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  #1  
Old 03-18-2021, 09:56 PM
mburtis mburtis is offline
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Default What tools to use to cut blanks from full sheets

After watching a couple videos I think I might be able to get my snips to actually work for trimming panels but still wondering what options work well for cutting pieces out of full sheets. Is electric shears or a nibble about the best option? Is there any sort of hand shears that can cut out of full sheets? Best option I got right now is a cut off wheel in the grinder but it's a rather unenjoyable way to go about it.
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Old 03-18-2021, 11:49 PM
skintkarter skintkarter is offline
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Matt, an electric nibbler is probably the best way if you are to use the rest of the sheet. I've got an air shear which can also take out a centre strip and leave either side fairly flat, but it's a bit fickle to use.
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Old 03-19-2021, 01:54 AM
Jaroslav Jaroslav is offline
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Matt. If I need to cut a lot of shaped parts, pneumatic shears from the hobby market served very well. For better performance, I bought Trumpf shears with chip separation. They have good performance, but with the knives I have in scissors, they don't want to cut too much into a bend. But they cut perfectly and easily. But for the price of just Trumpf scissors, you can buy 30 pneumatic scissors at the hobby market.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ORVgsjjYUo
I have tru Tool C250 is it perfect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0f-sY8PVew
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Old 03-19-2021, 02:28 AM
Chris_Hamilton Chris_Hamilton is online now
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These work well for straight cuts and I find them fairly easy to use. Relatively affordable as well.

https://www.kett-tool.com/products/KD-440

Another option would be shears like these.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to..._988785_988785

or a Beverly Shear is really nice if you are doing a lot of curved irregular cuts.

I only have the Kett's and an CP air nibbler. I use the Kett's and get it close then use my Gilbow snips to trim it to the desired length. I really like the Gilbows compared to the aviation style snips that are serrated that are popular here in the U.S.

This is a RH Gilbow

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gilbow-G6...Cclp%3A2334524

There is a LH one as well as a 14" RH. They are really nice and very powerful.
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Old 03-19-2021, 05:07 AM
James Bowler James Bowler is offline
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Man i am going to hate to do this ....But i hated Harbor freight tools for the longest time most of there stuff is junk .

i bought a pair of these and they work just fine for $70


https://www.harborfreight.com/14-gau..._psugg_q=shear


Ketts where the first pair i had seen , not sure where they are made now



When i was young tools from Taiwan where junk now they make pretty good stuff , most things on the Snap-on truck are from Taiwan , China are bad now but getting better, It is tough to beat slave labor .



With that said the American tools i bought when i was young i still have and work as good as the day i bought them (Old Vise Grips) , That pair of shears don't work as well as when i bought them but they work pretty good for being a few years old i could probably adjust them , maybe sharpen them or just buy a new pair .

James
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Old 03-19-2021, 06:26 AM
Jaroslav Jaroslav is offline
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James. If you go to the heart of the matter and look for spare parts for scissors or pneumatic hammers. The spare parts are the same for professional and hobby market things. The only difference is the price. I prefer not to mention the brands, but most of us use it. Only the price is professional. Don't be afraid to buy any scrap. It just works, too. You have the option to fix it or throw it away.
I bought Trumpf scissors used. I sharpened the knives with an angle grinder and they cut. They were so bitten that my grinding was a luxury fix. I have experience with similar fixes, so no criticism. I made an offer for a new set of knives from Trumpf - I fell slightly. I'll put the item in the a future plan and buy the knives. Because that cut is perfect even after my crazy repair. I'm glad there are such things.
On the contrary, I throw away the tinsmith's scissors with a length of 1 meter long. I didn't need them for 5 years. They are unsuitable for those crooked things and 1mm sheet metal.
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Old 03-19-2021, 05:35 PM
foamcar foamcar is offline
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Im a real amatuer and for years just used my jig saw with a metal blade. I had a nibbler that attaches to a hand drill and finally tried it about a year ago. Much easier than the jig saw.
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Old 03-19-2021, 08:10 PM
blue62 blue62 is offline
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Makita JS 1602 spendy but it cuts up to 16 gauge cuts very clean and cuts anything from straight to around a 3" radius. Blades are long lasting then when they dull you loosen a screw turn the blade 90 degrees and your good to go again. Tool will probably last a lifetime.
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Old 03-19-2021, 10:00 PM
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MP&C MP&C is offline
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We needed some shears to cut out some damage on a bus repair and also to cut out the replacement since it was longer than my Pexto shear would cut. I picked up the 18V Milwaukee cordless, rated for 14 ga. I like the cordless feature, no cords getting in the way when cutting those long panels..














Worked very well, made the job MUCH easier...
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Old 03-20-2021, 02:58 AM
metal manny metal manny is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blue62 View Post
Makita JS 1602 spendy but it cuts up to 16 gauge cuts very clean and cuts anything from straight to around a 3" radius. Blades are long lasting then when they dull you loosen a screw turn the blade 90 degrees and your good to go again. Tool will probably last a lifetime.

Second the quote above. I own all the various types of electric and manual shears, except the Beverly type throatless shear and if I had to choose any one of these to save in a fire, it would be the nibbler.

For short runs and not-too complex curves, the electric shear is clean cutting and fine, but starts to bind up and jam in deep cuts. However, for the bigger cuts deep into the sheet and tight curves, nothing will beat a nibbler like the JS 1602. Think of it like a pac-man tool, eating its way out of any possible trouble. The downside is the bucket loads of crescent shaped metal confetti and a slightly jagged edge to the cut which will still need further refinement with hand shears etc. (this constitutes a percentage of wastage possibly not found with other similar tools)
A note of caution on the use of the nibbler is that I usually cut over a tarp spread on the floor or workbench to catch the waste. Make sure that you don't allow the base of the cutter die to run on the tarp or bench as this causes a restriction for ejection of the waste, which will result in a pressure blockage resulting in breakage of the lower die, as happened to me.
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