Sheetmetal Tool Recommendations

I'd like to get more into working with sheetmetal. To date, I've just been using a cutting wheel to cut and my hands or whatever to bend it into shape. Not very precise.

What other tools should I invest in (or ask for for my upcoming b-day)? I'd be especially interested in a tool that makes it easier to cut straight lines - I guess that's a shear of some kind. I'm thinking a bead roller would be nice too. What tool rolls the edges over (for strength and making it look nice)?

[S

Just got a Chicom throatless shear--$100. Real pleased. Cuts fine--easy--clean, quite....Flipper suggested put it on a post stand with a heavy base--good idea. Needs room. Will cut straight or curves--.

PA41

How does that cut curves with a straight blade? Do you just turn the metal as you are cutting?

Saw some cheap air tools on HF too. Air shears and nibbler seem interesting. Anyone have any experience with those?

I prefer the electric shears over air.
Bead roller can cut and bend lips on metal (metalmeet can show you how).
Shrinker stretcher is a must and you will wonder how you ever coped without it.
Bob

BigIrish said:

How does that cut curves with a straight blade? Do you just turn the metal as you are cutting?

Saw some cheap air tools on HF too. Air shears and nibbler seem interesting. Anyone have any experience with those?

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They are basically solid mounted scissors with a 3' long arm running a gear/toothed lever action. You just move the piece as you pull the arm down, and it shears the metal with a scissors action. Very controllable and easy to use. The handling of the larger pieces are the biggest broblems. It is best to rough cut the piece into a manageable size then shear it.

I have used both the air shears and nibblers, and they dull quickly, are limited to lighter metal, and the action causes my hands to hurt after a days work using them. I'm an old worn out guy, and I like EASY...

PA41

has anyone had any luck or built their own shrinker?
seems like an easy enough concept
also thinking about building a planishing hammer
any ideas etc for either of them?

I have both of these from HF and have worked really well, but im not trying to make a living with them just use them when needed. Like alot of their tools if you want a lot of special tools that dont get used all the time cant beat the prices.

Bead Roller: I bought a HF bead roller, spent a lot of time and effort beefing it up, adding a motor and VFD. It's still a very marginal tool. Look at mittler Brothers for a good bead roller and dies. Or build your own and buy their dies. Skip the HF.

Planishing hammer: The HF planishing hammer works pretty well. I built one but the 30 year old Ingersol air hammer I used hits too hard. It does not planish it forges! The HF has a cheapy light air hammer which is well suited to planishing sheet metal. I think you can get one for $59 on sale.

I have not had a lot of luck with air nibblers. They are hard to keep on the line. The HF ones dull too easily - spend real money and get a better one or just skip it.

The electric throatless shears - Kett is the major name - sells for $250 - $300. HF has one for $29 on sale that works pretty well. I have been using my $29 HF for a couple years and am very satified with it. They cut curves and reasonably straight lines, but distort the edges of the cut, which can be a problem sometimes.

For straighter lines, the electric shear that double cuts and removes a 1/4" wide strip (see the last post for a pic) works very well. They cut with no distortion of the sheet. They will also cut gentle curves. I have a Milwaukie that I have had for 30 years, It still works great and has never been sharpened. Don't know about the HF.

A 10" shot bag and some mallets would be very useful if you want to do any
forming.

Thanks for the input everyone. I think i'll start off with elec shears and maybe a bead roller. Also really want a hydraulic tubing bender.

DJ3100 said:

Bead Roller:

Planishing hammer: The HF planishing hammer works pretty well. I built one but the 30 year old Ingersol air hammer I used hits too hard. It does not planish it forges!

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i was thinking maybe an old electric sawsall or jig saw of a sort.

cantwell.colton said:

i was thinking maybe an old electric sawsall or jig saw of a sort.

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Both have a defined stroke length; they have to cycle through the entire stroke each time. An air hammer has a variable stroke determined by the amount of force -air pressure - applied to it. It does not have to travel a pre-determined distance for each cycle. To planish you need to hit with a certain amount of force - not a defined amount of travel. Does this make sense?

Invest in a good compressor, 5hp at least. Good quality measurement tools, angle finders and dividers. A couple pair of tin snips, offset aircraft style they come in left, right and straight styles, never bought the straight cut ones as the other ones both will cut straight. A couple pieces of 1/4"x3" angle iron. Clamp between 2 vises at each end of a bench to use as a break. You don't need a lot of power tools to get the job done, use your muscles till you can afford what you really need. If you have to borrow a tool more than once buy your own.

I'll try to post a pic of how I have my angle set up.

DJ3100 said:

Both have a defined stroke length; they have to cycle through the entire stroke each time. An air hammer has a variable stroke determined by the amount of force -air pressure - applied to it. It does not have to travel a pre-determined distance for each cycle. To planish you need to hit with a certain amount of force - not a defined amount of travel. Does this make sense?

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makes perfect sense.

and its not that i cant afford one - just if i can build one better than i can buy one id rather just do the extra work - my time isnt worth much money when im working on somethin for myself.

cantwell.colton said:

makes perfect sense.

and its not that i cant afford one - just if i can build one better than i can buy one id rather just do the extra work - my time isnt worth much money when im working on somethin for myself.

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Makes perfect sense to me thats how I view things, also.

Here's a link (maybe) to a helve hammer that is a very useful sheetmetal tool as is. It could be made smaller and designed to run faster and hit softer so it would work llike a planishing hammer. Any electric motor - even a variable speed drill could drive it. You could even use the sawzall.

http://http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/communityalbums.cgi?action=openalbum&albumid=9980137983012

The link didn't work for me. The address comes up, but the screen is blank.

But, you can go to Metalshapers.org (Might have to look for the classroom) Scroll down to tools and equipment and look for Jim Bailey's Helve Hammer.

This is a helve I made after reading Jim Bailey's build.

olcarguy said:

This is a helve I made after reading Jim Bailey's build.

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Nice job. Do you use it much?

A group of us got together and built 9 helve hammers from the plans on that site. I haven't used mine much and really need to make some more tooling to make it more useful.

DJ3100 said:

Nice job. Do you use it much?

need to make some more tooling to make it more useful.

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I agree with the more tooling, I make mine as I need it. It works well for stretching, however I haven't had much success in making a thumb die for shrinking.

Oh! I want to apologize for high jacking this tread.[ddd

Got my newest 'toy' and put it to work.



I'm impressed with the possibilities of the shrinker/stretcher.

DJ3100 said:

Makes perfect sense to me thats how I view things, also.

Here's a link (maybe) to a helve hammer that is a very useful sheetmetal tool as is. It could be made smaller and designed to run faster and hit softer so it would work llike a planishing hammer. Any electric motor - even a variable speed drill could drive it. You could even use the sawzall.

http://http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/communityalbums.cgi?action=openalbum&albumid=9980137983012

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I fixed your link

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/communityalbums.cgi?action=openalbum&albumid=9980137983012