Sheet Metal Working Tools for Home Crafts

Measuring

• Taking the time to make proper measurements is important. A measuring tape, a long metal ruler, a flexible curve ruler and a chalk line will help ensure your design comes together accurately.

Cutting

• Sheet metal will often come in standard rectangular sizes, and for most projects the dimensions of the pieces of sheet metal will need to be adjusted. Tin snips are the most basic tool; available in a variety of designs and configurations, these are essentially scissors made for cutting thin metal. Pneumatic or electrical power shears are another option for cutting sheet metal; they allow you to easily make controlled cuts following straight lines and large curves.

  Throatless mounted on a bench top allow the user to freely move the metal around the cutting blade, allowing great control over the shape of the cut. They operate using a lever mechanism. Bandsaws with a metal cutting blade also can cut sheet metal, though these tend to be more expensive.

Punching

• Many projects require you to make a hole in a piece of sheet metal. Hand-held metal punch tools are available, and they can make cuts close to the edge of the sheet. For holes farther from the edge, a metal drill bit can be used.

Bending

• Many projects require that you bend a piece of sheet metal at a specific angle. Benders are machines that will clamp down and lock onto a piece of metal, holding it in place, while a lever mechanism is used to bend the sheet metal to the desired angle.

  For smaller projects, you can get by without a bender. For a 90-degree angle, use a set of clamps to secure the piece of sheet metal to the surface of a work bench, and use a rubber mallet to bend the sheet metal around the edge of the bench. For a different angle, cut the edge of a small piece of wood to the desired angle, and insert it between the bench surface and the sheet metal.

Rolling

• Rollers can curve a piece of sheet metal by running it through a trio of metal rods; it can be adjusted for larger or tighter curves. As an inexpensive, though less precise, alternative, use a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe to help you manually roll the metal. Select a PVC pipe whose diameter closely approximates the desired curve and with a length greater than the width of the piece of sheet metal. Hold the piece of sheet metal to the pipe, using duct tape to help secure it if necessary, then slowly roll the pipe across the sheet metal, wrapping the metal around it.

Polishing

• A last step in any project with sheet metal is polishing. This can be done by rubbing the finished projects with a polishing rouge buffing compound or with a polishing cloth.