Cut Sheet Metal Without Curling

Start by taping both sides of the sheet metal directly over the line you want to cut and clamp the metal to a work station so it doesn t move.

Cut sheet metal without curling.

Tin snips or aviation snips are one of the most widely used tools to cut sheet metals. Plus a plasma torch can be used for thick metal too so they are really handy. Such as straight cut snips left cut the right cut etc. There are some cuts that you can do with decent tin snips.

If you want the speed of a power tool you can get an electric metal shear and get straight cuts without curling your metal. They look like scissors and work fine with sheet metals like brass aluminum tin steel etc. If you use metal shears to cut thin sheet metal such as duct metal it curls and can be difficult to flaten properly. It works best only if there is a small project since it will require more effort on your end which is why it may not be the best for beginners.

These photo steps show that it can be done using a utility knife. The illustrations are for a small bracket but i have cut 3 foot long pieces using this method. The fastest way to cut sheet metal in complex shapes or straight lines without a shear is a plasma torch. You can cut the sheet metal without too much distortion and noise when you use a nibbler.

Another tool that will be an effective choice for cutting sheet metal is a hacksaw. You will sacrifice about a quarter inch strip of metal with each cut but that s less waste than i got with hand tools.