Working with sheet metal is not hard if you have the right tool. Check out these 16 genius hand tool hacks you need to know. When working with sheet metal, it is common for the term “gauge” to be used.Someone unfamiliar with the gauge system may not understand what is meant by 18 gauge steel, for example. Standard sheet metal is thin, galvanized steel. Heating and air conditioner shops might not make their own duct but they can tell you who makes theirs. If you have to cut a straight line. And they can be hot and sharp. Easy to cut, form and fabricate. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. The drawback is that the electric versions are heavy, so you get fatigued quickly and you lose control on long projects where you have to reach out over a big sheet of metal. The illustrations are for a small bracket, but I have cut 3 foot… Stainless steel is much more dense than steel, and it known to destroy tools. (Meaning, X Ga steel is = to Y Ga aluminum) The weight of 29-gauge metal roofing may differ, though, depending on the type of metal that you choose. There are several versions, from the old school cleaver type, to the much better scissor type that can actually be maneuvered around turns and curves. FREE Shipping by Amazon. I've bent thinner material by clamping a 2x4 to the piece and slowly folding it but am a little concerned that this trick won't work as well on a thicker gauge. Popular uses for HR Steel Sheet include: automotive panels, tool boxes, hoppers, drip pans, fuel tanks, trailer siding & roofing, etc. This allows the shears to make tight curves and bends. There’s nothing wrong with using a good, old-fashioned hacksaw, but there are faster, easier ways to cut metal. Also, work very slowly, this also reduces blade wear. But the discs wear down quickly, cut slowly and shrink in diameter as you use them. It may hold shape a little better than the 5 MIL, but will not bear much weight and will yield to increasing pressure. There are several different kinds of shears on the market--those that cut straight lines, those that cut curves to the left and those that cut curves to the right--so the type of cut you are making will determine the tool that you use. We have broken this category down into five categories- shearing, sawing, grinding, burning, and slicing. $14. Step 2: Measure the Steel. The trick to getting clean cuts with a plasma is patience and focus. It will glide through 14-gauge material without much hesitation. The blade only moves in a single direction, so there is less jarring at the cut site, plus you have solid table that supports the metal as you cut. The fastest way to cut sheet metal in complex shapes or straight lines (without a shear) is a plasma torch. Make the cut so the grinder wheel cuts down into the steel from the face side; this ensures the burrs from cutting will be on the backside of the material. You may not think of using an oxy-acetylene torch for precision sheet metal cuts, and you probably shouldn’t, but that isn’t the only way to burn through sheet metal. There are about a bajillion mechanical cutting tools, from the massive hydraulic shears, to foot shears, cut off wheels, and saws. You want a pair of straight cuts, or left or right-handed pair, for cutting both straight, and around corners. Anything thing uses a rotating or reciprocating blade is a saw type. These are nice to have, just make sure you get some replacement punch cutters, as the dull one hang up often, and if you break one in the middle of a project, you have to switch tools or wait until you can get a replacement. Every DIYer should have an oscillating tool—but which model is right for you? 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