sheet metal cutting newbie, snips , shears or what

[steveo3002]

hey guys im new to all this

bought myself a basic mig for car bodywork repairs

i need a way to cut suitable patches out , ive been looking around and seen some snips for around £10-12 and the same style in "wiss" brand are over £30..are they worth the extra ££ for a occaisional user

or would something else be more suited (needs to be sensible ££ so no guilateens etc)

any suggestions ...and good name brands

 

[rusty69bus]

ones from b&q are alright just buy the big pair

 

[Porschemaniac]

I think that a lot depends on what you're cutting and where it is.

Undoubtedly, snips are a handy tool - and they'll build up the strength in your hands no end. But in my experience, they can slightly distort the edge that you're cutting along (or, is that just down to bad technique on my part) Obviously, that's not good if you want to perform a nice neat butt weld. If you're going for snips, the Clarke Aviation Snips from Machine Mart are not bad.

If you are inserting a patch into the middle of a panel, however, snips probably are not well suited; they're great for cutting in sheet, but taking a patch out of a panel is not really what they're desinged for. For this, two (or possibly three) tools spring to mind:

* A Nibbler - either air powered, or one that fits into the chuck of a drill. I bought one of these about a month ago and it's been a revelation for me. You could even buy a hand nibbler, which will give you more control than hand snips.

* Angle Grinder - with a thin disc. If you have a compressor, you could even get one of the small rotary body cutting saws - again, I have a Clarke version and it's a great little thing.

Unless you want to spend big bucks on a Plasma, I think these are probably the best options.

Oh, and by the way, I don't have a vested interest in Machine Mart - it just so happens that I live around the corner from one of their stores (the wife hid the credit card when that opened) and I think that their Clarke stuff is nice quality and reasonably priced.

Cheers,

Ian.

 

[steveo3002]

right i dont have a compressor so air tools are out

what sort of thickness can a decent pair of aviation snips handle realisticly?

do the nibblers for drills cut cleanly ?

chances are i wont use em often....its just for cutting a fag packet sized shaped out once in a blue moon...but the aviation snips i have here are as good a pair of scissors lol

are these better or worse than aviation style

 

[rusty69bus]

tin snip 1.5mm (16g)

 

[Dangle_kt]

I use a hand nibbler. Works great but it is a little tricky to stay straight when cutting a long run, and corners are a bugger.

Oh and your hand feels about 5 times its size when you finish, throb throb!

 

[Porschemaniac]

I find that manufacturers claims can sometimes be a little optimistic (in their favour). But Machine Mart claims that their Aviation snips will cut up to 1.2mm mild steel - http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/pro68-centre-cut-aviation-snips. They claim up to 1.6mm for their drill powered nibbler - http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/sheet-metal-cutternibbler

Never tried one of the drill driven nibblers - so can't really comment on how well they cut. My air driven one is a little gem and the cutting end is, essentially, the same on both - so I can't imagine that they differ significantly.

In my experience, the Aviation style snips will be a lot better - if nothing else, they are more comfortable in the hand. Oh, and i fully endorse what Dangle_KT says about hand nibblers - Ouch!!

 

[Afterimage]

I bought a set of three cheapo aviation snips from B&Q a couple of years ago,and the first time I used a pair they exploded in my hands - I reckon you definitely get what you pay for with snips.

I have a pair of old style snips that I inherited with an old stick welder about 20 years ago and I haven't managed to break those yet....

Don't reckon on cutting steel thicker than 1mm with snips unless you have hands like the incredible hulk.

 

[gavuk]

i like this cutter for bodywork
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p...ter/path/metal-cutters-shears-folders-formers
but if u haven't got an angle grinder u will need one anyway and the 1mm cutting discs work very well.....depends on your budget which anglegrinder u buy ,i would rather have 2 cheapies than 1 expensive grinder ,last one i bought from here .......http://www.ebuyer.com/cat/DIY---Power-Tools/subcat/Grinders
warranty lasts a year but worth double checking......hope this helps .....i have snips rarely use them........

 

[eil]

The pic looks like the old gilbows tinsnips had some for about thirty years still going strong add a piece of pipe to lengthen the handles if your hand gets tired. have tried the aviation snips but still come back to the gilbows when cutting by hand

 

[JimM]

From my limited exeprience I've found hand/avaiation snips bloody hard work, plus once you're a few inches into a cut the excess metal always seems to get in the way.

Have used a jigsaw and that did a pretty reasonable job on thin sheet, you can also get a nice straight edge if you use a guide to run the jigsaw along.

 

[piman]

Hello Steveo,

personally I do not like the Gillbow shears, too slow and hard work. Aviation snips are very good but designed to trim panels to size rather than cutting up larger sheets. I know there is a straight shear with the set but I rarely use it.
What I have used for years are one of these types of bench cutter :- http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p...ter/path/metal-cutters-shears-folders-formers
I have a heavy duty one which will cut up to 1\8" mild steel (3mm) but they are dearer than the one the link shows.

Alec

 

[shenion]

HVAC shears are also nice for straight cuts. They cut out a 1/8" strip. The strip curls up while the rest of the metal is not distorted.

 

[fingers99]

All the tools mentioned have their uses, and all do a slightly different job. After all, that's why they still exist!

If I were to have to choose one do everything (on thin sheet) tool, it would be a nibbler. Can cut straight, curved, left or right hand, minimal distortion, drill a small hole to start in the middle of a panel.

But the hand ones are hard work on big jobs: I've had bleeding hands and blisters in the past. If you get hand ones, get ones with rubber handles.

Better still, get one that can be powered by an electric drill (make sure whoever you buy it from can supply new parts as the cutting bits will never last for ever).

 

[500e]

Aviation snips don't buy cheap they are just not worth it I use left right cuts the strait (yellow handles normally) very little.
Gillbow's Hard work make my hands ache never found a pair with nice handles,
The nibblers are good if you don't mind the little moon shaped bits sticking in your shoes, Fein make a superb one, the bench machine is ok from MM but i never managed to cut a strait line & both sides seamed to bend.

 

[pete23]

i have a fein 110v nibbler, fantastic bit of kit, can even do a 8ft cut on a sheet of stainless, using a straight edge.

but the half moons are a fecker!! dont half **** ones shag pile up!!

 

[droopsnoot]

Aviation snips don't buy cheap they are just not worth it

Seconded, I had a set of three for a fiver from an autojumble and, surprise surprise, they're not very strong. The one I bought from Focus was much better.