Cut Through Thin Aluminum Sheet

To cut straight lines use an electric saw.

Cut through thin aluminum sheet.

Using a softer piece of material such as wood as a backer will allow the chisel to push through the metal and prevent wear on the chisel s tip. If you use metal shears to cut thin sheet metal such as duct metal it curls and can be difficult to flaten properly. Cutting thin aluminum should require no more than a few basic tools and is therefore a task that can be easily tackled either on the spot or from any reasonably well equipped garage. Cutting aluminum sheet metal with a hammer and chisel is relatively straight forward line up the edge of the chisel along the line you wish to cut and strike the chisel with a hammer.

Check out this video. Use a wood cutting saw with carbide tipped blades to cut most aluminum. 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. Select a fine toothed blade and don t cut aluminum with a wall thickness of more than 1 4 inch 0 64 cm.

Tired of getting fingers cut on sheet metal while using tin snips. How to cut thin sheet metal and keep it flat. If possible choose a saw blade that creates narrow kerfs the notch or slot made by the saw. These photo steps show that it can be done using a utility knife.