How To Cut 24 Gauge Stainless Steel Sheet

Wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands from small fragments of metal and sparks.

How to cut 24 gauge stainless steel sheet. These have strong jaws that nibble through the metal cutting out a 1 4 inch wide strip and leaving a very clean edge. For thin sheet materials up to about 18 gauge in thickness the lower the gauge the thicker the metal the best ordinary shop tool is electric shears. And you can use the same technique anytime you need a straight cut on aluminum or other light gauge sheet metal even steel. 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.

Once your tube is in position tighten it into place by rotating the knob at the end of the device. The best tool for cutting stainless steel will vary depending on the material you re cutting. Keep kids out of your working area. These scissor like tools allow you to cut through thin steel 24 gauge or thinner in the same way you would cut through paper with ordinary scissors.

The lower the number the thicker the metal is. Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it. Wear eye protection like certified goggles to protect your eyes from flying sparks and particles. Keep rotating the knob until the tube is secure.

How to cut stainless steel sheet metal. Cut thin stainless steel metal between 25 and 15 gauge with a pair of compound action snips or shears also called aviator s snips or. Line up the section you want to cut with the wheel on the cutter. Insert your stainless steel tube into the tube cutter.

Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade. Gauge to thickness chart click here for a printable pdf chart gauge. Use compound snips to make small cuts in thin gauge steel. Also it is recommended that you wear safety shoes that have.