Cutting Straight Line Sheet Metal

Cutting straight lines with an electric saw 1.

Cutting straight line sheet metal.

This may be a no brainer to most of you but i had to do a lot of repetitive cutting of sheet steel and was looking for the fastest way to do it. I could never get a perfectly straight line when cutting longer cuts on sheet metal. Open the cutters as wide as you can at the start of each stroke and make long smooth strokes. Recently it clicked in my head to utilize an old trick when making straight cuts with a plasma cutter.

Place the sheet metal on top of the workbench and lay out your pattern using a tape measure pencil and straightedge. Wax your saw blade before cutting sheet metal. Make long strokes for long straight cuts. Lift the cutoff strip and roll it to the side to prevent it from binding on the tin snips handle.

This way you can simply press the edge of the torch cup against the straight edge and slowly make a straight cut. An well known trick when cutting with your plasma cutter is to clamp a metal straight edge to the metal so the arc is directly over your cut line. Long straight cuts are easier to make with large tin snips. The easiest way to straight cut metal sheet.

Tape the sheet metal and secure it in place. If your project requires curved cuts make an easy economical and adjustable. Metal is difficult for saws to cut and rubbing wax along the blade.