Best way to cut steel?

[Satsuma]

I have lots of sheet steel to cut for a car restoration, I have a good compressor so I was thinking of buying an air powered nibbler. I was wondering how one of the following compares?

RAPID CUTTING AIR METAL SHEAR


Thanks
Ben

 

[Wozzaaah]

That would work fine but seems a little expensive, I'm sure I've seen them cheaper than that. We used to use this type, very quick and very controllable. Very good for cutting tight curves.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Worth having a look here http://www.toolstation.com/shop/PowerTools/PneumaticWorkshop/d40/sd2791

 

[Satsuma]

Yeah I was thinking of getting a nibbler, just wondered how good the shears are and how they compare to the nibbler, to me they look better for longer straight cuts?

I have noticed that a lot of air tools are re branded and the same tool is sold with a range of labels and prices, bit of a mine field. :/

 

[MrFluffy]

The shears are faster, and easier to cut a straight line with, however they tend to leave a sharp edge on the cut material. Nibblers are the ultimate in cutting curves, theyre a lot slower than a set of air shears, but they do leave a nice burr free edge to work with too...
My shears tend to jam and are a bit finicky on shear shoe clearance, but they were a cheap and nasty set.

 

[Satsuma]

Well I brought a nibbler, £22 plus £8 off ebay! It was second hand Sealey one listed as "this tool has had little use"

It arrived today and I was dubious as soon as I opened the package, due to the remnants of buffing polish on the aluminum! I went and tried it on some steel and the first cut it did an inch before stopping, the next cut was about 1/2 an inch, after that it wouldn't cut more than a 1/16th!! Being my first nibbler I wasn't sure how much they blunt and wondered if it needed a new punch, but on watching the punch it didn't seem to move far, barely 3-4mm.

I thought something must have been bust or worn inside so I took it apart and found that the pin that drives the punch was worn and mangled?! "this tool has had little use"? ehh

Anyway I made a call and the part is only £4 plus £3 postage so I order a pin and a spare punch. After writing to the seller of the nibbler asking why its so warn I went back out the garage and took the nibbler apart, at which point I wondered if I could patch it just to get it working. And to get one over on the git that sold it too me. I cleaned the rough edges off and used our old arc welder to build it up, I then filed it and finished with some alu oxide cloth. It did the trick and will do until the new pin arrives

Last pic show the cuts (or lack of) on the right before the fix and on the left afterwards.

Looks like it will be a very handy tool

Ben

 

[Welderpaul]

Good old ebay!
How wide does the nibbler cut - looks very wide in the last picture - the swarf gets everywhere from nibblers, gets stuck in yer boots and tramped into the house(!)

 

[snowcat]

This looks like the kiddy http://apex2.apexauctions.com/lot/3524253/view , Im band by Mrs C from buying anymore stuff from the Apex site, but that saw looks like a beast..

 

[snowcat]

Good old ebay!
How wide does the nibbler cut - looks very wide in the last picture - the swarf gets everywhere from nibblers, gets stuck in yer boots and tramped into the house(!)

Its always hot chip, like a shaper, Nasty

 

[Satsuma]

The cut is about 5mm? The metal bent a little so the far left cut spread open a bit. Yeah I made mess of my bench :/

lmao that saw would take up half my garage!

 

[shenion]

The original may not have been as bad as you thought. I seem to remember the notch being beveled. The makes the cut easier and throws chaff out the front.

When you get the other one you can grind the old to the correct angle and have a spare

I have a hand-operated nibbler. Good for making square holes out of round ones (has rectangular pin).

 

[Satsuma]

Ah this is the pin inside the head, not the punch which I think you mean?

Part number 8 is what was bust, the punch is 10.

Parts PDF

Ben

 

[lexi]

Got most of everything mentioned here. For an amatuer with light and occasional use it has got to be. 4" Grinder ....good hacksaw.......and Weiss or Gilbow tin snips. I have a U frame
made from squ. tube. It is like a hack saw but 12" deep. I weld a blade onto the bottom of it.

This has proved useful for cutting sheet in the vice........especially when its late and you can`t make noise with a grinder.

Alex

 

[johnny7]

for cutting thin stuff, i use either large tinman snips or a tool that i don't actually know the name of, it's like a big tin opener with two cutting wheels, one has serrations (for gripping the steel) and the other is plain, it cuts sheet as fast as owt, it'll cut shapes too, i paid about a tenner from the bootsales but it was brand new and still cuts great


john

 

[Hitch]

Sounds like a 'Jenny'

Some of them have interchangeable wheels, for cutting, rolling flanging...