Nibbler.

[mccarthy]

Hey people,

Does anyone know where i can get a nibbler that cuts up to 2mm ally / steel. I have looked at the snap on one but only 1.4mm!

Any help appriciated
James

 

[stormin]

Won't be cheap and not small either.

http://www.makitauk.com/index.php?page=28&srch=nibbler&x=0&y=0#

 

[chunkolini]

I would give nibblers a miss, the swarf is hideous stuff, tiny litle crescent mon shapes bits that get everywhere and cause great painn and grief, they even follow you home and get into bed. Try these instead, I have the smaller version .Try these instead

https://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/product/gsc28/bosch-gsc-2-8-sheet-metal-shears-240-volt-only/
I have the smaller version and they work a treat on 1.6mm sheet, leave a great finish and no loss of material.

Chunko'.,

 

[elebub]

Use a jigsaw. I cut up a 600 gallon 3mm sheet steel oil tank no probs.

 

[hotrodder]

Bosch and Makita both do nibblers and shears, the 1.6mm steel cutting models max out at 2.5mm ally and 1.2mm stainless typically. Bigger models upto 3.2mm steel/2mm stainless. I have one of these. The thee blade design (cuts a 4mm ish strip) means zero distortion and better straight cuts (no bouncing/twisting while cutting), pants for cutting anything tighter than BIG radii though. The one Chunko' linked to better for curved cuts, won't do as tight a radius as nibblers though

Like Chunko' i hate the large quantity of razor sharp crescents nibblers throw out (you may hate the swarf from carbide burrs Chunko, gets everywhere and can be like microscopic needles!) so use a jigsaw and/or holesaws for tight radii

 

[chunkolini]

I cut this out using Bosch SCH16 shears, 1.6mm sheet, umpteen pieces, an incredible PITA, I can manage 18 panels a day, on a bad day 3!! some of them are compound curves. The shears are rated to 1.6mm mild steel, the baleds have four cutting edges each and cost £30 a pair. Still going strong on the first pair of edges. I confess to being slightly impressed the way they worked on a this amount of cutting. Note, I cut the panels out slightly oversize (10mm ish) on the bench shears so the off cuts can curl up naturally and not be forcing the shears through the cut. On 1.2m sheet this is not really neccessary.


A whole load of cut cut cut cut cutting, but today I did the last few panels. Next it is weld up the last seams, make the fins and do the mounting. The hole thing is 2.5m tall. I will put up a post if projects when it is finished.

The way I see it shears are the tool for this type of work.

I was wishing I had already got myself a Die Grinder today, some of the internal curves are too tight to cut with shears and angle grinding was a bit complicated.

Chunko'.

 

[Hitch]

Are you looking at air or electric James?

I have one of the real cheapy air ones, it does cut 2mm ally (1.2 steel iirc) but its very tight in the die.

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

I got a reciprocating nibbler 15 years ago that fits in the chuck of either my hand electric drill or in the chuck of the drill press it cuts 2mm aluminium no probs . It has had one new anvil for I cut some 1 mm stainless sheets... two off 1 x 2 mtr sheets and noticed the anvill had a hair line crack at the heel web.

Eurotools of Peterbotough were the suppliers , they are found via telephone on their on line pages ..they are still going and are very very helpful

Re the crescent bites...when cutting steel I put a girt big magnet in a poly bag and dragged it over the area and my feet after doing a sweep up then turned the bag inside out so the swarf is on the inside .

I used to have a big 8 mm x 2 mm steel chomping Bosch 110 volt nibbler and that is some mean machine but not so good for intricate cureve