If you need to cut metal pieces, you can go to Home Depot and ask the staff if they do it. They will help you find the right tools and advise you on how to use them.
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What can you use to cut metal sheets?
Get a nibbler. You can buy one that attaches to a drill. There fast and leave a clean cut.
I used a circular saw and made the mistake of putting the blade backward when I cut my own. Power snips might be better, but I missed 25 or 30 sheets with the circular saw.
I’ve tried other things but always come back to the angle grinder with a thin disc. Usually, try to use a scrap piece with a factory cut as a guideline. Most of the time, the cut is hidden under the flashing or trim.
Once you’re used to it, metal shears cut faster and better across the ribs than any abrasive wheel in a grinder or Skilsaw.
No way you’re cutting them quicker with hand. If he cut them on the bottom side (Like he should have), he would’ve cut. The Carbide blade will cut cleaner and faster than any hand sheers.
Use the earplugs and a quick sweep. I want to avoid starting any pissing matches with my experience, but I used a circular saw when I did mine.
Does Home Depot cut metal sheets?
Home Depot does not have a metal cutting service, but they do have a sheet metal department where you can get your metal cut. You can find the closest Home Depot to you by going to their website and typing in your zip code.
Every work requires at least three trips to the hardware store and a new power tool. It would be best to have sheet metal nibblers, probably available from Home Depot.
Home Depot was carrying something they claimed was “birch” plywood that was not Baltic Birch.
You need to significantly wear the proper eye protection when cutting and grinding metal. Aside from that, you can have metal cutting wheels or blades as others have pointed out. But I have found them to be slow going.
Sawzall or reciprocating saws work okay but have a “learning curve” to make a “clean, straight” cut. If you’re not careful with the two-panel pieces, they may shift away from each other and create an annoying “vibrating” noise.
It works great. I did a gable end 26 ft, laid all the steel out on the floor, and cut the peek in about 3-4 min. or less. I used to erect the pre-engineered steel buildings myself, largely airplane hangers, but some mills and warehouses. I’ve used the metal blades made for steel in a circular saw, and they work great. I’ve tried some of the other methods. Some work, some make a mess of the cut.
Double cut snips remove a 3/16″ strip of material in the middle, so neither side has to flex. I need to get some gutters over two-person doors. The overhang they left is like 5″, needs to be like 1 1/2 “-2”.
What about an electric shear?
Wen metal shears work well on everything up to 20ga and only cost $45.
Nibblers can sometimes cut thicker material, but they are slow to make long cuts. They are much better for tight curves or weird shapes, like cutting out.
If it is more decorative or insignificant, I would probably look at a throatless bench shear or electric shear for straight/long cuts. Get a nib.
It is my Beverly B2, and it will cut ten gauges. There’s a smaller B1 that will cut 14 gauge and a more significant B3 that will cut 3/16.
Other than the Beverly, I have a nibbler attachment for an impact driver, and it’s just okay. A nibbler can be a great new addition to your business. It’s versatile and is perfect for cutting curves in thinner materials.
The other great option is a jigsaw. These are common in the U.K. but less so in the U.S.
Skillsaw to cut metal sheet
I think I’ll try a saw blade for metal cutting skills. Yeah, I used to have Kett shears, lost them in a garage.
I have all three snips and the big ones. They work, but you can still get into spots where they are not ideal and take way longer than a saw with a metal blade for long cuts. I made a crosscut guide out of plywood with a fence for the saw. Perfectly square, clean, burr-free if you go slow.
I cut dozens of sheets using a pair of shears, as shown in post 7, with no issues. These were perpendicular and diagonal cuts. They were going across the ribs.
Using an oxy-acetylene cutting torch you can make one heck of an excellent cut. True, you’ll have to paint the end when you’re done.
You can cut without the guide, just like plywood. I will look for vid of someone cutting a 16′ panel in half with hand shears and not distorting the ribs.
Easy to cut at any angle and goes thru sheet metal like thru.
Grinder to cut metal sheet
I have used a grinder, and the cutoff wheel works but seems more complicated. Snips are great if you don’t need to. It is a simple single slope roof for an outhouse.
My experience with sheers hasn’t been great. I can’t seem to make an excellent cut for life.
Many grinders today are cordless and relatively cheap. Those are much safer than Sawzalls. We use a “Sawzall” saw. Loud! But very effective.
My father used a particular blade, a cheap one $5, for his skill saw. It was a 7 1/4″ blade, and it looked like an emery board. Places like Home Depot will carry it.
There is no contest between a Sawzall and a metal cutting wheel on a 4 1/2″ grinder. Use the thin cutting wheel on the grinder. Either will, of course, throw hot sparks.
You can find the thin blades hanging on the wall in the tool section of either Lowes or Home Depot.
The cutting wheel goes through it as a circular saw through wood, only smoother. It cuts such a fine line, and you can prevent any damage.
