How To Cut Thin Aluminum Sheet

Align the tin snips with the sheet metal.

How to cut thin aluminum sheet. Be the first to share. Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal. The illustrations are for a small bracket but i have cut 3 foot long pieces using this method. 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.

If you use metal shears to cut thin sheet metal such as duct metal it curls and can be difficult to flaten properly. Make your first cut. Set the piece of aluminum on a table or over sawhorses and position it so the cutting area has open space underneath it. Choose between red blue or yellow snips based on the cut direction.

Most tin snip manufacturers color code their. These photo steps show that it can be done using a utility knife. You could also use pair of hand nibblers which cut through sheet by taking small chunks of aluminum out with each nibble. 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.

Mark the start and stopping point of your cut with a grease pencil or some similar implement that marks on sheet metal. How to cut thin aluminum. Clamp the aluminum down. Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while.