Cutting sheet metal with your own hands with an angle grinder
Gas cutting
Cutting and bending using oxygen and combustible gases has affordable prices. The method is not applicable to all materials. Shape cutting can also be performed.
The condition for high-quality cutting is the combustion temperature of the metal, which exceeds the melting temperature.
The principle of the technology is as follows: the surface is heated up to 3000 °, which depends on the metal being processed.
This temperature is achieved using a mixture of combustible gas and oxygen.
For a good cut, the gas volume and torch speed must be correctly adjusted.
Basically, this method is used for installation work, in the production of metal structures.
The method is not devoid of disadvantages, which include a large width of seams and subsequent processing.
Also, with uneven heating of the surface, deformation and deterioration of the quality of the metal occurs.
The advantage is the ability to process products up to 20 cm thick, with a cut of 2.5 mm.
Cutting with scissors and angle grinder
For cutting metal in this way, special guillotine shears are used, which can be used for thin sheet metals (profiled sheet, galvanized).
The cutting element is a knife. Guillotine shears are mechanical, automatic, pneumatic, hydraulic.
Manual and pneumatic guillotine shears have the lowest of all types of equipment designed for straight cutting of metal.
However, an inexpensive tool has poor performance, so a lot of effort is required.
Therefore, most often preference is given to special power tools or industrial equipment, which are much easier and faster to work.
The electric tool is an angle grinder (angle grinder).
Cutting and bending with an angle grinder is highly not recommended for metal with polymer coatings, for example, metal profiles, metal tiles.
This is due to the fact that abrasive wheels reduce the protective characteristics of the metal. When cutting with an angle grinder with your own hands, you must observe safety precautions: be sure to close your eyes and hands.
The main hazard when working with an angle grinder is the flying out of fragments.
Effective cutting with an angle grinder is performed with the heel of the disc. the near bottom of the wheel. Switch off the tool every 5 minutes to avoid overheating.
If long pipes are cut with an angle grinder, then you need to start from the hanging edge. Thick parts are cut straight with an angle grinder.
Guillotine shears work according to the following principle: the cutting sheet is placed on the table between the knives.
The metal must be pressed against the table with a beam, and then the upper knife must be moved.
Guillotine shears provide precise cutting of metal, which is explained by the clamping mechanism. Guillotine shears are intended for longitudinal and cross-cutting of sheet metal. This slitting device is the most popular.
A different type of tool is applicable for square, round and corner metal, due to the fact that the knife is located at any angle. The main characteristics of the device. length and thickness of the cut.
Guillotine shears provide a smooth cut without roughness, the knife does not spoil the paint and polymer coating and the characteristics of the workpiece.
There are also circular shears for slitting, which is carried out by rotating circular knives.
The lower and upper blades rotate in opposite directions at the same speed. The movement of the workpiece is provided by friction against the knife.
Mainly disc shears for cutting sheet metal are used for roofing for longitudinal processing.
Circular shears work as follows: the processed sheet is laid on the machine, inserted between the support and pressure rails.
Then the sheet is fixed with clamps and the disc shears move along the cutting line of the cut. When the circular shears begin to rotate, the knife cuts the product.
Circular shears are easy to use when slitting metal with your own hands (especially if the mowing lines for cutting are pre-marked). The knife produces precise and high-quality cuts.
This tool is intended for slitting only. Automatic mowing lines are quite popular.
Automatic mowing line consists of a feeder, a rewinder, a material feeder, a cutting unit and a control panel.
DIY | Angle Grinder Cutting Jig | Straight Cut Sheet Metal
Automatic mowing lines for longitudinal cutting have the main advantage: there is no need to involve people, since all operations on the mowing line are carried out under the supervision of one person.
Roller shears are often used. The roller knife is used for straight and curved cutting. The roller knife is suitable for cutting round, oval, square shapes.
Band saw cutting
For such cutting, roller shears are not suitable, but a machine with a band cutter is used, which has teeth, the distance between which is selected based on the quality of the material being processed.
Cutting has excellent characteristics: high productivity, good processing cleanliness, a thin cut not exceeding 2 mm.
Such a machine is capable of processing any alloys. One of the advantages is the ability to cut at any set angle.
The machine also has disadvantages: the inability to perform figured cutting.
Waterjet cutting is used for materials of different hardness: concrete, stone, different types of metal, etc. The basis of this method is the use of a mixture of abrasive materials and water.
The machine delivers the mixture with a high pressure pump, reaching the highest speed, which ensures cutting.
This method is one of the most promising, it allows cutting thin metals without abrasive materials, only with water.
Plasma cutting
Plasma cutting of sheet metal is a modern method that uses a plasma jet instead of a cutter.
The method is based on the use of gaseous substances in a high-temperature plasma state, obtained under the influence of an electric arc discharge.
Cutting can be done in two ways: jet and arc. When arc processing, the sheet is included in the circuit, the arc is formed between the metal and the electrode. When jetting, a cut is formed between two electrodes.
Self-made devices can act as a plasma cutter
Plasma flow occurs on a plasmatron, which has an electrode that forms an electric arc.
Further, the plasma-forming gas is supplied to the working nozzle in the form of compressed air. Plasma temperature can rise up to 30,000 °.
Plasma cutting is used for cutting and bending various metals up to 20 cm thick.
Due to the high temperature, there is no thermal effect on the areas near the cut, which prevents deformation of the sheet, and also does not degrade the characteristics of the metal.
This is especially important when working with stainless steel. Shape cutting can also be performed.
Do-it-yourself plasma cutting and bending is performed by hand-held devices, in which the beginning of cutting is the moment when the plasma arc appears.
During the process, a distance of up to 15 mm must be maintained between the plasma torch nozzle and the metal.
Mechanical types of cutting
The basis of mechanical cutting is a cutting tool that has characteristics of strength and hardness higher than that of the metal being processed.
This method of processing is also called cold. Mechanical processing includes guillotine, bandsaw and waterjet cutting and cutting with an angle grinder.
Types of sheet metal cutting
[Cutting of sheet metal] can be described as a technological process, as a result of which a metal product is divided into parts, acquiring specified shapes and sizes.
The article describes the processing of sheet metal, describes the methods of cutting metal, describes roller shears, automatic mowing lines, etc., and also discusses special equipment for processing sheet metal (machine, cutter, etc.).
Cutting methods are divided into two main groups: mechanical and thermal.
Before choosing a certain type of cutting, it is necessary to know the advantages of each type, the essence of the process, as well as in which cases a particular type of cutting is used.
Thermal views
Thermal cutting of sheet metal is based on thermal action, after which the cut point melts and burns out. The main methods are gas, plasma and laser cutting.
Laser cutting
The laser machine for cutting and bending metal is the latest equipment. Sheet metal laser cutting is based on the thermal energy of a narrowly focused laser beam.
The main advantages of the technology are accuracy, cleanliness of processing, thin cut.
The method is used for jewelry and other products that require complex curly cutting and bending. It is advisable to use the method for metal no more than 15 mm thick.
Equipment are not the lowest due to the novelty of the technology.
The essence of the method is as follows: a high-intensity laser beam is aimed at the metal, heating the product.
After that, the surface begins to melt at the point of contact, and the adjacent areas also heat up, but do not deform and do not lose their characteristics. Moving, the beam creates a thin cutting line with smooth edges.
The laser cutting tool is represented by coordinate tables mating with a microprocessor-controlled head.
Laser machines perfectly process fragile products, carbide materials.
Sheet metal processing is carried out in various ways (roller knife, machine tools, cutters, etc.), from which you can choose the appropriate option for cutting and bending with your own hands. And for bending, self-made devices can be used.
Guide for a straight cut angle grinder
Let’s make a simple attachment for an angle grinder. An idea has been spinning in my head for a long time and I decided to bring it to life. The device is simple, so a minimum of materials will be needed. The first and foremost is the angle grinder itself. The author of the homemade product uses a rechargeable battery, but it turned out to be weak. Therefore, he recommends the usual 220 volt. A piece of a shaped pipe 40 by 60 millimeters and a length of 150 and a shaped pipe with sides of 25 millimeters. The length can be taken to suit your needs. For example, I decided that a piece 1 meter long is enough.
We start with the markup. Cut out a corner with sides 50 by 35 millimeters from a 40 by 60 pipe. Cut out from the rest of the pipe. Cut off two more strips 25 and 20 millimeters wide. When all the blanks are made, proceed to welding. We wrap the profile pipe with a sheet of paper to make gaps between the parts to be welded and the pipe. We expose all the blanks, as shown in the video. We clamp with clamps and grab. You can weld everything and grind the seams.
This is a bus with a carriage for smooth cuts in sheet metal and more. I’ll weld in two strips of metal with holes for fasteners. It is better to weld in place, so we fasten the strips to the patient and grab them. And then you can paint it. Install the helmet and proceed to the tests. We will cut a piece of 3 mm metal. Secured the guide bar with two clamps.
The device works. I regretted installing the carriage on a cordless angle grinder. It is much weaker than the network one. Most likely, the carriage will later be converted into a network carriage with a 125 mm disk.
stand for precise cutting, dust cover
The capabilities of the angle grinder can be expanded not only by using various attachments, but also by installing it on special home-made devices. As a result, you can get a cutting machine, with which it becomes possible to accurately cut metal blanks at any angle. In addition, the angle grinder can be mounted on a carriage, and the resulting machine can be used to cut sheet steel.
Attachment for cutting sheet metal with an angle grinder
The master made this device for cutting, faced with a problem in order to smoothly dissolve sheet metal with an angle grinder into strips, while having a sufficiently high-quality and even cut edge. I looked on the Internet how this issue is being resolved, I borrowed a lot, that you added your own. It turned out to be a convenient tool.
Angle grinder machines
Making the simplest angle grinder attachment can be done with minimal effort and within hours! In fact, the structure will be a long metal pipe, which is both a frame and a handle. From one of the ends, a transverse metal bar is welded, which has two holes for fastening an angle grinder.
reliable homemade angle grinder holder
From the same edge, the pipe is attached to a small piece of the corner on the movable shaft. Fastening of the very same corner is made on the desktop, or to the floor! A spring must be fixed on the opposite side of the fastener, returning the entire structure to its original position.
That’s all. the manufacture of the machine is completed, it remains only to make the correct fastening of the angle grinder. Naturally, this option should be used for the simplest work, and if precise and complex procedures are required, then the design should be more complex.
Sawing machine for porcelain stoneware
Working with a stone requires special care. When the disc is tilted, you can ruin the workpiece (which is not very budgetary), or split the disc. Ensure that the angle grinder moves in a straight line while controlling the immersion depth.
To automate the process, a special machine has been developed with guides along which the tool moves without deviating from the path.
In addition, the cutting angle can be fixedly changed, expanding the processing possibilities. It is difficult to make such devices with your own hands, but if you develop sensible drawings using computer modeling, you can design a machine no worse than a factory one.
Tools Needed for Crafting Adjusters
For the manufacture of attachments for grinders for cutting sheet metal, special attachments are required. You can make them yourself. You will need the following tools:
- metal corner;
- electric drill with drills;
- duralumin steel plate;
- discs with a diameter of 125 mm;
- self-tapping screws;
- wood bars.
How to make a homemade dust collector
The simplest dust collector for an angle grinder can be made from a plastic bottle of motor oil.
- Place a disc of the diameter to be used for cutting to the container and mark: position the disc so that the edges do not catch on the casing, and mark the center.
- Cut a square hole in the side of the bottle with a utility knife.
- You should also cut 2 holes opposite each other, in the place where you marked the center.
- Screw the dust container to the angle grinder using the standard holes for attaching the casing, and put a hose from the vacuum cleaner on the neck of the bottle.
- Slide the cut-off wheel onto the angle grinder shaft.
- The hole, which is used for easy tool change, can be closed with a small piece of plastic.
After these simple steps, you can use your angle grinder to work on materials that generate a lot of dust when cutting.
Temporary construction according to a simplified scheme
The considered version of the listogib is made for regular work, and in fact is a stationary device. If you urgently need to perform a one-time job for the manufacture of tin products, you can create a simpler device.
Necessary materials
A do-it-yourself machine for cutting sheet metal, designed at home, needs knives, the range of material for which is very wide, and the choice of one of them mainly depends on the type and thickness of the material that will need to be cut. If you have to work with not the most durable, thin sheet steel, such as aluminum, then the simplest bearings will be the ideal option. But for the necessary functionality of the roller knife, they lack sharpening, which should be carried out independently along the entire end of the future tool.
The main roller knife is installed on a movable part of the structure with a clamping handle, when pressed, the workpiece is clamped between two cutting surfaces. The diameter of the bearings directly affects the speed of the work performed. That is, the larger the bearing diameter, the higher the production speed on the machine.
Making a roller knife for metal with your own hands
To simplify the work with the tool and make it more convenient, it would be nice to equip the sheet cutter with a guide plane.
The manufacture and installation of this part is not difficult, and in return, it will greatly simplify the whole process. The output is a universal machine with roller knives, which can interact with other metalworking equipment, which is also designed without problems at home.
Mechanical types of cutting
The basis of mechanical cutting is a cutting tool that has characteristics of strength and hardness higher than that of the metal being processed.
This method of processing is also called cold. Mechanical processing includes guillotine, bandsaw and waterjet cutting and cutting with an angle grinder.
Homemade roller knives
Homemade roller knife design
In such a case, a more correct solution would be to try to make such a tool with your own hands.
There can be a lot of roller knife designs, so making your own knife will not be difficult. But the main part of the tool. cutting knives. must be made of the highest quality and strongest alloy, the strength of which exceeds the material being cut. Otherwise, the quality of the trimmed edge will be very low and additional processing will be required.
Usually, even in factory models of roller knives, the resource is within 25 km of sheet metal 0.5 mm thick. If you cut sheet metal with a greater thickness, then the resource of use of the tool will decrease. But after that the rollers can be sharpened, with the result that the tool will be ready for work again.
As for the resource of using homemade roller knives, it directly depends on the quality of the material from which the cutting parts of the machine are made.
Cutting with scissors and angle grinder
For cutting metal in this way, special guillotine shears are used, which can be used for thin sheet metals (profiled sheet, galvanized).
The cutting element is a knife. Guillotine shears are mechanical, automatic, pneumatic, hydraulic.
Manual and pneumatic guillotine shears have the lowest of all types of equipment designed for straight cutting of metal.
However, an inexpensive tool has poor performance, so a lot of effort is required.
Therefore, most often preference is given to special power tools or industrial equipment, which are much easier and faster to work.
The electric tool is an angle grinder (angle grinder).
Cutting and bending with an angle grinder is highly not recommended for metal with polymer coatings, for example, metal profiles, metal tiles.
This is due to the fact that abrasive wheels reduce the protective characteristics of the metal. When cutting with an angle grinder with your own hands, you must observe safety precautions: be sure to close your eyes and hands.
The main hazard when working with an angle grinder is the flying out of fragments.
Effective cutting with an angle grinder is performed with the heel of the disc. the near bottom of the wheel. Switch off the tool every 5 minutes to avoid overheating.
If long pipes are cut with an angle grinder, then you need to start from the hanging edge. Thick parts are cut straight with an angle grinder.
Guillotine shears work according to the following principle: the cutting sheet is placed on the table between the knives.
READ Various types of cutting of stainless steel
The metal must be pressed against the table with a beam, and then the upper knife must be moved.
Guillotine shears provide precise cutting of metal, which is explained by the clamping mechanism. Guillotine shears are intended for longitudinal and cross-cutting of sheet metal. This slitting device is the most popular.
A different type of tool is applicable for square, round and corner metal, due to the fact that the knife is located at any angle. The main characteristics of the device. length and thickness of the cut.
Guillotine shears provide a smooth cut without roughness, the knife does not spoil the paint and polymer coating and the characteristics of the workpiece.
There are also circular shears for slitting, which is carried out by rotating circular knives.
The lower and upper blades rotate in opposite directions at the same speed. The movement of the workpiece is provided by friction against the knife.
Mainly disc shears for cutting sheet metal are used for roofing for longitudinal processing.
Circular shears work as follows: the processed sheet is laid on the machine, inserted between the support and pressure rails.
Then the sheet is fixed with clamps and the disc shears move along the cutting line of the cut. When the circular shears begin to rotate, the knife cuts the product.
Circular shears are easy to use when slitting metal with your own hands (especially if the mowing lines for cutting are pre-marked). The knife produces precise and high-quality cuts.
This tool is intended for slitting only. Automatic mowing lines are quite popular.
Automatic mowing line consists of a feeder, a rewinder, a material feeder, a cutting unit and a control panel.
Automatic mowing lines for longitudinal cutting have the main advantage: there is no need to involve people, since all operations on the mowing line are carried out under the supervision of one person.
Roller shears are often used. The roller knife is used for straight and curved cutting. The roller knife is suitable for cutting round, oval, square shapes.
Laser cutting
The laser machine for cutting and bending metal is the latest equipment. Sheet metal laser cutting is based on the thermal energy of a narrowly focused laser beam.
The main advantages of the technology are accuracy, cleanliness of processing, thin cut.
The method is used for jewelry and other products that require complex curly cutting and bending. It is advisable to use the method for metal no more than 15 mm thick.
Equipment are not the lowest due to the novelty of the technology.
The essence of the method is as follows: a high-intensity laser beam is aimed at the metal, heating the product.
After that, the surface begins to melt at the point of contact, and the adjacent areas also heat up, but do not deform and do not lose their characteristics. Moving, the beam creates a thin cutting line with smooth edges.
The laser cutting tool is represented by coordinate tables mating with a microprocessor-controlled head.
Laser machines perfectly process fragile products, carbide materials.
Sheet metal processing is carried out in various ways (roller knife, machine tools, cutters, etc.), from which you can choose the appropriate option for cutting and bending with your own hands. And for bending, self-made devices can be used.
Traverse mechanism
The principle of operation of the structure. the workpiece is clamped with a ruler, and the movable traverse bends the edge to the desired angle. Perhaps the most popular type of bending machine.
There are both industrial stationary machines and hand-held table fixtures. In fact, it has no restrictions on the bend angle. from 0 to 180 degrees. The width of the processed sheet is determined by the length of the traverse.
This is the only design flaw. It will be problematic to bend a solid strip of rolled metal several meters long at home. But you can quickly make a composite structure of any length with bends for splicing the ends.
With traverse structures, a sheet bending knife is often used, which is included in the delivery set.
Roller-type end knives are designed for high-quality leveling of the edge of the workpiece.
What knives can be made of
In the case of hand-made production of such a tool, the main problem is to choose a suitable material that will cut metal blanks.
So, if it is necessary to cut not the most durable sheet metal. aluminum, galvanized steel and the like, a good solution would be to use ordinary bearings, the ends of which must first be sharpened.
How I Make Straight Accurate Cuts With The Angle Grinder
To cut such knives into metal, one of the rollers is driven, you need to install it on the handle, with which you can press the knives to the material. After that, it remains only to pull the metal, holding the handle of the homemade machine pressed to the base.
The larger the bearing diameter, the higher the cutting speed such a hand tool will have.
Thus, now you can find many designs of homemade roller shears for cutting. The hardest part is finding parts that can be used as knives. For a more convenient use of a hand-made machine, it can be additionally equipped with guides that will allow you to cut the workpiece evenly.
At the same time, the finished tool, if necessary, can be installed on any metalworking equipment, for example, on a sheet bending machine.