Cutting 26 Gauge Sheet Metal

The equivalent thicknesses differ for each gauge size standard which were developed based on the weight of the sheet for a given material.

Cutting 26 gauge sheet metal.

They are rugged and will last a lifetime if kept clean and sharp. The edges are sharp the cutoffs are stiff and get in the way the snips bind or you just can t seem to negotiate the curve. Gauge to thickness chart gauge stainless galvanized sheet steel aluminum fraction inches mm inches mm inches mm inches mm 30 0 0125 0 33 0 0157 0 40 0 0120 0 30 0 0100 0 25. Metal corrugated roofing can come in different gauge s most gauges can be cut with tin snips easily but slowly.

Also referred to as aviator snips these scissor like hand tools cut sheet metal materials up to 18 gauge in thickness accurately without leaving a ragged bent edge as the finished product. The lower the number the thicker the metal is. It will primarily limit your cuts to straight lines. Reasonably easy to cut a big sheet up as long as both sides are biggish.

Thicker steel like pipes tubes and plates may require the use of power saws and torches. Thin gauge steel like sheet metal can be cut with a large variety of tools. Saws and torches can also be used on thin steel but are impractical choices unless you re cutting high volume or need to cut steel often. Cutting sheet metal with snips can be tricky and frustrating.

And for this reason there are other tools for cutting metal roofing such as metal shears or an electric nibbler. Sheet metal gauge size chart gauge or gage sizes are numbers that indicate the thickness of a piece of sheet metal with a higher number referring to a thinner sheet. These types of shears lend themselves towards hobbyists and sheet metal shops doing custom or repair work. These problems are common for those of us who don t work with sheet metal every day.

But you don t have to be a tinsmith to cut sheet metal successfully. To compensate for how metal may curve or bend cut a strip out where you use red snips for one side and green snips on the other cutting 2 inches at a time on alternating sides so two inches up the right side two inches up the left.