sheet metal at curved edges or corners, keep the saw in the same spot while turning it. While on the spot, move it up and down. By keeping the saw still, you can rotate the sheet metal.
- Cut sheet metal circles may not have a smooth curve. When this happens, return to the piece with your saw. Place the blade’s side at the cutting point and reshape it. Jog the blade up and down gently on the side, which needs to be smoothed to have a perfect circle.
Different Operations in Sheet Metal Cutting
Some different operations or procedures can be followed to cut sheet metal. The selection of each cutting method depends on what you want to cut and for what purpose. Before proceeding, consider the thickness of what you want to cut. Several processes are involved in cutting sheet metal.
1- Punching
The punching procedure is one of the simplest operations to cut sheet metal. It involves cutting out a small part of the sheet metal, which has different types. The variations or types that are involved in punching are;
- Piercing: This involves extrusion, creating a slot or a single hole in the metal sheet. By extrusion, you combine forming and cutting to give the sheet metal little or no scrap.
- Lancing: This technique uses a single strike to cut and shape sheet metal. It creates various forms like tabs, louvers, vents, and more.
- Notching: This process is exclusive to sheet metal edges for creating notches.
- Slotting: This is used to cut a rectangular slot in sheet metal using a rectangular tool.
- Nibbling: It combines different overlapping punches to get different kinds of figures. Nibbling is often used to create complex shapes.
- Perforating: Many relatively small holes are generated using this method. The holes generated are close to each other on the metal sheet.
2- Blanking
This operation is used to create small details. This is achieved by cutting the enclosed part by applying a massive shear force to the metal pieces. It is more like stamping and applying force to create cuts on the metal sheets. Blanking is used to cut sheet metal for making automotive parts, plane washers, and small gears.\
3- Shearing
The shearing process applies a straight-line force on the metal sheet. So, it cuts sheet metal in a straight line or an angular form. What I like about this method is its smooth and clean cuts. Additionally, this method helps cut large metals into smaller pieces without creating chips.
4- Slitting
This process helps cut sheet metal pieces with two opposing circular blades. Generally, fabricators use it to cut large rolls of metal sheets. With it, straight and curved lines can be created. It makes metal pieces with precise widths. This helps other machines cut them correctly.
5- Trimming
This process helps cut the borders of the workpiece from excess metal materials. It is the most common method for improving the finishing of metal sheets. Without trimming, the metal sheet will be rough and uneven. This process usually occurs at the end of the sheet metal manufacturing process. Generally, the trimming process is not dependent on the machine. Instead, human efforts are involved in this method.
6- Deburring
Once a metal is cut, it can have a rough and uneven surface. These rough or raised points are called burr. This deburring process removes those irregularities and enhances the smoothness. This process is done when the project is nearing completion or has been completed. The burr on the piece will be removed to get smooth edges. The process involves machinery, unlike trimming, which demands hand tools.
Conclusion
Cutting metal sheets is easier if you have the right skills and expertise. Understanding what tools you should use makes life easier during cutting. I have discussed the step-by-step process of cutting metal sheets in this article.
You should carefully follow each step to get the job done. Remember, there are different ways to cut the metal sheets, each requiring specific cutting tools. I highly recommend that you carefully understand each method before using it.