How to properly cut a profiled sheet with an angle grinder

Why you shouldn’t use an angle grinder

However, this is not the best tool for this job, and now we will try to answer why:

  • When cutting the profiled sheet with an angle grinder, the temperature rises and the anti-corrosion coating burns out. As a result of such damage, the sheet will begin to rust.
  • When polymer-coated corrugated board is cut with an angle grinder, in addition to the problem described above, sparks can burn through the sheet. Corrosive processes can also begin in these places.

However, the angle grinder can be successfully replaced, since it is not the only tool that can be used to cut corrugated board.

What is corrugated board?

As already mentioned, the base of the corrugated board is a thin steel sheet. To make the material resistant to moisture and air, the base is covered with several layers of protective coatings. As a rule, this is a zinc or aluzinc coating. From above, the corrugated board can be covered with a layer of colored polymer material.

Thus, when working with corrugated board, including when cutting it, you should act so that the protective coating is not destroyed. Otherwise, a rust stain will appear at the place of damage.

High-temperature methods cannot be used to cut the material, since the protective coatings burn out when heated. It is impossible not to take into account the fact that the steel base of the corrugated board is a rather thin steel, therefore, with careless cutting, the material profile can be crumpled.

Other tools for cutting profile sheet

In addition to the above tools, there are several more options than cutting corrugated board. For example, you can use a circular saw. When cutting, it is turned on at low speeds, because high speeds can damage the sheet. When using a saw, you can easily cut the sheet in any direction, but you need to do this with a partner. And use the minimum feed.

Electric scissors are also used, especially in cases where it is not necessary to have perfectly straight edges. Therefore, builders love electric scissors so much, their main advantage is speed and quality of execution, among the disadvantages are rough edges on cuts.

Features of material cutting

Decking is a material that is made from steel sheet. Therefore, the same attachments and tools should be used to cut this material as used for cutting thin metal. But is it that simple? To better understand what and how to cut corrugated board, you should get acquainted with the structure of the material.

How and what is better to cut corrugated board: choose the best tool

Many builders use an angle grinder when building a roof as a tool for cutting corrugated board.

How to cut a profile for drywall?

This seems to be a simple action, nevertheless requires explanation. Especially if the repair is done by hand. Especially if for the first time.

If you don’t have any tools at all and you have to buy everything for repairs on purpose, you can get by with metal scissors. Cheap and cheerful, as they say. I mean, it’s cheaper than other options. And too cheap scissors should not be taken. They won’t last you long.

In general, cutting the profile into pieces of the desired length with scissors is not very convenient. But at the same time there is no noise, and you do not depend on electricity. By the way, it is easier to cut a profile for corners or transverse fasteners with scissors. Me at least.

The second option is a jigsaw with a metal file. Everything is clear here. Marked (better with a felt-tip pen. it is more noticeable) and cut. The profile must be well pressed, because it is not very convenient to cut the swinging thin metal with a jigsaw.

The third way is to cut the drywall profile with a small angle grinder. Here are all the standard recommendations for an angle grinder: we put the profile on a bend (so that the cut piece falls under its own weight and does not jam the disc).

You also need glasses, and for lovers of perfect safety. also headphones. There will be a lot of noise. By the way, it is better not to use an angle grinder in particularly dusty rooms. And also where new wallpapers have already been pasted: there is a danger of burning them with flying sparks.

How to properly fix corrugated board?

When laying on a wooden crate, the material is fastened with self-tapping screws at the rate of 6-8 fasteners per 1 sq. m.

You should also adhere to some well-known rules:

It is not recommended to screw in the screws “bait”, therefore the hole is drilled with a drill with an increase in diameter by 0.5 mm from the size of the self-tapping screw. Fastening should be carried out strictly at right angles with tight pressing of the sheets to the crate. If some changes are necessary, you should decide in advance how to bend the corrugated board, because if at this stage the structure is displaced, or the seal is skewed, then a through hole is formed when attaching the self-tapping screw.

For convenience, you can tighten the screws with an electric screwdriver or drill. The screws are made of a special material, so they can be easily attached to the metal lathing.

It is forbidden to nail the corrugated board with nails, since with strong gusts of wind they easily come off. If it is necessary to shorten the length of the sheet, then you can use an angle grinder, into which a special disk is inserted for cutting corrugated board, and avoid gas cutting and welding of material.

Features of fastening the material in hard-to-reach areas:

  • Where the corrugated board is laid near vertical surfaces (pipes, walls), butt strips are mounted.
  • The structure of the ridge element must also be securely fixed using a seal.
  • When laying coverings with a thickness of up to 0.7 mm, in order to avoid accidental damage to the roof, you will need wooden scaffolding and special shoes, and a cutter for the metal profile, which is offered on the market along with other components, will not be superfluous.
  • At the final stage, the corrugated board is cleaned of debris, shavings, scratches and cut points are painted.
  • After 3-4 months, you should check the quality of the fastening of the self-tapping screws, if necessary, tighten them.

Features of cutting corrugated board. tool selection

Although the processing of a profiled sheet looks simple, however, certain features of the material must be taken into account. The fact is that this is not an ordinary homogeneous metal sheet: the corrugated board in its structure resembles a layer cake, which includes a metal base and several layers of a protective and decorative type. If this protection is violated during cutting, this will expose the inside of the sheet for corrosion.

As a result, the life of the material is significantly reduced. Therefore, before cutting the corrugated board, it is important to know the features of this procedure, in order to avoid causing serious damage to the material.

Working with an angle grinder

The biggest danger when working with corrugated board is the heating of its surface, which usually accompanies cutting. It is for this reason that when choosing the option of how to cut off the profiled sheet, it is better not to use gas cutters. The same applies to the angle grinder: like all high-speed tools with abrasive wheels, it provokes metal combustion along the mowing line of the cut. As for the protective cover, it is damaged on both sides of the cut line. The thickness of the damage strip can reach 3-5 mm, which causes edge corrosion on the surface.

A certain danger is also posed by sparks arising in the process of cutting corrugated board with an angle grinder. The high temperature allows them to damage the protective coating of the profiled sheet even at some distance from the processing site. An angle grinder can be used only if the abrasive wheel is replaced with a special disc for cutting corrugated board, which has fine teeth. At the same time, it is important to understand that even this tool cannot guarantee the complete absence of damage. If you are not completely sure how to cut corrugated board with an angle grinder, it is best to exclude this option.

How and what to cut corrugated board. a proven method of cutting

With the help of a metal profiled sheet, it is possible to solve a variety of construction tasks. to decorate walls and roofs, to mount pre-fabricated buildings, fences and other structures. Due to its small thickness and weight, this material can be adjusted directly at the installation site, using hand tools for this purpose.

The specifics of the use of a jigsaw. how to cut correctly

When choosing the right tool for cutting profiled sheets, it is recommended to pay attention to an electric jigsaw. He is especially good in cases of independent implementation of roofing work at his dacha. The same applies to the construction of a fence made of corrugated board. Preference should be given to an instrument with a laser guide. The jigsaw allows you to cut the profiled sheet, without any experience of such operations. Serious efforts are also not required. In addition, this device will be useful in carpentry work or for cutting branches in the garden.

Maintenance of an electric jigsaw is quite simple. The same applies to handling it. in this case, you will not need any special skills to cut the profiled sheet. The tool has a high working speed, with very minimal likelihood of injury. If the saw breaks down, the installation of a new accessory is very quick. Thanks to these qualities, the jigsaw is very popular when choosing the appropriate option for working with corrugated board.

How to work with an electric jigsaw:

  • Before cutting the profiled sheet, you need to carefully mark the surface intended for cutting. It is convenient to mark the mowing line of future cuts with a regular marker.
  • When fixing the sheet, it is important to raise it to a height of at least 100 mm from the working table, reaching its secure fixation. Any displacement during operation should be avoided. In this case, it is convenient to work on ordinary construction goats.
  • After marking and fixing the material, you can start cutting it. It is better to replace visual control with a laser pointer: this will allow you to achieve cutting evenness, without deviation to the right or left from the intended direction.
  • When working, it is advisable to press the jigsaw against the cut blade as tightly as possible. Not at every site it will work, but where possible, it is advisable to do it. In this case, the load on the saw will be noticeably reduced, and it will not break so often.
  • This tool is one of the safest options for working with a profiled sheet. the risk of injury or damage is then reduced to almost zero. For this, on the jigsaw there are special safety and protective mechanisms, such as shields and limiters for the movement of the saw. However, despite this, additional discretion will not be superfluous. When cutting, it is not recommended to use your hand as a support on the sheet. Better to hold it by the edge or edge. The hand should not be on the cutting line at all. not a single safety mechanism will save you from such stupidity. It does not matter at what distance the cutting tool is. As for protective clothing, thick mittens or gloves, a thick jacket and glasses that protect against flying chips will not interfere.

How to cut the profiled sheet. safe options

An electric saw equipped with a special disc is especially popular with builders.

The undoubted advantages of this tool for cutting corrugated board are:

  • The rotation speed is almost half that of an angle grinder. This allows the circular saw not to melt the metal at the cutting site, but to turn it into small sawdust.
  • The saw blade performance is very significant, which contributes to good productivity.
  • Replacement discs for working on profiled sheets are very easy to find: they are usually found in the sections for cutting discs of various modifications.

Great care must be taken when working with an electric tool that has a rotating circle. When cutting metal sheets, metal particles are formed, which, flying in different directions, can cause injury. This kind of operation should be carried out by people who have the necessary skill, how to cut corrugated board.

In those situations when it comes to cutting a small amount of material, it is best to use the classic option. a hand hacksaw for metal. Although this tool is simple, it can be used to carry out a wide variety of operations, even for a person with minimal values, how to cut a profiled sheet. As for the likelihood of injury in this case, one must try very hard for this. However, it is important to understand that cutting the profiled sheet with a hand hacksaw will take quite a long time. Implementation of such an operation will require a special table.

You can also use a hand or electric saw. This will increase the speed of work, but the line of the cut will only be straight. As for the jigsaw, curly cutting is also performed with its help: this is often used to fit the roofing in the places where chimneys or ventilation ducts pass. Before carrying out such operations, it is important to carefully mark the area to be processed, in order to avoid mistakes during cutting. At the same time, it is important to understand that the jigsaw will be able to overpower a profiled sheet in which the profile height does not exceed 20 mm. If this parameter is higher, metal gusts and breakage of the cutting tool may occur.

Cutting Thick Metal Sheet With Angle Grinder

If you need to adjust the corrugated board, which has an insignificant thickness, you can use the scissors for the corrugated sheet for this. For this, both ordinary hand tools for metal and special electrical devices for working with corrugated board are suitable. There are three types of such scissors: they can be nibbling, knife and slotted. If you need to achieve significant precision when cutting, it is better to use a slotted tool. It has a special head that guarantees excellent cutting quality of the metal sheet. Deformations and distortions usually do not occur in this case.

Professional builders generally prefer electric shears, since they are the most convenient way to cut the profiled sheet. Along with conventional and electric tools, there are nibbling tools. When cutting a profiled sheet with their help, two parallel straight lines are obtained. This avoids the bending procedure of the material.

Before starting work, the presence of a special handle makes it possible to set the matrix holder at right angles to the direction of the cut. This makes it possible to avoid burrs when cutting a rectangular profile. This tool is quite expensive and has a very narrow specialization. Usually, the purchase of a nibbler or electric shears is justified only in the case of professional use.

Some craftsmen, when arranging the roof, prefer to use special drill bits. If you have experience of work, using such a nozzle it is quite convenient to cut and adjust profiled sheets in areas with limited access. All of the above tools for cutting corrugated board have their own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it is clearly not possible to give a prescription for all occasions. Usually, the choice of the optimal tool directly depends on the specifics of the work. the complexity and shape of the cut, the convenience of the operation. Work experience and personal preferences play a significant role.

How to protect the ends of a profiled sheet from corrosion

Even a special tool for cutting corrugated board does not give a full guarantee that the material will not receive some damage. The most resistant in this respect is a sheet of 1 class of thickness, with a protective coating of zinc: its molecules along the mowing line of the cut create reliable protection against oxidation.

In other cases, the edges of the profiled sheet must be treated with anti-corrosion mastic. It will also not hurt to paint over these areas to match the protective layer. These simple precautions will reliably protect the material edge of the line cut from premature loss of performance.

Cutting corrugated board with an electric jigsaw

The jigsaw is used for corrugated board, the height of the corrugation of which starts from 25 mm and is combined with a short length. Cutting with an electric jigsaw is carried out across or along the sheet, however, it is necessary to firmly press the profiled sheet so that it does not rattle.

Cutting should be done at high speeds using a fine-toothed saw specifically for metal. In the case of high speed, a reciprocating operation with a longitudinal inclination of the saw is recommended.

The advantages of cutting corrugated board with a jigsaw. low cost of work.

Disadvantages of cutting corrugated board with a jigsaw. inconvenience of transverse cutting of corrugated sheet with corrugation from 25 mm, practical impossibility of cutting thin strips, strong burning of the edges of the metal sheet and protective polymer coating, strong noise during operation.

Cutting corrugated board. how to cut the profiled sheet so as not to spoil the material

No one will argue that today corrugated board is an extremely popular (and often simply irreplaceable) material for construction and decoration. In this regard, for many novice builders, the question of how to cut corrugated board becomes very important, because, despite the acceptable cost of its sheets, damage to the covering of the profiled sheet can negate all the advantages of using this material and significantly slow down construction.

How to properly cut corrugated board, what tools are used for this and how to process the cut in order to avoid corrosion, is described in this article.

Cutting corrugated board with an angle grinder

Since an angle grinder with an abrasive wheel, as already mentioned, is not suitable for a profiled sheet due to severe damage to the coating, this tool can only be used in a set with special discs for cutting corrugated board, which are thin cutting wheels 1-1.6 mm thick with teeth made of tungsten carbide materials.

To avoid corrosion, after cutting the profiled sheet with an angle grinder, it is necessary to immediately process the edges with special paints.

The advantages of cutting corrugated board with an angle grinder are the speed of performing all operations and the relative ease of cutting the corrugated sheet.

The disadvantages of cutting corrugated board with an angle grinder are torn edges and a strong, very unpleasant soundtrack. Even if you use a special disc for cutting corrugated board, an angle grinder, in any case, is an abrasive tool, because the incandescent metal particles formed during the cutting process fall on the polymer coating and burn it, creating prerequisites for the appearance of foci of corrosion.

In addition, the torn edges of the profiled sheet after cutting require additional work to remove burrs. All this makes the angle grinder far from the best tool for cutting corrugated board.

Cutting profiled sheet with a hacksaw for metal

A fairly economical, convenient and popular way of processing corrugated board is a hacksaw for metal.

The advantages of cutting corrugated board with a hacksaw are accurate and fast cutting, no chipping and burrs, the ability to work independently without much physical effort. Usually, builders use a hacksaw to work with fences, gates, small roofs and other structures that require a small thickness of corrugated board.

The disadvantages of cutting corrugated board with a hacksaw for metal are the impossibility of making curved cuts and the need for a special cutting table to fix the material. Thus, in the case of complex cutting work, in addition to a hacksaw, you should provide for the use of another tool. However, all the disadvantages of a hacksaw for metal are successfully covered by the advantages of this method.

What is the difficulty of cutting profiled sheet?

The profiled sheet is a rather thin product that is easily damaged during the cutting process. The second feature of the corrugated board is its coating with a layer of galvanized and polymer, due to which it becomes impossible to use conventional methods of cutting sheet metal sheets.

High-temperature methods of metal processing in this case are also not suitable, because the covering of the corrugated board, no matter how strong and resistant to unfavorable natural factors, it easily burns out under the influence of high temperatures. You can not cut the profiled sheet and abrasive wheels, as they severely spoil the coating, which leads to the formation of corrosion. So, what can and should be done to cut corrugated board?

Cutting corrugated board with scissors (conventional and electric)

Simple shears for corrugated board are used when it is necessary to carry out small works related to the installation of flooring, the construction of garages, gates and fences. Electric shears are used for wider Spectra tasks, however, when a straight edge of the cut does not matter.

How to cut corrugated board with scissors for metal, see the following

The advantages of both simple and electric shears for cutting corrugated board are fast, easy and high-quality cutting of thin and even strips, as well as cutting across the wave without damage.

Disadvantages of scissors for cutting corrugated sheets are uneven and rough edges of the cut. In addition, the low flexibility in the longitudinal direction makes it very difficult to cut the corrugated board along the.

How to bend corrugated board?

In addition to cutting, the corrugated board can be bent, which allows you to significantly expand the possibilities of creating bent products for decorating wall corners, cornices and roof ridge.

To obtain a transversely bent profile, the corrugated board must be bent at right angles to the profile direction, and if a bending industrial unit is used for this when organizing mass production, then for a small-scale production process it will be enough to purchase a simple manual bending machine.

The most common design of this tool is considered to be a rotary one with a bending beam, and if you wish, you can complete this device with any additional functions that allow you not only to bend the corrugated board, but also, for example, to cut it.

Corrosion protection of edges

Corrosion protection of the edges of the profiled sheets significantly extends their service life. This event is especially relevant after cutting sheets with an angle grinder or hand-held circular saw.

When working with an angle grinder, due to the increased friction rate of the disc on the sheet of the coating. zinc or special paint. it literally burns out from high temperature.

Bare metal remains open to the impact of negative physical and chemical factors and very quickly degrades (rusts). To protect it, you should use special paints and varnishes. Their consumption for covering the cut ends of the profiled sheet is minimal, it takes little time and is easily done manually.

Such a small cost of additional material and working time will extend the service life of the corrugated board much longer and will fully justify themselves. Professionals definitely do not advise neglecting such a seemingly trifle if you want the material to serve you for a long time.

How to cut corrugated board: the pros and cons of tools

Profiled decking is nothing more than sheets of metal coated with zinc and, in some cases, additionally painted with special compounds to protect against corrosion. Their feature is a special geometry of the plane in the form of alternating protrusions and U-shaped recesses with a width of 30 to 300 mm. Various depths. For the manufacture of corrugated board, steel with a thickness of 0.55 to 1.0 mm is used.

It is these characteristics that determine the cutting characteristics when preparing parts of the size you need. There are three options for cutting corrugated board:

  • Using a power tool
  • Manually
  • On machine equipment

Below we will consider each of the options separately with a description of how to cut corrugated board correctly, listing the pros and cons of each method known to the masters.

Hand tool

Hand tools suitable for cutting corrugated board include:

  • Hacksaw for metal
  • Hand jigsaw

Here you need to make a reservation right away. working with a hand tool is practical only for very small volumes of operations performed.

Another case when a hand tool is needed is the creation of complex cutting geometry when finalizing individual lines after working with a power tool.

In general, work with a hand tool for cutting profiled sheets is very laborious, time-consuming and energy-consuming. This allows us to conclude that cutting the corrugated board using a hand tool is ineffective and unprofitable.

Hand tool for cutting corrugated board

In most cases, power tools are used, because they are more convenient to operate and quicker to use. The following power tool can be used to cut the Chishminsky corrugated board:

  • angle grinder
  • Jigsaw
  • Electric shears
  • Hand-held circular saw

angle grinder, this is the popular common name for hand-held angle grinders. The device is practical enough for cutting various metals, including profiled decking.

The basic rule that must be observed when cutting the corrugated board correctly is to apply the cutting wheel corresponding to the type of material being cut.

For grinders, depending on their size:

  • Small (circle diameter up to 135 mm)
  • Medium (circle diameter up to 175 mm)
  • Large (circle diameter up to 325 mm)

How to cut corrugated board with an angle grinder? It is necessary to select circles corresponding in diameter to the passport size of the tool. This is important for the convenience of work.

In addition, the choice of size depends on the depth of the depressions on the profiled sheet.

Working with a small angle grinder with deep grooves on the corrugated board, you will not be able to immediately cut the sheet in the places of the lower corners. for this you will have to turn the sheet over to the opposite side. Therefore, immediately choose an angle grinder on which you can install a circle of maximum diameter.

The second feature of cutting corrugated board with an angle grinder is that the sheet should be placed on pads at a certain distance from the ground or the plane of the table on which you are cutting. Otherwise, the circle will “cling” to the ground and raise a cloud of dust or simply spoil your desktop or workbench.

properly, profiled, sheet, angle, grinder

Using an angle grinder for cutting corrugated board in the hands of an experienced worker allows you to cut parts of the desired geometric configuration, including along an arc with certain radii.

Quite an acceptable way of cutting profiled sheets. But, again. only if you use:

  • Professional tool
  • Choose the right canvas
properly, profiled, sheet, angle, grinder

Home-grade electric jigsaws, firstly, are not powerful enough to perform such operations. Secondly, there are practically no canvases for them, with the use of which you can cut sheets with a thickness of 0.75 mm.

It is quite possible to cut the C8 corrugated board with a professional-grade electric jigsaw, the technical characteristics of which are to the liking of buyers, but you will have certain inconveniences in your work. First, the sheet for cutting needs to be installed in a vertical position, and this is not very convenient, so it will be necessary to support the already cut strips, for which you need one, or preferably two, assistants.

The conclusion and opinion of professionals with experience. jigsaw, this is not the best option for choosing a tool.

Electric shears. shears for cutting corrugated board

It is quite convenient to use such scissors. they cut quickly and for metal with a thickness of even 1.0 mm, with a certain skill of the worker, they are quite suitable.

They also allow making cuts of various complex geometries, but After working with electric shears, bending of the sheet occurs along the edge of the cut.

This will require you to perform additional operations at the end of the cut. the edges will need to be trimmed by hand using a mallet or hammer with wooden lining on the sheet so as not to damage the metal coating.

A hand-held circular saw, as well as an angle grinder, is very convenient when cutting corrugated board, if you have chosen a model with a large diameter of the cutting wheel and used a special cutting wheel for working “on metal”.

All work can be done in one turn on of the tool.

At the same time, it is also possible to make cuts along an arc with a certain radius of curvature.

Summing up the use of one or another power tool for cutting profiled flooring, we can conclude that the most optimal and convenient should be recognized as an angle grinder and a circular saw. Electric shears and jigsaws are more suitable for a small number of operations.

Uniqueness can lie in design. It is here that all possible types of fence design from a professional sheet are listed, as well as ways to decorate it. Beautiful fences made of corrugated board are an opportunity to stand out, emphasizing your individuality.

Is it possible to cut corrugated board with an angle grinder?

The greatest harm to the protective coating of the corrugated board is caused by heating to a high temperature that occurs during the cutting process. Therefore, the use of gas-cutting equipment for these purposes is completely excluded. For the same reason, you cannot cut corrugated board with an 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 out. Together with it, the protective coating also burns, and not only along the mowing line of the cut, 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 the so-called edge corrosion.

In addition, sparks flying out from under the abrasive circle are dangerous. Due to the high temperature, they can damage the polymer coating at a distance of several tens of centimeters from the incision site.

Cutting corrugated board with an angle grinder is possible only in one case. if, before cutting the corrugated board, the abrasive wheel is replaced with a cutting disc for corrugated board with fine teeth. However, even in this case, it is not recommended to use this tool, since such a measure will simply reduce the amount of damage, and not remove it at all.

How to cut corrugated board with a jigsaw?

If you can’t decide how to cut the corrugated board, then we advise you to choose a jigsaw if, of course, you do not have any other tools already purchased. As a rule, this is the best choice for those who decided to independently engage in the installation of roofing in the country or the construction of a fence from a profiled sheet. It is desirable that it has a laser guide.

This tool is the most versatile of what you can cut a profiled sheet without spending serious effort and special skills. In addition, it can be used for carpentry work, and in order to cut down a few dry branches in the garden.

In addition, the jigsaw is very easy to maintain and use. The speed of work is high, the probability of injury is minimal; if the file breaks, it can be easily replaced, and even a beginner can handle cutting. All these qualities make the jigsaw almost the ideal tool for this task.

Now let’s dwell directly on the technology of its use:

  • Before cutting the corrugated board with a jigsaw, draw the line for the cut. To do this, you can use a regular marker.
  • Secure 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 start cutting directly. Don’t rely on the eye. use the laser pointer to keep the line of the cut straight and exactly what you want it to do.
  • Try to press the jigsaw tightly 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 a person from injury, be extremely careful. Hold the sheet by the edge, and do not rest your hand on it. over, do not keep your hand on the mowing line of the saw, even if the tool is still at a decent distance.

If you follow all these rules, you can easily cope with cutting corrugated board yourself. And you will do it quickly and without serious harm to cover the sheet.

How to cut corrugated board?

Decking has a lot of advantages, one of which is the ease of processing this material. Since the profiled sheet has a small thickness and light weight, it can be adjusted directly on 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 conventional sheet metal, a profiled sheet is a layered cake made of a metal base and multilayer protective and decorative coatings.

The destruction of protective coatings when cutting 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 paint.

Table of contents of the article (click to open)

How to cut a profiled sheet to maximize the preservation of the protective properties of its coating?

Many builders prefer to use an electric saw with a profiled sheet cutting disc. This tool has a number of advantages:

  • The rotational speed of a circular saw is almost 2 times less than that of an angle grinder, therefore, the metal of the profiled sheet under the action of the teeth of the disc for cutting corrugated board does not melt, but is removed in the form of small sawdust.
  • The ability to quickly cut a large number of sheets
  • You can buy a disc for cutting corrugated board in any building supermarket, in the same departments where abrasive cutting wheels are sold.

However, be very careful when using a power tool with a rotating wheel, as metal pieces formed during cutting can cause injury. Therefore, this tool requires certain skills to work with it and is not suitable for beginners.

How to cut off with a diamond saw on an angle grinder ?

If you need to cut a small number of sheets, then a classic tool for cutting corrugated sheets is perfect for you. a hand hacksaw for metal. It is extremely easy to use, allows you to make an incision of absolutely any shape and is safe even for a person with zero construction experience. Of course, it is also possible to get injured from using a hand hacksaw. however, this outcome is extremely unlikely compared to other tools.

But this method also has its drawbacks. The main one is the large amount of time needed to complete the work. In addition, you will need a special table for cutting corrugated board.

Another option is to use a hand or electric saw. With the help of them, the work will be done faster, however, with their help, you can cut corrugated board only along a straight mowing line.

Unlike the previous method, cutting the profiled sheet with a jigsaw allows you to make curved cuts of any shape. This adjustment is often necessary when installing roof coverings in the places of passage through the roof of ventilation and chimneys. However, before cutting the profiled sheet with a hand or electric jigsaw, you need to carefully mark the sheet so as not to be mistaken with the dimensions of the cutouts.

The disadvantage of this method is that cutting the corrugated board with a jigsaw is possible only with a profile height of no more than 20 mm. When cutting higher profiles, the blade tears metal and often breaks.

Finally, if it is necessary to adjust the profiled sheets of small thickness, you can use the scissors to cut the corrugated board. It can be either ordinary manual shears for cutting sheet metal, or special electric shears for cutting profiled sheets.

Shears for corrugated board can be of three types. cutting, knife and slotted. The most accurate cut is obtained if you use slotted shears for the profiled sheet. They are equipped with a special head that allows you to make an accurate cut without any deformations and distortions.

Electric shears are very popular among professional builders. 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 avoids bending the sheet. Before cutting the corrugated board, using a special handle, the matrix holder can be turned at an angle of 90 ° to the cutting line of the cut. This allows you to cut a profile that is bent at right angles without burrs.

The only drawback of these tools is their high cost and, most importantly, an extremely narrow field of application. If cutting corrugated board is not your daily routine, then it makes no sense to buy nibbling or electric shears.

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Many roofers use such a tool for corrugated flooring as drill bits. If you have certain skills and use a cordless drill, such a nozzle is very convenient for cutting and adjusting the profiled sheet in hard-to-reach places.

As you can see, the choice of possible instruments is quite large, and each of the options is optimal for a certain situation and loses to analogs in another. Therefore, it is quite difficult to say unequivocally what is better to cut corrugated board without reference to a specific task. How to cut a profiled 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 his personal skills and preferences.

Corrosion protection of edges

Even the use of special tools for cutting corrugated board does not guarantee complete protection against damage to the covering of the corrugated board. Only in profiled sheets of galvanized steel of the 1st class of zinc coating thickness, the presence of molecules at the cut creates a barrier that prevents metal oxidation.

Therefore, in order to avoid shortening the service life of the corrugated board, it is imperative to apply a special anti-corrosion mastic to the cut edges. In addition, you can also paint 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 the corrugated sheets at the fit points, ensuring the reliability of the corrugated sheet throughout its entire service life.

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