How To Cut Aluminum Sheet By Hand

Aviation snips and tin snips are a common method of cutting thin sheet metal for hobbyists.

How to cut aluminum sheet by hand. Using a softer piece of material such as wood as a backer will allow the chisel to push through the metal and prevent wear on the chisel s tip. Cutting aluminum sheet metal with a hammer and chisel is relatively straight forward line up the edge of the chisel along the line you wish to cut and strike the chisel with a hammer. Select a fine toothed blade and don t cut. Tin snips are primarily used for cutting thin sheet metal like tin aluminum brass and thin gauge stainless steel.

For a reference on gauge thickness see our gauge chart. How to cut fold sheet aluminium. These tools are good for cutting soft sheet metals such as tin aluminum and brass. Be the first to share.

Align the tool s blade with your pattern line the penciled line you intend to cut along maintaining contact between the sheet metal and the upper blade of the tin snips. Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the sheet metal. Reduce the diameter of the. You probably wont find snips which are capable of cutting above 18 gauge mild steel.

Since you ll be cutting. Use a wood cutting saw with carbide tipped blades to cut most aluminum. Using electric power tools 1. This can range from standard oil to saw wax.

Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work. Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal.