Electric screwdriver attachment for cutting sheet metal

How to choose

  • Don’t ignore the domestically produced tips. In terms of quality, they are not at all inferior to foreign products, and at a price they can be much more profitable.
  • Do not buy attachments by hand. The marriage may not be noticeable at first glance, but in the future, its presence may result in a serious problem.
  • Make sure that the mechanism is suitable in all parameters for your particular instrument.

When choosing a milling cutter for working with an electric metal screwdriver, you should also take into account the purpose of the mechanism and choose a product that matches the specifics of the work. You can divide nozzles into the following types:

  • device for cutting thin sheet metal;
  • a sharpening product for regenerating a cutting metal edge;
  • attachment for polishing, grinding metal coating.

The main difference between electric screwdriver bits is the thickness of the metal being cut. Other technical properties are also important. Modern building sales departments, as well as Internet sites, offer many models of metal cutting attachments, thanks to which the tool produces smooth and neat cuts. For example, the following attachments are the most common models:

  • “Cricket”.
  • “Steel beaver”.
  • Sparky NP 1,8L.
  • EDMA NIBBLEX.
  • ACKO YT-160A.

Particular attention should be paid to the HPM “Cricket” attachment using the example of the “Enkor 14210” model. The fixture can be used for metal sheets up to 1.6 mm thick. If it is copper, aluminum or polymer material, then the mechanism will also take a 2 mm blade. The product is put into operation by a cartridge. With the help of these products, it is possible to make any kind of cuts. The strength of the attachment is given by the tool steel, which is used in the manufacture, due to this, the device has a long service life. Also, the advantages of the model include low noise and mechanical losses. It is quite suitable for artistic cutting and making large-diameter holes on metal.

The Steel Beaver attachment is also worth mentioning. It is a kind of steel scissors. The model is more suitable for metal tiles and corrugated board. The advantage of the nozzle is its property not to burn the protective layer of the metal product, due to which the coating retains its anti-corrosion qualities. The fixture is used for steel (up to 1.8 mm), stainless steel (1.2 mm), copper and aluminum (2 mm). Minimum cutting radius. 12 mm.

The Sparky NP 1,8L device allows you to make both linear and radial cuts. Differs in high quality edging. Perfect for metal tiles.

Advantages and disadvantages

Cutting metal with an electric screwdriver has many advantages.

  • The result of working with an electric screwdriver is a high-quality and even cut.
  • Profitability. When purchasing a nozzle, there is no need to make a purchase of additional consumables.
  • Greater device performance.
  • The versatility of such attachments.
  • Due to the presence of a special handle, the workflow is light, convenient, and efficient.
  • Some models are applicable to any screwdriver and drill, electric or pneumatic.
  • Special attachments are quite easy to maintain.
  • This method makes it possible to carry out cuts in almost any configuration.

The disadvantages of this method of cutting metal include some inconvenience in work for novice craftsmen. First you need to adapt to the process, acquire some skill, even art. Experienced craftsmen will not need this. they will easily cope with the task. Another disadvantage of the product is the difficulty when working on the roof, since both hands are used when cutting metal.

How to choose and use electric screwdriver bits for cutting metal?

Using a special attachment, the electric screwdriver can be modified into a tool for cutting metal products. It is quite convenient, high quality and economical. This method is a very effective alternative to special metal cutting tools. However, in order for the result after working with an electric screwdriver with such a nozzle to really be of excellent quality, you need to choose the right nozzles.

Features of the

When asked whether it is possible to drill metal with an electric screwdriver, professionals give a positive answer. However, it is worth knowing that cutting for metal with an electric screwdriver is possible only at home and when working with an insignificant volume. For example, it is easier to bring multiple attachments to a proposed project than one heavy power tool. For professional work in industrial processing of metal sheets of large thickness, attachments for an electric screwdriver will not replace a specialized tool such as an angle grinder.

A device that turns an electric screwdriver into a metal-cutting device is essentially a punch. It evenly penetrates the metal sheet by means of multiple reciprocating movements. In the course of work, the tool acts on the sheet in a point, due to which the coating retains the maximum performance.

Thanks to a special attachment, the master can work with thin metal and sheet metal with a width of no more than 2 mm. The product consists of two cutting parts, one of which is covered with a handle. If the blade is dull, then the handle can be adapted to it, and the work can be continued with the sharp part. According to some craftsmen, this method is even faster than, for example, when working with an angle grinder. The cut edges are not deformed, the convenience is created by the absence of sparks when cutting.

Recommendations for use

Turning to a screwdriver as a tool for cutting metal, it is worth considering some of the features of working with it. When using this method for the first time, heed the recommendations of experts.

  • Before work, make several cuts on unnecessary metal blades in order to adapt and adapt to cutting and avoid mistakes during the main work.
  • Hold the drill or electric screwdriver with both hands to ensure a clean and smooth cut of the desired shape.
  • Make sure that nozzles and cutters are stored in dry rooms where there are no conditions for metal oxidation.

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For how to use the sheet metal cutter, see the following video.

“Cricket”

One of the popular drill attachments, which are compact nibbling (nibbling) shears, is a device called the “Cricket”. This nozzle, which allows you to get a smooth and accurate cut, can be used to cut both flat and profiled metal sheets.

Scissor attachment “Cricket” is designed to operate from a pneumatic or electric drill (electric screwdriver) with a power of at least 420 W

With the help of the “Cricket” scissor attachment, you can cut not only a metal sheet, but also thin sheet products made of polycarbonate and other polymeric materials. In this case, the thickness of the products, for which these compact nibbling shears can be used, can be up to:

  • 1.5 mm. for steel sheet material;
  • 1.2 mm. for stainless steel;
  • 2 mm. for copper and aluminum, as well as polymeric materials.

With the “Cricket” drill attachment, you can cut sheet material in the horizontal and vertical planes, as well as make internal cuts on the sheet surface.

“Sverchok” works on the principle of nibbling scissors

It should be borne in mind that in the place of the sheet from which the internal cut will be made, it is necessary to pre-drill a hole.

“Sverchok” is a good drill attachment for cutting metal tiles and corrugated board. When using this device for cutting metal, the surface of these materials does not deform, and the cut itself is smooth and accurate. The “Cricket” nozzle can easily cope with such complex tasks as artistic cutting and creating a large-diameter hole in sheet material.

Drill bits for cutting metal: types, features, application

The need for cutting metal products arises in many situations related to construction and repair work. To perform this technological operation, special equipment of various types is used, but if it is not at hand, a drill attachment for cutting metal can help. Using such attachments and a hand-held electric drill, you can efficiently cut thin products made of various metals.

Figured cutting of metal with a punching nozzle for a drill

Popular models and their areas of application

Modern models of drill bits allow cutting sheet metal not only along a straight mowing line. With the help of such a convenient and easy-to-use device, you can also make curly cuts, which is often required when installing roof structures, ventilation ducts, as well as gutters and other elements of the drainage system.

Using such drill bits, cuts can be made in almost any spatial position. An equally important advantage of these attachments is that they do not require preliminary adjustment.

This attachment turns the drill into an electric shear that works on the principle of cutting, not nibbling.

Among the most popular models of drill bits for metal cutting on the domestic market are the following:

  • “Cricket” (from the company “Enkor”);
  • Sparky NP 1.8L;
  • EDMA NIBBLEX;
  • ACKO YT-160A.

Cutting shears-attachment on the EDMA NIBBLEX electric drill for cutting metal and plastic

The differences between the models of drill bits are not in the principle of their operation, but in the maximum thickness of the cut metal and a number of other technical characteristics. Modern models of drill bits allow you to get straight and neat cuts with sharp, even and unnoticed edges. At the same time, the protective coating applied to the surface of the metal sheet is not damaged and fully retains all its functions.

Benefits of using drill bits

Drill bits, when compared to such a popular metal cutting tool as an angle grinder, have a number of advantages.

  • The cut is of high quality.
  • When using a drill bit for cutting metal, there is no need to purchase additional consumables, which significantly saves money.
  • The use of such a nozzle ensures high productivity of the cutting process.
  • Drill bits are highly versatile.
  • Due to the fact that this tool is equipped with a special handle, it is very convenient to perform the cutting process with it.
  • These attachments are suitable for both electric and pneumatic drills.
  • Undeniable convenience of these attachments both in use and maintenance.
  • With the help of such tools, you can make cuts in almost any configuration.
electric, screwdriver, attachment, cutting, sheet, metal

Despite the simplicity of the design of such nozzles, their use requires certain skills and dexterity from the user.

Features of the use of drill bits

The attachments, with the help of which an ordinary electric drill turns into a device for cutting metal, are, in fact, a punch (cotter pin). Making numerous reciprocating movements in the inner cavity of the matrix, such a punch penetrates a metal sheet, forming a cut line on it, the width of which is 3.1 mm. When using nozzles, a point effect is exerted on the processing area, due to which the protective layers on the surface of the metal product fully retain all their functions.

Using the drill bit, you can cut metal sheets of the following thicknesses:

  • made of aluminum. up to two millimeters;
  • made of copper, brass, sheet iron, zinc and galvanized steel. up to one and a half millimeters;
  • made of stainless steel. up to eight tenths of a millimeter.

The reciprocating movement of the punch, which is the main working body of the nozzle, is communicated by rotating the chuck of an electric drill. It should be borne in mind that such a nozzle can effectively cut a metal sheet only if it is used in conjunction with an electric drill, the chuck of which rotates at a frequency of at least 2700 rpm.

Examples of cuts with a nozzle of galvanized sheet (0.55 mm) and aluminum (2 mm)

Types of equipment for metal cutting

You can cut a metal sheet or a more massive metal product using various equipment.

This device is also known as an “angle grinder”. It can be used to cut rebar, plate and other types of metal. This is the most popular equipment used for this purpose.

This saw allows you to make cuts at different angles and perform them with great accuracy. Meanwhile, when using this equipment, the resulting cuts have a limited depth and a large amount of waste is generated.

This is a high-performance equipment for metal cutting, with the help of which the processing of workpieces of a simple configuration is carried out.

This equipment allows you to make cuts at different angles. Both the jigsaw and the band saw, due to their design features, impose significant restrictions on the size of the products that need to be cut.

This type of equipment is innovative. It allows you to cut metal with high accuracy, while the thickness of the workpiece can be up to 20-30 cm. The most significant disadvantage of this cutting method, in which the product is not subject to thermal effects, is the high cost.

As mentioned above, you can also use drill bits for cutting metal products, which are presented in a wide variety on the modern market.

Drill bits can also be used for cutting and other materials

“Steel beaver”

Another popular drill bit that can be used to cut metal is the Steel Beaver. The principle by which such drill bits work is similar to how nibblers work. When using this device, sparks are not generated in the cutting area and no thermal effect is exerted on the metal sheet, respectively, the protective coating applied to it is not burned.

Metal cutting attachment “Steel beaver” is completed with a replaceable die and a punch

Among the technical characteristics of this type of drill attachment, it is necessary to highlight the following:

electric, screwdriver, attachment, cutting, sheet, metal
  • The efficiency of such a nozzle is ensured when the drill chuck rotates at a speed of 1500-3000 rpm.
  • The maximum workpiece thickness is 1.8 mm for conventional steel sheets, 2 mm for copper and aluminum sheets, 1.2 mm for stainless steel sheets.
  • The angle by which you can change the direction of the cut. 360 °.
  • Minimum cutting radius. 12 mm.

When deciding which tool to choose for cutting sheet metal. a jigsaw, an angle grinder or a drill bit. you should first of all evaluate the tasks for the solution of which they are needed.

Drill bits are a good option for DIYers and small construction crews. When the volume of work on sheet metal cutting is small, the use of such a nozzle is the best solution. When choosing this device, you should pay special attention to the fact that the characteristics of the drill, complete with which it will be used, correspond to the characteristics of the tool itself.

What are the attachments for?

Various types of cutters, as a result of repeated repeated movements, cut metal with a matrix. As a result, durable metal lends itself to processing. Thus, we cut, punch holes or grind a metal surface. Point impacts allow you to work accurately without disturbing the structure of the elements. In addition, the natural protective layer of the product is preserved.

Using nozzles, you can act on the following metals:

  • 2mm aluminum plates;
  • copper, brass, iron, zinc and steel elements;
  • galvanized parts with a thickness of 1.5 mm;
  • stainless steel 0.8 mm thick.

Varieties of drill bits for cutting metal

Who has not encountered the need to cut a metal part during repairs? Among the craftsmen, most likely there is no person who would refuse a powerful portable instrument. In most cases, it is used:

  • angle grinder disc;
  • milling unit;
  • scissors for cutting metal.

But the modern market for power tools does not stand still, and now there is a drill attachment for cutting metal.

Scissors attachment

Of all the nozzles presented, this one is the least similar to a drill. It turns the drill into an electric shear, not a nibbler. They work on the principle of a straight cut, cutting through metal with sharp edges using mechanical force. This is a rougher method for cutting metal and plastic. Such scissors perform only a straight cut, it is very difficult to change its direction during operation.

This set is more suitable for cordless tools.

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For cutting tiles

Another name for this drill bit is cricket. The set can be used both for smooth surfaces and for profiled iron sheets. The advantage of this cutter is the ability to create an even cut, without burrs and irregularities.

The cricket drill attachment is convenient to use for:

  • cutting thin-sheet products;
  • cutting out parts from metal sheets.

Since its application does not depend on the spatial arrangement, you can easily cut a horizontal, and even vertical sheet.

Metal crowns

In addition to the basic tips, there are other devices, for example, a metal crown. This is a special drill designed for making wide holes. Its use is due to the need to lay communications. The downside of a metal crown is its roughness: the edges of the hole made require additional processing. It is in such cases that the cone comes into play.

The set of crowns can include both simple and diamond-coated edges. They can be used to drill concrete floors and thick metal sheets.

Milling cutter

In another way, this nozzle is called a roller cutter. It is designed for processing wood and metal products:

  • a roller cutter replaces a file;
  • significantly speeds up the grinding process;
  • eliminates defects.

One set can include cones of different shapes, thus, for each specific situation, you can choose the most suitable nozzle. Some of them outwardly practically do not differ from the drill.

Using a drill

It’s no secret that a drill can be used not only as a drill, but also as a multifunctional tool. There is a whole range of different devices that facilitate the work of the worker.

  • a cutter for metal for a drill avoids monotonous manual work with a file;
  • a scissor attachment for a drill provides the ability to cut metal sheets and elements;

2 Awesome Drill Attachment ! Metal Sheet Cutter Test

Working with this kit requires some skill, but over time you will realize the benefits of this method.