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Phil · 11-25-05, 11:19 PM

John
Hershel is right-on about the brake and the shears. A cheapo brake won't make those nice tight radius bends you want on sheet metal, and the shears will make curved cuts which can become important. Also you might consider a cheap 12 or 14" band saw (woodworking). The blade speed is high on these but I use one regularly to cut sheet and plate with good accuracy...use a 10 tooth per inch blade. You might also try a circular saw with a cheap carbide blade..I use the $18-$20 ones and they give a lot of cuts for the price..Diablo is a good one. Try a little WD-40 on the blades or some parrafin to keep the chips clear. There is nothing like a good shear for straight cuts on sheet, but you will find with a little practice you can saw or cut pieces very accurately. Hope some of this helps
Phil

11-25-05, 11:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
Phil Phil 3 Tenths Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: New Jersey GT40: scratch built Mk1 Posts: 348 Rep Power: 8	Re: What sheet metal tools are needed? John Hershel is right-on about the brake and the shears. A cheapo brake won't make those nice tight radius bends you want on sheet metal, and the shears will make curved cuts which can become important. Also you might consider a cheap 12 or 14" band saw (woodworking). The blade speed is high on these but I use one regularly to cut sheet and plate with good accuracy...use a 10 tooth per inch blade. You might also try a circular saw with a cheap carbide blade..I use the $18-$20 ones and they give a lot of cuts for the price..Diablo is a good one. Try a little WD-40 on the blades or some parrafin to keep the chips clear. There is nothing like a good shear for straight cuts on sheet, but you will find with a little practice you can saw or cut pieces very accurately. Hope some of this helps Phil