Cutting sheetmetal, whats the easiest way? Options

[Verruckt]

I don't really want to invest in a sawzall right now. I have an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel, but it's going VERY slow and making a hell of a racket and mess...

What about a pneumatic nibbler? Or I have also seen what looks like an air die grinder with a small cutoff wheel and a guard on it, are those worth a crap? Trying to get out my floopans, and will have some other misc. sheetmetal parts later on to get off.

Anyone have some experience before I waste some more money trying everything under the sun?

[BIGKAT_83]

Cuts like it was butter.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=91753

Bob

[spare time toys]

QUOTE (Verruckt @ May 14 2005, 09:09 AM)

I have also seen what looks like an air die grinder with a small cutoff wheel and a guard on it, are those worth a crap?

We use these at work. They do great but you will go through a butt load of discs. I would just get the Sawzal it isnt going to be that much more in the long run. Check Home Depot or Lowes for on sale in the marked down area or local hock shops I have got a bunch of good tool deals at those.

[914GT]

When cutting metal on the car, besides an electric grinder with cutoff disk your options are sawzall, jigsaw with metal cutting blade, plasma cutter, nibbler, or air cutoff tool. The air cutoff tool requires a lot of CFM for continous operation so you better have a big compressor (like 15 scfm or more). I've never used an air powered nibbler but I'm sure they have their place for certain jobs. I do have an air shear and it's great for new flat sheet steel. Some people hate them but there a trick to using them to keep them from binding, then they work slick.

[J P Stein]

The answer is...it depends (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

When I was cutting off my fenders with a jig saw, I had to switch to a cut off wheel around the oil tank. I'd have been screwed without one......besides, that's a guys job....blow money on tools....fix the wife's stuff & get back in the shop.

[Gint]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif) With JP. Buy more tools. Seriously it takes a variety of tools to do the job.

And don't forget the pneumatic chisel. It ain't pretty, but it makes a lot of racket and is uber cool.

[Verruckt]

QUOTE (Gint @ May 14 2005, 09:30 AM)

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif) With JP. Buy more tools. Seriously it takes a variety of tools to do the job. And don't forget the pneumatic chisel. It ain't pretty, but it makes a lot of racket and is uber cool.

Got the chisel. I am "well versed" in it's use. In my previous career I was a toolmaker. We used to rebuild shotgun shell drums for Remington. Had to install some flared stainless inserts in these drums. Made a special adapter for it that would press in these inserts. Was the worst thing I ever had to do. My wrists would be sore as hell after a week of all that... Sorry, having bad flashbacks. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

Think I will just break down and buy a bunch of stuff. Can't have enough eh? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[skline]

QUOTE (BIGKAT_83 @ May 14 2005, 07:18 AM)

Cuts like it was butter. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=91753 Bob

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif) I bought one of these and it cuts incedibly fast. You wont believe how fast it cuts through our cars.

[Brando]

Fastest, easiest way.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=91814

Used one of these (their $899 chicago electric unit) in shop class for a few years. If you do it right you can minimize the flashing and burn-through to other parts of the car body.

[bondo]

QUOTE (BIGKAT_83 @ May 14 2005, 07:18 AM)

Cuts like it was butter. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=91753 Bob

I agree, get one. I also agree about the plasma cutter. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[tat2dphreak]

after using a plasma, everything else is crap...

[Verruckt]

QUOTE (BIGKAT_83 @ May 14 2005, 08:18 AM)

Cuts like it was butter. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Disp...temnumber=91753 Bob

I bought one of these, actually two. The first one didn't work... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif) Went back, got another. It's a cuttin mofo. Gotta love HF. Almost got in a fight in the parking lot. Was a helluva time! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[lapuwali]

Following up on this. I just did a fair about of floorpan cutting on my 912, using several different methods:

A jigsaw with many tooth metal cutting blade worked very quickly, but would tend to break blades very easily. With an unsupported metal panel (or the floor after a lot of cutting had been done), the panel would vibrate violently, sometimes exactly in time with the blade, so no cutting. For cutting the patch panel, I found using spare tires to be good clamps. Set one on the floor, set the panel on it, set another atop the first, and lean against it. Use all four to hold a panel and cut between them. You have to plan cuts carefully to keep them pretty much straight, and buy lots of blades. You can only make very wide arcs, and you can't get very close to things like the longs or the center tunnel. The resulting cut edge was clean, and the cut was fairly narrow. Very noisy.

A pair of aviation snips work great on 20G sheet, and a bit less well on 18G sheet. On 16G sheet, you need to have stronger hands than I do to make anything other than very short cuts. The edge is usually a bit rippled from having to make a long series of short cuts. Quiet.

A cutoff wheel in a air tool generate a lot of sparks, which can be a fire hazard if there's lots of grease or carpeting around. The cut is fairly wide and a bit ragged. You can get much closer to the longs and center tunnel than with the jigsaw, and you can start with no hole or other cuts at all, just grind down through to start a slot. You need a bigger compressor than my 9CFM unit to make cuts for longer than 15-20 seconds at a whack with an air-powered cutoff wheel. Loud.

A Dremel with a cutoff wheels makes quick, high-precision, clean cuts. However, the cutoff wheels that are brown-ish and look like compressed powder (sintered?) break apart very easily. The graphite wheels (tiny versions of the cutoff wheels above) work better, but still wear out pretty quickly. Great for trimming, but awful for trying to cut out a large panel. Medium loudness.

I haven't tried one of the little Dremel "saws", nor have I tried a sawzall. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to cut both the floor and the patch panel so they fit together well.

[Verruckt]

I bought the saw that Skline recommended, and also a cutoff wheel. I think that they each have a useful purpose. One works better than the other for certain cuts. I now believe I needed them both. Made short work of what ive done so far.

My compressor also is a bit on the small side, so the cutoff wheel keeps it cycling more often. But I never get to the point where I'm out of oompf.

[Joe Bob]

The nibbler for most....the plasma cutter for the thicker stuff.

Sawzall for cars.... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sawzall-smiley.gif)

[bondo]

The air body saw can actually cut VERY close to things if you're careful. You can actually bend the blade to cut things flush. I used mine to cut some of the rear trunk torsion bar studs off flush (the ones I could get at with it). I also cut out my engine shelf very close to the sides of the engine compartment with the same method. Of course this method increases the chance of bending a blade, and you have to hold it very firmly because you can't rest the saw against the stop.