Favorite metal cutter?

C

cdyoung1985

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What's your most used metal cutter? I'm building a custom bumper for myself, and thinking about making basically metal trim all the way around my truck, attached to the rock sliders I'm going to build. The metal I had given to me is only 16-18 gauge I think.
I have a torch with small tanks, but I'm afraid of warping the metal. Been using cut off wheels, but they're slow, and my buddy that helps is working on taking it easier on them, but they don't last forever, but they're cheap. Looking for a somewhat affordable method to cut metal much quicker. Somewhat affordable means roughly a grand.
Looks at HF brake shear roller, but sounds like it's junk more or less. Good for aluminum, but not so much steel.
I also have a 16" chop saw, which is great for tube, but not sheets.
I like the shear idea for nice straight lines. Want a plasma, and that might be the route to go, but then, like my grinder, it's only as straight as my hand, which over much distance always fluctuates. Plan on getting more equipment later, mostly once I have more room.

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You could buy a used set of old style tin snips . The bigger the better, and you could weld up a block to mount one side to the bench and add a longer lever to the movable handle . Your own bench shear lots cheaper. Or use the grinder with HF cut off wheels I love them.
 
I have 1 electric, and 1 air tool for sheet metal. The electric does not like to make turns so much. They both have a 1/8 kerf. I also have the 7", 4", electric, and Dremel size air tool abrasive wheels.

 
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As far a as brakes or sheers the cheap ones suck from my experience I've done a lot of bumpers for jeeps and the like always using 1/4 plate for most of the bumper and even 3/8-1/2 for top plates to mount wenches (I'll see if I've got some pics on this phone) as far as the grinder being slow what brand of blades are you using? Idk if you have a airgas in your area (I've seen em from Cali to Missouri) they sell "super slicers" they're super thin maybe a 1/16 and work great (great means super fast) on sheet metal. The dewalt and similar brands they sell at the big box stores blow I'll only use them in a pinch. If you have some 1x1 angle or some 1/2" strap you can clamp cut guides on you work and of you can't clamp you can tack weld them on the beginning and end of your work and cut through the tacks last. I've a plasma cutter and still have to lay down a guide to get straight cuts and by the time I fire up the compressor blah blah I find it easier to just use a grinder with a slicer on it. Now I like using it on stainless and aluminum. So try the super slicers and tell the ol ladie you need a plasma cutter just in case. I mean ever man needs a plasma cutter.
 
Bob Korves said:
Quality ones cost real money:
https://www.grainger.com/product/product/ROPER-WHITNEY-Throatless-Bench-Shear-22JL16
Import ones cost less for a bigger machine:
http://www.eastwood.com/8-in-bench-shear.html
There are lots more out there, these are the first ones I saw, and these are not the low cost leaders on pricing. These cutters only make straight cuts.
Click to expand...
Eastwood is at least fairly quality isn't it? That's 10% the cost of the one on Grainger! Though I'm sure the one on Grainger is certainly more quality, I doubt it's 10x the quality...

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killswitch505 said:
As far a as brakes or sheers the cheap ones suck from my experience I've done a lot of bumpers for jeeps and the like always using 1/4 plate for most of the bumper and even 3/8-1/2 for top plates to mount wenches (I'll see if I've got some pics on this phone) as far as the grinder being slow what brand of blades are you using? Idk if you have a airgas in your area (I've seen em from Cali to Missouri) they sell "super slicers" they're super thin maybe a 1/16 and work great (great means super fast) on sheet metal. The dewalt and similar brands they sell at the big box stores blow I'll only use them in a pinch. If you have some 1x1 angle or some 1/2" strap you can clamp cut guides on you work and of you can't clamp you can tack weld them on the beginning and end of your work and cut through the tacks last. I've a plasma cutter and still have to lay down a guide to get straight cuts and by the time I fire up the compressor blah blah I find it easier to just use a grinder with a slicer on it. Now I like using it on stainless and aluminum. So try the super slicers and tell the ol ladie you need a plasma cutter just in case. I mean ever man needs a plasma cutter.
Click to expand...
I wish I had metal that thick lol. We do have Airgas locally, going to have to check out their wheels. I usually use HF. Not super slow method of cutting, but surely not the most efficient. If the metal was a quarter thick, I'd probably use my torch for a fair bit of it. Then after having to fill the tanks again, I'd probably go back to my grinder lol. Need a quality grinder too, the HF special probably isn't the greatest, and they aren't hard to burn up... But a plasma, yeah. I think I'd enjoy that, but I'd probably cut it close to shape, then trim it with the shear. Course for most of what I do, nibblers would be pretty good.

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So I think I'm going to end up with one of the Beverly throatless shear, unsure of which one. Should go b3 so I don't have to buy another, and can do it all.
I need an air compressor for a plasma, but I need one anyway. At least a functional one. Got a 5hp 18 gallon at a junk yard, it turns on, but is missing the plumbing and regulators... Why can't I grow a few money trees?

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