General Sheet Metal Cutting

[mutantZ]

I have been looking around for a used beverly throatless shear for awhile now, but i came across this. I'm wondering if this tool would be better in general. I'm looking to do some panel repair as well as some general metal fab unrelated to the car. Anyone with experience on this? Sooner or later I'll get that plasma cutter 😁

 

https://www.kett-tool.com/products/AN2000

[JMortensen]

I've used one before.  It's impossible to cut a straight line without clamping a straight edge to it. If you were cutting out a bunch of weird shaped panels it would be a great choice. Produces tiny crescent moon shaped chunks that are sharp AF. Don't use without pants that are long enough to cover the tops of your shoes. 

For my $.02, I prefer the sheet metal shears (like scissors) for straight lines: https://www.harborfreight.com/pistol-grip-air-shears-98580.html When I have to cut curves I use a bandsaw or a jigsaw. They won't cut a curve as nice as the nibbler, but they're a lot easier to control and it's easy enough to sand the rough edges with a belt sander.

Edited April 21, 2022 by JMortensen

[AydinZ71]

I have not used the tool you are looking at OP. I use a cut-off wheel for 90% of my sheet metal cutting. It is a versatile tool for me. I can cut muilitple angles, which makes cutting-out a template very fast. Can switch sheet thicknesses, handles big and small lines. I use the Wheel to de-Burr the metal as soon as it’s cut. For complex curves, I use a flat or die grinder and remove material up to a a marker. 
 

i use the shears Jon is referring to for thin metal like 20 or 18 gauge, but only if I am OK with the warping that comes from the end of the sheers. I didn’t like that for complex shapes from in-sitiu panel replacement, because the warping would mess with the fit.  That works for small pieces where I can hammer the edges flat on a table. I did not like the HF ones I picked up so I upgraded to a more expensive brand capable of thicker metal after researching a bunch on Amazon. 

[jhm]

I’ve been using an Eastwood circular saw for 4 years now.  Works great on straight cuts, but not so much on complex curves.  Makes less mess and generates less heat than a cutting wheel.  All of my cutting has been 3/16” or thinner; but I’ve seen people using it on much thicker stuff.  Like many vendors, Eastwood offers a nice discount coupon if you sign up for their email list.

 

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-mini-metal-saw.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1bqZBhDXARIsANTjCPKME5E2ef-O0n5ybLzZk-V9M7iizRAlqnRQRLecq_L4pqfL4htpwSUaAhJ9EALw_wcB&wcid=18406149356&wickedid=&wickedsource=google&wv=4