• RME Gear & Apparel

Best Tool for Cutting Sheet Metal?

E

EROK81?

Sell out
Location
SLC
I'm at the point with my car where I need to cut up some inner wheel wells and parcel shelf stuff. I really don't want to use a cut off wheel for it, I am getting really sick of using that thing; I've probably put a few miles on it over the last year.

I am thinking of getting an air nibbler or air shear?

Either one of those better than the other? Some of the cuts will be a couple feet long, mostly straight with a few gentle curves. It isn't too thick, maybe 18 gauge.

What are you guys using?
 
Last edited:
bryson

bryson

RME Resident Ninja
Supporting Member
Location
West Jordan
EROK81? said:
I'm at the point with my car where I need to cut up some inner wheel wells and parcel shelf stuff. I really don't want to use a cut off wheel for it, I am getting really sick of using that thing; I've probably put a few miles on it over the last year.

I am thinking of getting an air nibbler or air shear?

Either one of those better than the other? Some of the cuts will be a couple feet long, mostly straight with a few gentle curves. It isn't too thick, maybe 18 gauge.

What are you guys using?
Click to expand...

I have an air saw if you want to try it out... It's just a small reciprocating saw that works really well on sheet metal.
 
RockMonkey

RockMonkey

Suddenly Enthusiastic
EROK81? said:
I'm at the point with my car where I need to cut up some inner wheel wells and parcel shelf stuff. I really don't want to use a cut off wheel for it, I am getting really sick of using that thing; I've probably put a few miles on it over the last year.

I am thinking of getting an air nibbler or air shear?

Either one of those better than the other? Some of the cuts will be a couple feet long, mostly straight with a few gentle curves. It isn't too thick, maybe 18 gauge.

What are you guys using?
Click to expand...

I use a plasma and then flap wheel it smooth, but I'm not trying to win any car shows. I have some air shears but rarely use them. I use cut-off wheels or plasma usually.
 
E

EROK81?

Sell out
Location
SLC
bryson said:
I have an air saw if you want to try it out... It's just a small reciprocating saw that works really well on sheet metal.
Click to expand...


Hmm...does it work better than one of those air powered cut coff wheels? I've cut apart most of my car with one of those but want something a little faster.

RockMonkey said:
I use a plasma and then flap wheel it smooth, but I'm not trying to win any car shows. I have some air shears but rarely use them. I use cut-off wheels or plasma usually.
Click to expand...

I'd give Bryson's right arm (I think that's the one he uses for throwing ninja stars, so it's worth more) for a plasma cutter, but it ain't happening anytime soon. :(

Corban_White said:
I have an air shear and I want to get a nibbler. The shear works great but it doesn't like curves.
Click to expand...

Sounds like out of the two, the nibbler is a bit better. I was worried about it not cutting a smooth line, but I guess they do?
 
Corban_White

Corban_White

Well-Known Member
Location
Payson, AZ
EROK81? said:
Sounds like out of the two, the nibbler is a bit better. I was worried about it not cutting a smooth line, but I guess they do?
Click to expand...

To tell you the truth I haven't ever used one so I can't say. I think they do but I will tell my wife that in the interest of finding out the answer to this question I will have to get one! :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Bart

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
I've used most of these and found the plasma was fastest, but tough to free hand, the little air saw worked great, but the nibbler was better. Cut off wheels take too much time and are hard on curves.
 
774x4ram

774x4ram

Member
Location
Lindon Utah
I have one of those air nibblers from harbor freight and it works really well and it was only $30 bucks I also have a Milwaukee electric sheer that works better on straight flat stuff one thing that is ALWAYS good to have when working with sheet metal is a set of tin snips that cut to the left and right so many people just buy the straight ones and try to cut a curve and then it looks like crap so they chuck them, they really help when cutting 1/4 to an 1/8 off a panel to fit it just right. I have restored 3 1971 cuda's and I did all of the sheet metal work with these tools . I have also used body saws sawsall's and die grinders. but the combination of the nibbler shears and snips worked best for me. with the occasional use of the 4 1/2 in grinder with an 1/8 in cutting wheel .
Hope that helps :D
 
E

EROK81?

Sell out
Location
SLC
RockMonkey said:
A sawzall on a car body? Isn't that kinda like using a chain saw for brain surgery? It's just going to make a mess.
Click to expand...

I made a HUGE mess of my roof using a sawzall. Took a lot of work to fix that mistake.

I will never never never use a sawzall on sheetmetal unless I am making an exremely rough cut on something I don't want to use again. Even then I will try not to use it.
 
Bart

Bart

Registered User
Location
Arm Utah
I used a sawzall on my inner fenders the first time opened up the wheel wells on my first XJ. It didn't turn out too bad. Funny part was when my wife walked out into the garage while I was cutting away. She just shook her head, turned around, and walked back into the house.
 
Brett

Brett

Meat-Hippy
Location
Salt Lake City Utah
Bart said:
I used a sawzall on my inner fenders the first time opened up the wheel wells on my first XJ. It didn't turn out too bad. Funny part was when my wife walked out into the garage while I was cutting away. She just shook her head, turned around, and walked back into the house.
Click to expand...

She knew you should have been using an air nibbler ;)
 
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