Mark the start and stopping point of your cut with a grease pencil or some similar implement that marks on sheet metal.
Easy way to cut aluminum sheet.
Apply a lubricant like standard oil or saw wax to your blade then slow your cutting speed by reducing the diameter of the cutting blade.
If the motor housing on your saw is open and could collect metal chips tape a piece of cloth over the openings to protect the motor windings and bearings while you cut the aluminum.
This tool is bench mounted and capable of cuts in most sheet metals.
The shear is manipulated.
Using a softer piece of material such as wood as a backer will allow the chisel to push through the metal and prevent wear on the chisel s tip.
This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line.
Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the sheet metal.
Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal.
Place the fracture line over the edge of a table and bend the overhang slightly downwards.
Hold the side of the metal sheet and put your snips around the edge.
Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work.
Use your nondominant hand to hold the side of the metal.
Cutting aluminum sheet metal with a hammer and chisel is relatively straight forward line up the edge of the chisel along the line you wish to cut and strike the chisel with a hammer.
Tin snips are primarily used for cutting thin sheet metal like tin aluminum brass and thin gauge stainless steel.
This will not only brace it to keep it in place but you ll be able to pull it up as you cut.
With the aid of a straight edge and a sharp knife score both sides of the aluminium sheet.
Hold the snips loose in your hand and place the two blades around the edge that you d like to cut.
Next secure your aluminum pieces with clamps and slowly feed the aluminum through the blade using steady even pressure.
The most practical hand tool for making more than a few limited cuts is the throatless beverly shear.
Tired of getting fingers cut on sheet metal while using tin snips.
Check out this video.
To cut aluminum use a wood cutting saw with carbide tipped blades.