Are these shears any good?

[aerosam]

Guys, I'm thinking about starting to fabricate the ally paneling for my car and was wondering if the thses air powered shears are any good. Has anybody used them? Is there a better version out there?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/pr...s-screwdrivers

Thanks and Merry Christmas to everyone!

[AshG]

waste of time those. they just bend the ali. i did all of mine with 1mm makita ali cutting discs on the angle grinder. they are £15 a pack of 10 at screwfix which seems expensive but is actually pretty cheep as they last for ages. i only used two discs to cut every ali pannel on the car. they go through it like butter and can give a super super straight cut. you can also get round mild corners with them if you are gentle and take your time

i would assume you already have an angle grinder so £15 is pretty cheep compared to £52 for the airsheers that just wrinkle the edge of the ali

[Talonmotorsport]

[quote=AshG;27309] i did all of mine with 1mm makita ali cutting discs on the angle grinder.

A word of warning here wear a dust mask when grinding or cutting ali as it is very hazardous to your long term health.

[aerosam]

Well that sorts that one out then - thanks guys!

[TSM Locost]

Check out Fast tools on the bay. 20 x 115mm ( INOX ) stainless discs for £10.25 post free. Item number: 360182020111. I always use inox as they last longer and cut cleaner on ali.


Merry Christmas and good luck to all car builders

[Bonzo]

Originally Posted by TSM Locost

Check out Fast tools on the bay. 20 x 115mm ( INOX ) stainless discs for £10.25 post free. Item number: 360182020111. I always use inox as they last longer and cut cleaner on ali.


Merry Christmas and good luck to all car builders

Nice find was that, thanks.

Been paying nearly a quid each for those

I was down to my last one & now have some more on the way

[londonsean69]

I once bought a pack of 100 INOX discs off the Bay. £50 inc P+P. Best bit was, they threw in a grinder!!

I cut thin ally with Aviation snips, anything thicker than 1mm I use a thin cutting disc.

[ACE HIGH]

I have these shears myself and I find them first class,very neat cut,BUT they need a modification which is to remove the straight air connection at the bottom and replace it with a right angle air connection,this modification will make all the difference as it will allow a better "angle of attack" when cutting.Before I wrote this I thought I had better check them,they will cut 1.2 mm steel and easily cut 1mm half hard alloy sheet,they also cut hard alloy 1.6 mm diameter OK.
they need a big compressor say 12/15 cu feet at around 100 psi though.
For 1 mm alloy a good quality pair of hand shears will do it ok but at 1.6 mm hard alloy its tough going,not as neat as the air shears.
The best tool that I have found for cutting alloy is a Black and Decker carpet cutter,DN 250 electro 8,it does a first class job on 1 mm alloy,the specs say it cuts 1.2 mm alloy max,mine cut 1.6 mm hard alloy easily and neatly but I would not recommend it.It has a variable speed "wheel and flat plate"and it is highly neat and accurate.No matter what method you use for alloy you will need to tidy up the edges with a flat head panel beaters hammer and a smooth file{razor sharp edges}
I have no idea if this carpet cutter is still available(does a great job on carpets also!).
Makita and Hitachi and others probably have plate nibblers at 1.6 mm steel,I have a 3.2 mm version but they are not cheap tools.
Grinding/cutting alloy with discs in my view is dirty,dangerous, inaccurate sloppy workmanship,the edges need truing up and the alloy will heat and anneal and wrinkle.
David

[aerosam]

Originally Posted by ACE HIGH

I have these shears myself and I find them first class,very neat cut,BUT they need a modification which is to remove the straight air connection at the bottom and replace it with a right angle air connection,this modification will make all the difference as it will allow a better "angle of attack" when cutting.Before I wrote this I thought I had better check them,they will cut 1.2 mm steel and easily cut 1mm half hard alloy sheet,they also cut hard alloy 1.6 mm diameter OK.
they need a big compressor say 12/15 cu feet at around 100 psi though.
For 1 mm alloy a good quality pair of hand shears will do it ok but at 1.6 mm hard alloy its tough going,not as neat as the air shears.
The best tool that I have found for cutting alloy is a Black and Decker carpet cutter,DN 250 electro 8,it does a first class job on 1 mm alloy,the specs say it cuts 1.2 mm alloy max,mine cut 1.6 mm hard alloy easily and neatly but I would not recommend it.It has a variable speed "wheel and flat plate"and it is highly neat and accurate.No matter what method you use for alloy you will need to tidy up the edges with a flat head panel beaters hammer and a smooth file{razor sharp edges}
I have no idea if this carpet cutter is still available(does a great job on carpets also!).
Makita and Hitachi and others probably have plate nibblers at 1.6 mm steel,I have a 3.2 mm version but they are not cheap tools.
Grinding/cutting alloy with discs in my view is dirty,dangerous, inaccurate sloppy workmanship,the edges need truing up and the alloy will heat and anneal and wrinkle.
David

Thanks ACE HIGH, I have ordered some of those cutting discs frome ebay that TSM suggested as they are the "locost" option. I have been a little concerned as I have always been trained that cutting ally with a solid disc is asking for trouble as the ally may clog the disc, expand and cause it to break - causing injury. However the guys here seem to be using them with no trouble. If they don't work, £10 isn't a big layout and I can always cut other things with them.

I would prefer a proper powered shears as i think it may be easier to cut straight lines with them. For the record I havent tried either method on sheet material yet. I'm hoping to use a big guillotine in work for the large pieces like the bonnet, rear panel etc. However after seeing AshG's work in CKC magazine I don't think I'd call it sloppy workmanship, and I'm not sure CKC would publish a work method that's unsafe.

I can't seem to find the carpet cutters you mention, do you have a link?

Thanks!

Sam

[AshG]

i tried all sorts of cutting methods on my ali and cutting disc was percect for it. i used proper ali cutting discs not your normal every day ones. ali does tend to snatch a bit easier but if you go slow and let the blade do the work rather than pushing you can get some fantastic results. as for cutting lines straight i dont think you would find a better tool for doing it other than a gilotine or some kind of professional sheet metal work machine.