Cutting 20ga galvanized sheet

[grsthegreat]

I cut 20g with my plasma table and my hypertherm 1000 using fine tip consumables all the time. Slight bowing on real small cuts only. Trick is to use fast cut times. Never tried it with hand torch.

 

[metalbender]

HVAC shops use plasma to cut ducting parts, much quicker than shearing method.

 

[/pine]

HVAC shops use plasma to cut ducting parts, much quicker than shearing method.

LoL...maybe than with hand shears...!

 

[Aviatordave]

The project isn’t that glamorous. I’m making a carriage to sling underneath the camper to load the portable black water tote into. Using angle iron for the framework and the sheet metal to box in the tote so the plastic body of the tote doesn’t take any damage from road debris. I pull with a Chevy Suburban so hauling the tote inside the car or camper was not an option. It’s a bigger tote, about 50lbs, and I’m not a fan of hanging it off the ladder or bumper in back. I’m going to mount it just a little forward of the axels for optimal ground clearance.

I’ll upload some pics when I’m done.

 

[Big Barn]

.Aha You’re just using the sheet metal to line an angle iron frame. Any of the previous suggestions will work to cut your pieces since a perfect edge isn’t paramount.

Drill or punch holes to plug weld the sheet metal to the angle iron. Much tidier than weld beads or burn through.

 

[Aviatordave]

I’m actually just going to drill and rivet the sheet to the angle. I’ll weld aspects of the angle frame together but welding the sheet to the angle isn’t going to give me the tidiness I’m looking for. It’ll be easier to drill the rivets if I ever need to remove it.

 

[Big Barn]

Good idea

 

[metalbender]

LOL if you want. Multiple pieces with curves or angles are done quicker on a cnc plasma table. Sheet stock is only handled once.

 

[zzvyb6]

Well, you are about 3 hrs away to Brighton, but I have a Niagara stomp shear That I'm pretty sure goes 4'

But my message is really that you should try to locate a stomp shear either for sale or rent. Or, buy a used one, use it, sell it after you are done ! I cut windmill blades with one to restore old water pumpers.

 

[Aviatordave]

Well, the carbide circular saw blade worked great. I was able to get a smaller one for my cordless trim saw and the upside to that is that the kerf was only about 1/16”.

I put a sacrificial piece of 2x12 under the cut line, clamped the edges down the 2x12 so it laid flat and set up a fence for the saw to follow. It worked great!
A very clean cut, no deburring needed and nice, straight lines

Thanks for all the good advice. (And even with a full face shield, I managed to get a fair amount of finely cut metal flakes in my hair!) : -D

Here’s some pics: