Metal Cutting Hand Tools

Metal Cutting Tools

  • Cutting tools come in a variety of types from saws and shear to drills and reamers'

  • Specific for each use and situation

  • Most cutting tools are used in specific situations

  • Care and attention is required when using cutting tools to avoid causing unwanted damage to the material

Types of Cutting Tools

Typical Snips

-Left cut snips (figure 1)

Figure 1

-Straight snips (figure 2)

Figure 2

-Plier-type tool for cutting sheet metal

Hacksaws

Figure 3

-Hand saw with hardened blade for cutting metal objects

Hand Snips

  • Made in various configurations of cutting jaws, commonly includes:

    • Straight

    • Curved

    • Hawksbill

    • Aviation Snips

  • Used specifically for cutting sheet metal where larger metal cutting tools will not work

Types of Snips

-Straight: Used for cutting relatively straight lines in sheet metal

-Curved: Used for cutting curved lines in metal as well as cutting circles

-Hawksbill: Used for cutting smaller radii circles in sheet metal

-Aviation Snips: A variation of snips used for cutting heat-treated metals. The use of a compound hinge provides greater cutting force for cutting up to .051 thick

Snip Remarks

  1. Snips should never be used to cut heavy sheet metal or wire. Cutting wire will damage the cutting edge

  2. Snips do not remove metal, rather, they create small fractures along the cut edge

  3. Metal pieces should be cut larger and then filed down to the correct size

Hacksaws

  • Used for cutting metal objects from bolts, supports, and other solid metal objects

  • Frames come in two configurations:

    • Pistol grip

    • Straight grip

  • Blades come in various lengths, teeth pitch, and style of hardness

Blades

  • Blades are mounted into the frame handle via a hole on each end of the blade

  • Blades are installed with the cutting edge away from the frame

  • Blades are either all hard or flexible

    • All hard: Entire blade is hardened

    • Flexible: Only the teeth are hardened

Blade Pitch

-Pitch is the number of teeth per inch (tpi)

  • 14: For softer steel

  • 18: For aluminum and hardened steel

  • 24: For thick-walled pipe, brass, copper, and iron channels

  • 32: For thin-walled tubing and sheet metal

  • Always keep at least 2 blade teeth on the object when cutting

Hacksaw Procedures

  1. Select correct blade

  2. Mount blade into frame

  3. Adjust tension on blade

  4. Securely mount work in vise

  5. Notch cutting point with file

  6. Start cutting with light and steady pressure on forward stroke

  7. After a few strokes, begin using full length of blade. Slightly increase pressure on forward stroke

  8. When finished, remove metal chips from blade, remove from frame, and store