Cutting sheet metal at home

What to cut metal with: select hand tools

Some construction and finishing jobs may require you to cut metal (sheet, profile, etc.) to size.п.) in domestic conditions for obtaining products of desired size and shape. In this article we will consider the most accessible and popular hand tools, which should be in the arsenal of any owner to carry out this kind of work.

This tool can cut most sheet metals of thickness 0.7-1.0 mm, aluminum up to 2.5 mm. Scissors design consists of two cutting blades, fixed at a certain angle, and two handles. For ease of use (reducing the effort when cutting), the angle of attachment is 7 to 12 degrees. Cutting blades are wedge-shaped with an angle of sharpening from 65 to 80 degrees. The smallest angle allows you to work with the softest metals, the largest angle is designed for cutting hard metals.

Metal shears can be of the following types:

  • Straight shears can be used to cut metal in a straight line or to cut a large-diameter circle.
  • To cut a small piece on the contour, to make a curved piece or make a hole in the sheet metal use scissors with curvilinear blades.
  • Finger scissors have narrow, thin blades and are usually used for the same purpose as curved scissors. Scissors can be right- or left-handed. It depends on the location of the upper blade in relation to the lower.
  • Chair (roofing) scissors are used when working with sheet metal of slightly greater thickness (up to 2-3 mm.). The distinctive feature of such scissors is the design of handles, the lower of which has a bend at the end. With this end the chair scissors can be attached to the workbench and by pressing the handle with the whole hand you can increase the cutting force.
  • Power scissors (scissors H.А.Vasiliev). These scissors have one handle consisting of two levers connected by a hinge. Their special design makes it possible to cut sheet metal up to 2.5 mm thick. Another feature of the power scissors are interchangeable blades and the availability of discs for cutting metal bars with a diameter of up to 8 mm.
  • Lever-action hand scissors are fixed on the workbench with the base, in the body of which there is one blade of the knife. The second (movable) knife is controlled by the handle. Lever scissors are used to cut soft sheet metal (e.g. brass) up to 6 mm thick and steel sheet up to 4 mm thick.

Handheld Metal Shears

This hand tool is used for cutting thicker sheet metal, rolled sections, bars and pipes.

A hacksaw consists of a hacksaw blade mounted in a horizontal or slanted frame. The hacksaw can be telescoped by the length of the hacksaw blade (usually up to 25-30 cm) which is replaceable.

The lower part of the blade has teeth sharpened at an angle of 60 degrees, which are set for easier handling of metal. There is a tooth set and a blade set. In the first case each tooth is bent in turn, in the second case. every two or three teeth.

Depending on the metal to be worked with, it is necessary to choose hacksaws with a certain number of teeth. For example, to cut tool steel you would need a blade that has 22 teeth per 2.5 cm in length. Hacksaw blades with teeth of different lengths can be used for metal of different hardness.

When changing a hacksaw blade it is necessary to set the blade with the tip of the teeth facing forward (in the direction from the handle), adjusting its tension. Tension can be checked by taking the blade with two fingers and turning it 1/8 of a circle.

When working with any cutting tool you must follow the rules of use and safety precautions.

Tools for cutting metal sheets

Initially, when selecting tools, you must determine what you want to do. Not only the amount of work is important, but also the timing, the precision of the cut and the possibility of damaging the protective coating. On construction sites electric shears are often used. Do not expect a very straight edge. The advantage of such a device is the speed of the work.

How to cut a sheet of metal evenly? At home the problem is solved quite simply. using scissors for metal. But this method is time-consuming and physically demanding. Not suitable scissors if you need to cut long strips. The most even cut can be obtained using slotted scissors. This tool is quite expensive and is usually used by professionals.

Equipment for cutting profiled and galvanized sheet:

Possible ways to cut rails

Despite the apparent complexity of the operation, it is not difficult to divide the metal element into small sections. To do this, you can use one of the following devices:

Each method is difficult in its own way, but the expected result (cut into pieces of rail) will be obtained. Now for a detailed description of each technique.

Cutting with a sewing needle

The method was popular in the last century, when there were no more convenient devices for cutting metal rails. the product is not sawn, but broken.

  • The rail is placed by its edges on two supports with the base downwards;
  • A thick sewing needle is placed perpendicular to the intended place of the break;
  • With a sledgehammer, a strong and precise blow is made at the point where the needle touches the rail, cutting it in half.
  • experience is needed. it is not easy to hit the right place accurately;
  • The fishing line for the trimmer of the fracture (cut) sometimes turns out to be crooked;
  • it is necessary to make only one precise blow; several unsuccessful attempts will damage the integrity of the blade.

Using a chisel

Here, too, the metal workpiece is split not by a cut, but by a blow.

  • Install the rail as in the paragraph above;
  • all the perimeter with a chisel and a hammer (mallet) are incised to a small depth (1-2 mm);
  • The sledgehammer strikes the notches and splits the rail.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method repeat the above, only it takes a little more time.

Cutting rail with a hacksaw

Popular method, though power-consuming. It is important to know a few requirements for the saw blade:

  • The handle is convenient, it is not horizontal, but vertical, with a slight tilt to the side of the stroke “from itself”;
  • The teeth of the blade are coated;
  • the teeth are located in the direction of “from itself”;
  • When working, move the blade so that the area of contact of the teeth with the cutting surface is maximum;
  • choose a blade based on the density and hardness of the rail material.

How to cut the rail with a hacksaw? The sequence is as follows:

  • the rail is placed on a horizontal surface;
  • If you need a precise cut, it is worth using a chisel to make notches on the base;
  • cut the base on both sides up to the rail neck;
  • To put a stop under the place of the notch;
  • Make a pointed blow with a sledgehammer.

Cold types of metal cutting

Cutting metal mechanically is a difficult process, because metal products have high strength and hardness. Cold types of metal cutting include:

Cutting with a guillotine.

When using this type of cutting, special mechanical tools. scissors and metal knives. are used. The workpiece is placed on the work table and secured with a clamping beam. Then a special blade is used to cut the metal. The result is a perfectly straight edge without any extra edges, burrs or nicks. They cut the material across the entire width of the sheet at once, so the curvature of the cut is zero.

The following types of guillotines are currently used for cutting metal:

They do not differ from each other in the principle of operation, but the last three types are complemented by electronics, ensuring precision and safety of cutting. There are also machines that can cut the metal not only crosswise, but also lengthwise. Guillotine type processing is most commonly used for blank workpieces.

Disadvantages of this method:

  • Can not be used for all types of metals and has a limitation on the thickness of the workpiece. For example, hydraulic machines are designed for metal thicknesses up to 6 mm.
  • The resulting cut blanks often do not correspond to the desired size, since the accuracy of machining depends on the skill of the operator.
  • It is not possible to carry out shape cutting.
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Bandsawing.

Currently, this type of metal cutting is very popular due to the low cost of equipment, good productivity and uncomplicated maintenance. The cutting tool is a band saw tensioned on pulleys.

Modern band sawing machines (BFS) are supplemented by a variety of equipment and electronics, thanks to which the unit can be easily integrated into the specific production line for trimmer. Cutting speed of such a machine is on average about 100 mm/min and higher.

The LPS method of cutting makes it possible to achieve precise compliance with specified parameters, and the place of the cut does not require additional processing. The method is good for high-precision products and parts with a smooth surface. LPS is suitable for any metal, and the cutting width is only 1.5 mm.

With this type of metal cutting, it is important to observe a number of conditions:

  • the exact choice of the pitch of the teeth of the cutting blade in accordance with the section of the sawn profile with the help of special tables;
  • feed rate;
  • cutting speed.

The LPS allows you to cut a metal workpiece at an angle, which is a big advantage over the guillotine.

Disadvantages of this type of metal cutting include the inability to get shaped cuts and the limitation of the size of workpieces depending on the capabilities of the machine.

Cutting metal with a circular saw and “angle grinder.

The circular saw makes precise, good quality cuts. This tool allows you to control the angle of cut.

The disadvantages of this type of cutting include a large amount of waste, low speed and shallow depth of cut.

An angle grinder can be used for cutting rolled section. There is no dross or oxide residue where it is cut, and little residue.

But the low productivity of this type of metal cutting is its main disadvantage compared to other methods.

How to hold an angle grinder correctly

Many people have an angle grinder, but most people don’t know how to use it correctly and how to hold it. It leads not only to defects in the work, but also to serious injury. angle grinder is a rather dangerous power tool. The wheel should be mounted with the pattern upward and clamped with a special nut.

The person with the leading right hand holds the angle grinder by the handle with the right hand. The wheel should be on the left side of the machine and the safety guard should cover the wheel from above. The rotation is such that sparks fly to the worker while cutting. If the angle grinder’s wheel jams and the angle grinder breaks free, it will not go toward the cutter, but in the opposite direction.

The left hand holds the machine by the handle, which is screwed into a threaded hole on the body. There are several there for special use cases, but the correct handle position is only the top one.

This position of the machine requires the use of protective equipment. To protect the eyes and the exposed part of the face is protective goggles, or better yet, a safety mask. To protect exposed parts of the body from sparks and flying debris while cutting, a suit of thick material should be worn.

How to hold an angle grinder correctly

Many people have an angle grinder, but most people don’t know how to use it correctly and how to hold it. This leads not only to defects in the work, but also to serious injury. An angle grinder is a rather dangerous power tool. The wheel must be mounted with the pattern upward and clamped with a special nut.

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The person with the leading right hand holds the angle grinder by the handle with the right hand. The wheel must be on the left side of the machine and the safety guard must cover the wheel from above. The rotation is such that sparks fly to the worker while cutting. If the angle grinder has a circle jammed and the angle grinder breaks free, it will not go to the cutter, but in the opposite direction.

Left hand holds the machine by the handle, which is screwed into a threaded hole in the body. there is more than one for special applications, but only the upper handle is correct.

This positioning of the machine requires the use of protective equipment. To protect your eyes and exposed part of your face, safety glasses or better yet, a face mask. To protect exposed body parts from sparks and small fragments while cutting, you must wear a suit of thick material.

Hot cutting of metal

Modern industrial production requires high-performance machining methods that produce the highest possible number of workpieces of the required quality in the shortest possible time. These requirements are met by hot metal cutting methods.

Oxygen gas cutting.

The working principle is based on the fact that metal melts and burns out in pure oxygen at temperatures above 1000 °C. Cutting area is preheated to ignition temperature of material. acetylene is usually used as heating gas. The heating time is influenced by the thickness of the metal, its grade and the condition of the surface of the workpiece.

After the cut is heated up, a jet of burning oxygen is poured into the nozzle of the torch. It cuts through the entire thickness of the workpiece, moving smoothly along the cutting line. The oxygen combustion process also removes oxides that form on the surface of the semi-finished material.

In order to obtain a quality cut, it is important to maintain the same distance between the torch and the workpiece during processing. This is not an easy task with an oxyfuel hand torch. If the process is automated, cutting is performed at high speed with high-pressure oxygen, resulting in greatly increased productivity and cut quality.

The uniqueness of the method lies in the possibility:

The disadvantages of gas-oxygen cutting include:

  • it is impossible to use when cutting non-ferrous metals (copper, aluminum), nickel-chrome and high-carbon steels;
  • large width of the cut, formation of oxides, overlaps, poor quality;
  • it is impossible to process curvilinear surfaces;
  • Changes in the physical properties of the material in the area of the cut as a result of high-temperature exposure.
cutting, sheet, metal, home

Plasma cutting of metal.

Cutting with plasma is based on the principle of intense melting of metal along the cut line by means of thermal effect of compressed electric arc and its subsequent evaporation. Under the influence of the electric arc a fully or partially ionized gas or plasma is formed. The temperature inside the gas plasma flow reaches 15 000 20 000 ° C, which allows to increase the productivity of the process by many times compared to the gas-oxygen cutting, and to get rid of the drawbacks of the latter.

Of all the types of metal cutting listed above, plasma cutting is currently the best choice for modern metalworking industries due to its advantages:

  • plasma cutting is high-precision and leaves no overlap;
  • allows cutting along curved lines;
  • it excludes changes in the physical properties of the metal (overheating) due to the narrow-directional heating of the cutting area;
  • it is possible to cut titanium, copper, cast iron, specialized steel grades without changing the tool;
  • equipment does not have cylinders with explosive gas, respectively, does not require refueling and delivery of these containers;
  • no special regime of compliance with fire safety measures is required;
  • there is no preparatory cleaning step, because the high-temperature impact effectively removes foreign impurities (in the form of rust, dirt, paint), the quality of the cut remains unchanged;
  • no special additives are needed for non-ferrous metals, cheap electricity and air are used, consumables are only nozzles and electrodes, so plasma metal cutting is a cost-effective process.

Disadvantages of this type of metal cutting:

  • High temperatures change the properties of the workpiece edges. They become harder, some material is lost, and additional edge costs are needed. In any case, the quality of the edges after plasma cutting is much better than after gas-oxygen cutting: no dross, the width of the zone with colors is five times less.

Laser cutting metal.

This type refers to innovative technological processes. Its essence is in intensive influence on the metal of a narrow laser beam with stable frequency and wavelength. It can focus on a small area of the surface with optics controlled by a special computer program. Due to this technological solution laser cutting has unequalled accuracy parameters.

High power density, characteristic of directional and narrowly concentrated laser radiation, allows to heat and vaporize a precisely defined area of the metal workpiece.

Laser cutting occurs as follows

When the laser beam plunges into the metal, the temperature rises, causing the material to melt and boil. the process consumes a lot of energy, so in order to save energy an auxiliary gas is fed into the cutting area with which plasma cutting is performed. Depending on the material’s thermotechnical properties, the auxiliary gases may be regular air, nitrogen, oxygen, inert gas.

cutting, sheet, metal, home

Advantages of laser type of metal cutting

  • the narrowest possible cuts;
  • no deformation when cutting thin sheets of steel and soft semi-finished products;
  • It is possible to cut precisely along complex contours;
  • minimal irregularities;
  • small area of thermal effect
  • method universality. it is suitable for any alloy;
  • easy control of the laser cutting machine.

The only disadvantage of laser cutting is the small thickness of metal permitted.

Cutting with the plasma method

Plasma cutting involves applying a high-pressure gas mixture to a certain area of the item. Plasma flame is a highly heated, ionized gas. flow temperature is 15000 0 C.

Where workpieces are subjected to plasma cutting, the workpiece burns out and melts. Parts of molten metal are blown away by the gas mixture. Can be used for all types of workpieces.

Plasma cutting exceeds all other cutting methods in performance. It is 10 times faster than any mechanical cutting method. Plasma cutting is 4 times faster than laser cutting.

The great advantage of this method is that it can be used to cut metal articles of variable thickness (up to 150 mm).

  • edge trimming of the workpieces is required;
  • the edges after machining have a slight inclination of 4
  • not recommended for cutting titanium and other thick metals.

Waterjet cutting

Abrasive waterjet cutting is defined as cutting by applying a pressure to the material using a mixture of sand and water fed through a narrow nozzle. Sand combined with water can cut metal items with a thickness of 30 cm.

This method is one of the most innovative. No additional machining of the workpiece edges is necessary after cutting.

This process is not a hot cutting method because it eliminates the need for heat treatment of the workpiece. Thanks to this cutting can be performed without deforming the workpiece.

The main disadvantage of waterjet method is the impossibility of cutting corroded metals. The equipment used has a high cost and is not always available for private needs.

Sabre saws

Universal tool, suitable for repairs in apartments and private homes. The tool easily copes with cutting nails and self-tapping screws. No problem cutting a piece of pipe or rebar in hard-to-reach places.

The undoubted advantage of the tool is its relative safety and absence of sparks during works.

Most craftsmen buy it because of these features. Work more easily in tight quarters.

When buying, pay attention to battery capacity and power. these factors determine how long the saw can work. Experienced specialists advise to buy a tool with maximum power.

The jigsaw is a genius tool

Available for home and professional use, the power of the tool directly depends on the intended use. Hand cutting with a professional jigsaw is not difficult, and the craftsman will be able to cut steel profile up to 10 mm, and aluminum up to 20 mm.

The main factor in the choice is the device power, the value depends on the lifetime, duration of operation and depth of penetration. The weight of the jigsaw is also of considerable importance, as it directly affects the complexity of the work.

Oxyfuel cutting equipment

Since acetylene is often used for cutting, it is not uncommon to use an acetylene welder as an oxygen cutting machine. Instead of welding torches, gas torches are used there. The most common option is an injection-style torch.

Torches are quite different from torches in their design. They have additional tubes, through which cutting oxygen is supplied, and tips with small holes for mixing gases. A central opening is provided for the cutting oxygen supply.

Figure 4. Schematic diagram of an oxygen cutting machine

Oxyfuel cutting machine operating principle:

  • the workpiece is placed horizontally, the torch valves are closed;
  • opens the oxygen valve, and then. the valve of combustible gas;
  • mixture is ignited and power controllable
  • the metal is heated over the cutting area;
  • a valve with cutting oxygen is opened, activating combustion when reaching the heated metal;
  • oxides appear in the process, they are removed by a jet of oxygen;
  • at the end of work firstly the cut oxygen valve is closed, then the flammable gas valve is closed, and finally the burners are closed.

The main tool of the oxygen cutting kit is the torch. There are classifications of these elements:

  • by type of combustible gas (torches for liquid combustible mixtures, acetylene, substitute gases);
  • degree of automation (manual, machine);
  • purpose (special and universal);
  • Mixing gases (non-injector and injector);
  • The power of the flame (high, medium, low).

Gas-electric metal cutting

Basically, it is a kind of plasma cutting. The technology involves heating the spark arc with combustion gas and creating a low-temperature, between 4,000 and 5,000 °C, plasma jet. By limiting the temperature, the requirements for the materials from which plasma cutters are made are reduced, and as a consequence, the cost of equipment is reduced. The maximum thickness of processed workpieces is slightly reduced. This technique emerged as the answer to the question of what can be used to cut metal when there is a need to limit costs. It is characterized by high economic efficiency.

Professional metal cutting methods

We have listed them above, the most popular solution at the moment is plasma cutting. But industries still use manual equipment, which allows you to quickly and efficiently do the minimum amount of work.

In this article we explained how and with what you can cut thick or thin metal at home or in the workshop. To summarize, let’s look at a few

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Oxygen cutting of thick metal

Oxygen cutting of thick metal is often mechanized using portable equipment, gas cutting machines. It should be understood that during such processing, acetylene is used, as well as a number of other combustible gases: natural, petroleum, hydrogen, in addition, fuel such as kerosene, gasoline is used.

This cutting technology is superior to most others in quality, productivity and is therefore often used for fabrication.

Recommended articles on metal processing

  • Steel grades: classification and decoding
  • Aluminium grades and applications
  • Defects of metal products: the causes and search methods

It is important to mention the method of processing thick materials with an oxygen lance. It is necessary for cutting thick metal in metallurgical furnaces, creating holes in concrete products, etc. To do this, a tube made of steel with a small amount of carbon is pressed to the place of cutting, directing the gas along it. Let’s mention that the treated area and the end of the tube are preheated with a soldering iron and only after that the gas supply is opened. As soon as the end of the tube lights up, it comes into contact with metal. the cutting itself is done by combustion of the materials of the tube and the workpiece.