Decking has a lot of advantages, one of which is the ease of processing of this material. Since the profiled sheet has a small thickness and weight, it can be adjusted directly at the construction site. And for this, you do not need to purchase a special machine for cutting corrugated board, a portable hand tool is quite enough.
But, despite the apparent simplicity, cutting corrugated board has its own characteristics. This is explained by the fact that, unlike ordinary sheet metal, the profiled sheet is a layer cake made of a metal base and multi-layer protective and decorative coatings.
Destruction of protective coatings during cutting of corrugated board will inevitably lead to active corrosion and significantly reduce the service life of structures made of profiled sheet. Therefore, it is very important to know how to properly cut corrugated board in order to prevent significant damage to the zinc layer and protective coloring.
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Is it possible to cut corrugated angle grinder?
The greatest harm to the protective coating of corrugated board is caused by heating to a high temperature, which occurs during the cutting process. Therefore, the use of gas cutting equipment for these purposes is completely excluded. For the same reason, you can not cut corrugated angle grinder.
The fact is that when cutting with a high-speed tool with abrasive wheels, the metal in the place of the cut simply burns. Together with it, the protective coating burns out, not only along the cut line, but on both sides of it. The width of the damaged area, as a rule, is 3-5 mm, which leads to the occurrence of so-called edge corrosion.
In addition, sparks flying out from under the abrasive wheel are also dangerous. Due to the high temperature, they can damage the polymer coating at a distance of several tens of centimeters from the site of the cut.
Cutting corrugated angle grinder is possible only in one case. if before cutting corrugated board, the abrasive wheel is replaced by a cutting disc for corrugated board with small teeth. However, even in this case, using this tool is not recommended, since such a measure will simply reduce the amount of damage, and not remove them at all.
How to cut a professional sheet to maximize the preservation of the protective properties of its coating?
Many builders prefer to use an electric saw, on which a disk for cutting profiled sheet is installed. This tool has several advantages:
- The rotational speed of a circular saw is almost 2 times lower than that of an angle grinder, therefore the metal of the profiled sheet does not melt under the action of the teeth of the disk for cutting the corrugated board, but is removed in the form of small sawdust.
- The ability to quickly cut a large number of sheets
- You can buy a disk for cutting corrugated board in any construction supermarket, in the same departments where abrasive cutting wheels are sold.
However, use an electric tool with a rotating circle very carefully, since the pieces of metal formed during cutting can cause injury. Therefore, this tool requires certain skills to work with it and is not suitable for beginners.
If you need to cut a small number of sheets, then the classic tool for cutting profiled sheets. a manual hacksaw for metal. is perfect for you. It is extremely easy to use, allows you to make a cut of absolutely any shape and is safe even for a person with zero construction experience. Of course, you can also get injured from using a hacksaw. however, a similar outcome is extremely unlikely compared to other tools.
But this method has its drawbacks. The main one is a lot of time spent on work. In addition, for cutting corrugated board you will need a special table.
Video: Can I Cut Decking Angle Grinder
Another option is to use a hand or electric saw. Using them, the work will be completed faster, but with their help you can cut corrugated board only in a straight line.
Unlike the previous method, cutting profiled sheet with a jigsaw allows you to make curved cuts of any shape. Such adjustment is often necessary when installing roofing in the places where ventilation and chimneys pass through the roof. However, before cutting the profiled sheet with a manual or electric jigsaw, you need to carefully mark the sheet so as not to make a mistake with the size of the cutouts.
The disadvantage of this method is that the cutting of corrugated board with a jigsaw is possible only with a profile height of not more than 20 mm. When cutting higher profiles, the blade tears metal and often breaks.
Finally, if you need to fit profiled sheets of small thickness, you can use scissors to cut corrugated board. This can be either ordinary manual shears for cutting sheet metal, or special electric shears for cutting profiled sheets.
Scissors for corrugated board can be of three types. these are cutting, knife and slotted. The most accurate cut is obtained if slotted scissors for profiled sheet are used. They are equipped with a special head that allows you to make an accurate cut without any deformations or distortions.
Among professional builders, electric scissors are very popular. They are considered one of the most convenient tools for cutting profiled sheets.
In addition to conventional manual and electric shears, nibblers are also used. They cut the profile sheet in two parallel straight lines, which helps to avoid bending the sheet. Before cutting corrugated board, using a special handle, the matrix holder can be rotated at an angle of 90 ° to the cut line. This allows you to cut the profile, bent at right angles, without burrs.
The only drawback of these tools is the high cost and, most importantly, the extremely narrow scope. If cutting corrugated board is not your daily routine, then it makes no sense to buy nibblers or electric shears.
Many roofers use such a tool for corrugated board as drill nozzles in their work. In the presence of certain skills and the use of a cordless drill, such a nozzle is very convenient for cutting and fitting the profiled sheet in hard-to-reach places.
As you can see, the choice of possible tools is quite large, and each of the options is optimal for a particular situation and loses to its analogues in another. Therefore, it is difficult to say unequivocally that it is better to cut corrugated board without reference to a specific task. How to cut a professional sheet in each individual case is decided by a specialist, taking into account the complexity of the shape of the cut, the ability to access it, and your personal skills and preferences.
How to cut corrugated board with a jigsaw?
If you can’t decide in any way how to cut corrugated board, we advise you to choose a jigsaw if, of course, you don’t have other tools already purchased. As a rule, this is the best choice for those who decide to independently engage in the installation of a roofing in the country or the construction of a fence from a profiled sheet. It is desirable that he had a laser guide.
This tool is the most versatile of how to cut a professional sheet without spending serious efforts and the presence of special skills. In addition, it can be used for carpentry, and in order to cut several dry branches in the garden.
In addition, the jigsaw is very easy to maintain and use. The work speed is high, the probability of injury is minimal, if the file breaks, it can be easily replaced, and even a novice can cope with a sharp one. All these qualities make the jigsaw an almost perfect tool for this task.
Now let’s dwell directly on the technology of its use:
- Before you cut the corrugated board with a jigsaw, draw the line of the cut. You can use a regular marker for this.
- Fix the sheet so that it is at least 10 centimeters from the surface and does not move when cutting. For this you can use ordinary goats.
- Now you can proceed directly to cutting. Do not rely “on the eye”. use a laser pointer to ensure that the cut line is flat and exactly matches your tasks.
- Try to press the jigsaw firmly against the sheet where possible. This will reduce the risk of file breakage.
- Despite the fact that this tool for cutting corrugated board is quite safe and has many mechanisms that protect people from injuries, be extremely careful. Hold the sheet by the edge, and do not lean against it with your hand. And moreover, do not keep your hand on the cut line, even if the tool is still at a decent distance.
If you follow all these rules, then you can easily cope with cutting corrugated board yourself. And do it quickly and without serious harm to cover the sheet.
Edge Corrosion Protection
Even the use of special tools for cutting corrugated board does not guarantee complete protection against damage to the coating of corrugated board. Only in profiled sheets of galvanized steel of the 1st class of the thickness of the zinc coating, the presence of molecules at the site of the cut creates a barrier that prevents the oxidation of the metal.
Therefore, in order to avoid reducing the service life of corrugated board, it is imperative to apply a special anti-corrosion mastic to the edges of the cut. In addition, you can also paint over these places with paint in the color of the protective coating of the profiled sheet. Fulfillment of these simple requirements will reliably protect the edges of sheets of corrugated board in the places of fitting, ensuring the reliability of the profiled sheet throughout its life.
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