How To Cut Aluminum Sheet Metal Straight

Choose a saw with a tooth number of at least 24tip teeth per inch to ensure even cuts in the metal.

How to cut aluminum sheet metal straight. 2 x research source. Place the fracture line over the edge of a table and bend the overhang slightly downwards. With the aid of a straight edge and a sharp knife score both sides of the aluminium sheet. An air powered sheet metal nibbler or a nibbler head attached to a power drill can cut through galvanized corrugated aluminum sheet as well as flat sheet up to 16 gauge.

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. If your project requires curved cuts make an easy economical and adjustable. Bench mounted tools such as shears or band saws cut aluminum sheet relatively slowly and with varying amounts of accuracy. 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.

This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line. Put on a pair of work gloves before you wax the saw to protect your hands. Place the sheet metal on top of the workbench and lay out your pattern using a tape measure pencil and straightedge. Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal.