Need recommendation's for cutting metal

[Murdoch]

Hello I am working on a project and I am using 16 gauge steel and the equivalent thickness in aluminum. I need to cut the sheets and I am looking for an electric tool that can do this. I need something that can do curves as well as straight cuts. I tried a scroll saw but that really didn't work out. I was thinking about a bandsaw but I thought that I would check with the masses. I will probably be buying used as I have a tight budget and I need the tool to be small. Not micro or anything like that but say a hobbyists size if you will.
Huge thanks to anyone and everyone...

 

[jumbojak]

How about a throat less shear? I had one years ago that worked very well. Not sure if it'd cut steel that thick.

 

[nbruno]

http://www.eastwood.com/supercoup-n...grQms4oOAAULPJHluuBXevKSITK-ZDM4aAqCkEALw_wcB

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[Sjfab]

For straight cuts buy yourself a metal cutting circular saw. For cutting curves use a grinder and a 1/16" cut off wheel. With aluminum you'll need to keep the wheels from building up.

 

[nbruno]

You can use beeswax on the Cutoff wheel to keep the aluminum from clogging it up.

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[BillK]

How big are the pieces you are going to be cutting ? A few inches or a few feet ? There are "nibbler" tools that work pretty good on smaller stuff but not sure if I would want to do real long cuts with them.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

How big are the pieces you are going to be cutting ? A few inches or a few feet ? There are "nibbler" tools that work pretty good on smaller stuff but not sure if I would want to do real long cuts with them.

Ditto

 

[Murdoch]

http://www.eastwood.com/supercoup-n...grQms4oOAAULPJHluuBXevKSITK-ZDM4aAqCkEALw_wcB

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This is cool but it cuts 0.059 steel
I need to cut 0.063 thick

 

[nbruno]

Sorry my bad, been a long day.

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[Murdoch]

How big are the pieces you are going to be cutting ? A few inches or a few feet ? There are "nibbler" tools that work pretty good on smaller stuff but not sure if I would want to do real long cuts with them.

Building an armour, using steel, aluminum and titanium. I don't plan on using the tool on titanium...

 

[theoldwizard1]

For long straight cuts, use a table saw. A decent carbide tip blade does a good job on aluminum and is worth a shot on steel. Their are special ferrous blades (Diablo Steel Diamond) that will fit circular saw and table saws.

The best way to make straight cuts is still a shear. Throatless shears are designed for curves.

 

[Olafur]

plasma cutter?

 

[4 FN 27]

This is cool but it cuts 0.059 steel
I need to cut 0.063 thick

16 Ga CRS will mic about .054 to .059 thick. You should be ok.

 

[gmwelder86]

Your talk .004” difference. Don’t think the tool will notice a few thousands.

 

[dr_clyde]

I would look at a Kett power shear. I have one, they work great on most cutting that you can't do with hand snips.

I know these work great for straight cuts, I don't know how tight of a radius you need to cut, but these will do a curve. A power nibbler would do tight curves best.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EODAI5U/?tag=atomicindus08-20

You said you have a tight budget, but you didn't put any numbers on it, but these are less than $200

 

[Ign]

Your talk .004” difference. Don’t think the tool will notice a few thousands.

PRECISELY! Plus if you mic a 16ga sheet it's likely AT LEAST several thou under spec. Regardless 4 thou is .001" over the thickness of the average sheet of paper.

I've got a HF air nibbler and its tons o' fun but will look like a 4 year old with an EtchASketch if you don't have a good fence or guide. Makes cool chips though (hey, it's the little things in life.....)

Never personally shopped for an electric nibbler.

Although I'll tell ya as a metalworker I haven't pulled my air nibbler out in 10 years.....it's more suited for "metal arts & crafts" -- which is why I have it, my wife uses it occasionally to cut dragonfly wings or some such, I know not what goes through her mind which DOES tend to be true of all good artists.

 

[lakeroadster]

The Eastwood hand mini nibbler works good, but if you're planning to use it a lot for steel on the thick end of it's capacity, it's not a good choice.

A plasma cutter is your best bet if you're doing a lot of curves. Quick and easy.

A table saw is a horrible idea... shards of steel everywhere and it can ruin the saw too.

 

[dnschmidt]

Plasma Cutter, will cut the titanium as well as the steel and aluminum without ever even knowing the difference. Case closed.

 

[ocloc24]

My tool of choice lately has been my Milwaukee metal cutting circular saw. Amazing for clean straight fast cuts. As for curves, there's an angle grinder, jigsaw, electric shears. Those are my favorites for long cuts. A plasma cutter is a great option for both, but very expensive. If you ever need to cut thick plate, plasmas the way to go. Especially for curves.

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[Slednut]

If you're on a budget you can build a plate for an angle grinder and use a straight edge for straight cuts (see pic). For curves use a jig saw.

 

[Murdoch]

The pics are references of what I want to do.
Reference's only.

 

[dr_clyde]

That looks like an agonizingly painful amount of work to do by hand.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I usually use an air nibbler, not sure if anyone makes an electric.
Heavy hand snips work fine for small cuts.
I've also used a table saw, or circular saw for longer straight cuts.

 

[MoonRise]

Laser. It runs on electricity, just like you asked! Shark is optional.

OK, back to at least semi-serious answers.

16 gauge sheetmetal, steel and aluminum and titanium. Check.

You mention 'budget', but don't mention what ballpark your budget is. $50? $200? $1000?

More money usually gets you 'better'.

Here for cutting metal, 'better' may be faster, or 'cleaner' cuts (close to a finish cut needing little to no clean up) or easier to use.

To me, a plasma cutter sounds like it can do all that you ask. Straight cuts (use a straight edge), curved cuts (trace around a pattern, just remember any possible needed pattern offset), cut steel or aluminum or pretty much any metal. Not too big (at least for a machine to cut 16 gauge metal).

You need a source of compressed air/gas though. An air compressor or a compressed gas cylinder.

And they aren't exactly the cheapest tool to buy.

At the other end of things, you would be looking at some sort of shear. Whether a throatless shear, or a handheld shear or nibbler.

Or a saw. Reciprocating or a jig saw or a bandsaw.

Maybe a portaband with a table mount? Ala swag's portaband table?

More than one way to git er done.

 

[Fender1325]

I believe it can do 16 ga. I'm not sure, but my electric sheers from harbor freight was money well spent. I use it on 18 all the time.

 

[Murdoch]

Any thoughts on this?

 

[theoldwizard1]

For the precision you are going to need to make those intricate cuts, I think a throatless shear is your best buy. Slow, but very accurate.

 

[Murdoch]

This is a pic from Barry Armestead of Australia.
The armour on the right is made of cardboard, on the left 18 gauge steel.
This is the kinda armour I am looking to make. Barry used Wiss aviation shears, I need a quicker cutting method. My budget for a used cutter is between $150-$200.

 

[E.Marquez]

Plasma hands down is the better tool for what you describe...And if budget is an issue, buy used, sell when job is done to recoup all or most of what you spent.

 

[Murdoch]

The following is a list of what I have so far.
80 amp MIG/FLUX CORE
75 amp stick/arc welder
Dremel 4000
Dremel Ultra saw
Jewelry tools
Beater bag & stump with a custom hammer from Joe Andrews
English wheel
Drill press
Home made mini brake
So a cutter, a proper cutter would really assist this build along.
I have looked at used plasma cutters but the thing is what do I look for in a plasma cutter?

 

[dr_clyde]

After looking at the complexity of your build, I would think a manual shear is what you want. A throatless shear is best, a beverly style B1 size would be more than adequate.

I would not use a plasma for this job. While an effective cutting tool, they are expensive, messy, and the cut quality is nothing like a sheared edge. There will be slag and lots of grinding required. They also require lots of clean, dry compressed air, which I don't know if you have.

If you are handy in CAD, I would draw the pieces out and have them laser cut. Perfect cuts, and way less work.

 

[Murdoch]

Found this for $100.00 any thoughts?

 

[rnscustom]

Firepower has a small plasma with compressor built in for under 1/8" . Not sure about new but used can be had for a few hundred . I have the Milwaukee electric shear but it does fight with 16ga . I use it to cut straight , sheets in half .

 

[Clemson13]

If you are handy in CAD, I would draw the pieces out and have them laser cut. Perfect cuts, and way less work.

100% in agreement. Do it right. Save 100 hours. Make it in CAD and have it laser cut.

 

[rnscustom]

I don't think that's throatless , you want a throatless shear . Look on CL for a used Beverly shear

 

[dr_clyde]

This is what you want. The one you've linked can't cut curves very well.

https://www.harborfreight.com/throatless-shear-38413.html

A Beverly brand shear is by far the best, but they are spendy. If you can luck into a B1 or B2 for $200 it's money well spent. I paid $600 for my B3 and its 30+ years old and needs new blades.

 

[Murdoch]

I have no experience nor do I have access to that type of equipment I'm afraid...
Regarding CAD

 

[rnscustom]

I have that harbor freight shear and with a little tuning it works good . I've shaved 1/32 slivers off when trimming to shape , it will do me till I get the Beverly shear . On sale with coupon I picked it up for $79 . Cuts 16ga with little effort

 

[kkroger]

An Air Nibbler will do 16 Ga and equivalent Alu, and shoot razor sharp little horseshoes of metal all over... But it will do it and leave a nice edge, for the aluminum about ANY circular saw with a carbide finer tooth blade I used to use a plywood blade on my 18V Ryobi Mini Circular saw... the 16 Ga steel will be problematic with a Metal Cutting Circular saw it will bend the **** out of the edge. one way to beat that is to cut the metal with a piece of plywood on top of it so the blade can't Grab the sheet metal, Another option for BOTH is a plasma cutter...