How To Cut 18 Gauge Sheet Metal

Bench shears come in two general types.

How to cut 18 gauge sheet metal.

A soft wood backer will allow for the chisel to pass through more easily by providing support for the metal. Simply line up your chisel along the line you are going to cut and strike the back of it with a hammer. The lower the number the thicker the metal is. Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work.

Cut metal with your circular saw. Use a bench shear to easily cut most gauges of sheet metal. In our test it cut through rebar like a hot knife through butter. Most sheet metal cutting tools are limited to 16 gauge and thinner 14 gauge is still sheet metal but in common forms 11 gauge while technically sheet metal is 1 8 thick and not really sheet metal for the purposes of this article so we will focus on 16 gauge and thinner.

Straight shears and throatless shears. Cut small holes up to about 2 inches in diameter with a hole saw and a portable drill. Also referred to as aviator snips these scissor like hand tools cut sheet metal materials up to 18 gauge in thickness accurately without leaving a ragged bent edge as the finished product. Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the sheet metal.

Work the jaw of your snips into the gash to begin the cutout. Straight shears make cuts that are straight lines. It may not be an obvious choice but fitted with the right blade a circular saw is a great metal cutting tool. You can cut mild steel up to about 3 8 in.

Thick using a ferrous metal cutting blade. Align the tin snips with the sheet metal.