Sheet Metal Shear Recommendations?

[DerekMc]

Any recommendations for a sheet metal shear? I'm about to start a project that requires a good bit of brass sheet work. I did a quick amazon search and this looked interesting:

VEVOR Hand Plate Shear 8"

 

I've never use a sheet metal shear before so any insights and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

[Jim Lad]

I've only ever used a simple pair of tin snips.

 

John

[Dr PR]

Derek,

 

It looks to me as if the shear you posted the link to is just a crude cutter.

 

A good metal brake (shear and bender) has a "table" on one side that you rest the piece to be cut on, and adjustable stops on the other side to control the width of the piece being cut. You place the work piece on the table with the knife blade up, push the piece through beneath the blade until it contacts the stops, and then cut. This allows you to cut many strips of exactly the same width.

 

A good shear will also have multiple "clamps" that lower with the blade, contacting the work piece and clamping it to the table just before the blade cuts the metal. This prevents the cutting forces from twisting the metal during the cut.

 

The device you posted a link to doesn't have a wide enough table, no stops, and only the one clamp that will not prevent the piece from moving during cutting. It is better than scissors only in that it can cut thicker metal. But it is just for chopping the ends off of longer strips.

 

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A break will also have bending feature. This is usually a lower fixed "V" groove, with an upper moving "V" shaped piece. It doesn't cut the metal, but just bends it 90 degrees. You can also get tool pieces to bend different angles and different shapes These tools usually have sets of the upper "V" pieces of different widths so you can make bends of varying lengths between other features in the work piece.

Like the shear, the bender will have a table to feed the metal into the bender, and will also have adjustable stops so you can feed the piece in the correct distance before bending. This allows you to make repeated bends of pieces with the same dimensions.

 

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Here is an example of a tool with these features. It also has a sheet metal roller for creating controlled radius curves in sheet metal.

 

https://micromark.com/products/3-in-1-metal-worker?keyword=metal shear

 

If the price is a bit too steep, or it is too large for your work space, you should also look into photo etch bending tools. These are good for thin metals. They are not as sophisticated as a real shear and break and do not have a shear.

 

For brass thinner than 0.015 inch (0.4 mm) you can make cuts with a knife. Just clamp the metal to be cut with a steel ruler placed along the line to be cut. Then draw the knife blade (a dull blade will work) along the ruler edge repeatedly until it cuts through the metal.

Edited May 15 by Dr PR

[DerekMc]

12 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

I've only ever used a simple pair of tin snips.

 

John

 

That's what I use currently on thin brass. My next projects involves brass that's a bit thick for my snips. It's a frame for a ) scale locomotive.

[DerekMc]

6 hours ago, Dr PR said:

 

 

****

 

Here is an example of a tool with these features. It also has a sheet metal roller for creating controlled radius curves in sheet metal.

 

https://micromark.com/products/3-in-1-metal-worker?keyword=metal shear

 

If the price is a bit too steep, or it is too large for your work space, you should also look into photo etch bending tools. These are good for thin metals. They are not as sophisticated as a real shear and break and do not have a shear.

 

For brass thinner than 0.015 inch (0.4 mm) you can make cuts with a knife. Just clamp the metal to be cut with a steel ruler placed along the line to be cut. Then draw the knife blade (a dull blade will work) along the ruler edge repeatedly until it cuts through the metal.

 

Thank you for the information. I'll check out your recommendation. Thanks!

[DerekMc]

9 hours ago, Dr PR said:

 

 

****

 

Here is an example of a tool with these features. It also has a sheet metal roller for creating controlled radius curves in sheet metal.

 

https://micromark.com/products/3-in-1-metal-worker?keyword=metal shear

 

If the price is a bit too steep, or it is too large for your work space, you should also look into photo etch bending tools. These are good for thin metals. They are not as sophisticated as a real shear and break and do not have a shear.

 

 

Phil, is this the metal shear you use?  I've tried to find reviews without luck. There is one on the MicroMark site but I'd be interested in more. I've bought several tools from MicroMark. I've liked most but one wasn't worth the money so I'm a bit cautious. 
I notice that you live in Corvalis. I have fond memories of visiting Trump's Hobbies back in the day. It was a nice hobby shop! 

[grsjax]

This is a smaller version of the one above.

https://baileigh.com/manually-operated-mini-shear-brake-sb-8

[Dr PR]

Derek,

 

I do not have a shear right now. I used to use the one in our shop at work - but it was a 48 inch wide cutter for large sheet metal work. I like the looks of the 8 inch machine grsjax posted the link to. I think MicroMark used to sell one similar to this.

 

Sorry to say Trump's Hobbies has closed. Jim was at retirement age and Internet competition was really hurting the business. He tried to sell the business but had no serious offers.

[paul ron]

what gage material are you working with? how wide are the pieces you will be working with?

 

the small sheer combo machines referenced above are nice because you have a few functions in one machine.. and the price is right.  most hobby metal cutting is done with tin snips or by scoring n bending. the cutter you are looking at is miserable for sheet metal. as you lower the blade, the metal shifts. 

 

again, what you are working with, and the dimentions, determine the best tool for the job.