Even in properly cut metal the fracture zone will be angled and rough.
Cutting sheet metal straight line.
As you cut one side of the sheet metal will ride up and over the.
Then grip the saw with both hands and push the blade through the metal to cut it.
If you ve got a lot of straight cutting to do buy tin snips like the one shown in photo 4.
Start by taping both sides of the sheet metal directly over the line you want to cut and clamp the metal to a work station so it doesn t move.
A quality jigsaw and the correct metal cutting blade will make short work of sheet metal cuts.
And you can use the same technique anytime you need a straight cut on aluminum or other light gauge sheet metal even steel.
Step 5 optional if your project requires cutting a hole in the center of sheet metal draw it on the metal as you would any other cut line.
Shaving is a secondary process that can be used to improve edges of cuts that have already been made.
Edge surfaces of cut sheet metal are not typically smooth and straight.
For thin sheets of metal you can use tin snips to cut through it.
Then create a pilot hole within the penciled circle.
In sheet metal cutting the lower the clearance value the higher the edge s quality.
If you need a straight cut clamp a straight edge to the sheet to act as a guide for the jigsaw footplate.
Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade.
This same idea i decided to take to sheet metal when using the scissor shears.
Even so your cut will probably be a little ragged.
An well known trick when cutting with your plasma cutter is to clamp a metal straight edge to the metal so the arc is directly over your cut line.
And the long blades make it easy to cut straight and leave a smooth edge.
This way you can simply press the edge of the torch cup against the straight edge and slowly make a straight cut.
