Metal cutting shears

[fishspike57]

Hey what is a good cutting shears for cutting ceiling metal or roof metal

Thanks

 

[NUTTSGT]

Want hand shears, electric or cordless shears ?

 

[oldgoaly]

Wiss and Malco make a good bench shear, the best for cutting long straight or slightly curved cuts. Aviation snip are good for short cuts and notching around things.






don't waste a dime on the yellow handle ****

 

[readhead]

X2 on the yellow snips. If you cut the sheets with snips you will stretch the sheet. That is okay but you will need to shrink the sheet back to layout. A cut off wheel or nibbler would be a better choice.

 

[metlmunchr]

A nibbler is by far the best tool for cutting across ribs in any sort of roll formed sheet metal. A nibbler also works fine on cuts along the length of a sheet, but its best to use some sort of straight edge as a guide rather than trying to follow a line freehand.

Assuming you have a compressor, this one from Astro Pneumatic gets very good reviews for $40. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBO3G2O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Most people who use them daily in metal building construction use electric nibblers from Bosch or Makita. Both are very good tools, but either of them push $300

Harbor freight sells an air nibbler, but I wouldn't recommend it. Bought one, but took it back for a refund. Uses an abnormally large amount of air, and jams regularly, likely due to sloppy tolerance on the punch to die clearance. Its cheap, but still not worth the money.

The secret to using a nibbler is letting it do the work at its own pace rather than trying to force it thru the work or jamming it into corners when cutting formed shapes. Seems like common sense, but I've been around sheetmetal work for 50 years, and some people, even experienced sheetmetal workers, just never grasp that concept. Those who don't will wreck the punch and die set in even the most expensive and rugged nibbler in a matter of minutes.

 

[Bill Bowman]

^^^^^^^This is good advise.

 

[fishspike57]

Thanks all I appreciate advice. Going to look at an electric nibbler.

 

[rustyjames]

Kett electric shears work well for lenghtwise cuts.

 

[dr_clyde]

Nibbler for perpendicular cuts to the ribbing, and Kett electric shears for parallel to the ribbing.

 

[bullnerd]

Some good info in this and his other vids on working with barn metal.

 

[Falcon67]

One other trick I've used to cut sheet is a used circular saw blade turned around backwards in the saw. Cuts corrugated steel nice - wear PPE, especially hearing.

 

[jgromada]

I went with the Malco TSCM https://www.malcoproducts.com/product/corrugated-metal-turboshear-drill-attachment/ You use your cordless drill to power and it does a fine job cutting across the ribs. It slices the metal so it doesn't damage the metal as much as cutting it would so no rust! This works much better (and faster) than nibblers too! (i have both)

If you have to do more than one panel forget the hand shears. Trying to cut across the ribs is nearly impossible as well.

 

[readhead]

There are several blades on the market these days for cutting steel shapes and sheet goods. There is no reason to use a blade backwards anymore. Reversing a blade simply turned it into a poor version of a friction blade.

 

[readhead]

Any time a steel sheet is cut with any device a raw edge is left to rust unless the cut is sealed in some way.

 

[Marctrees]

I went with the Malco TSCM https://www.malcoproducts.com/product/corrugated-metal-turboshear-drill-attachment/ You use your cordless drill to power and it does a fine job cutting across the ribs. It slices the metal so it doesn't damage the metal as much as cutting it would so no rust! This works much better (and faster) than nibblers too! (i have both)

If you have to do more than one panel forget the hand shears. Trying to cut across the ribs is nearly impossible as well.

This exact setup is what my builders guys used... on my heavier ?26ga? sheets.

They have been doing pole barns exclusively for years... like buttah even across ribs.

I watched them most of the day they did the sheeting and saw them make dozens of cuts.

I'm sure it will take a bit of practice, but 4 different guys on the crew did fine w this tool... They had two identical units in use... on plug in Dewalts.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

They thought ahead and I think all of their cut ends ended up hidden under lap, or under trims.

None ended up exposed to view.

Marc

 

[vpd66]

I'm a sheet metal worker and all we use is a circular saw with the correct blade. Weither it is steel or aluminum sheets there is a correct blade to do the job with a circular saw. Sometimes if we have to cut out a hole in the sheet we will use a nibbler.

 

[Tracs]

We have a Makita cordless shear for HVAC work. It is great, smooth, and no vibration.

 

[rburke65]

All the cuts I made in my metal ceiling liner were hidden above full sheets.