Need advise cutting Metal barn side panels for workshop ceiling

[David Schmaus]

Hi. I am using these metal barn panels for my ceiling in my workshop. I have been cutting them with a metal cutoff blade in the driveway and then bringing them into the shop. Tons of sparks... I have an area that I need to cut out to install two recessed lights and need to do the cuts after the panel is attached to the ceiling.

I need a tool that I can use to cut these out without creating sparks..

The panels are 29 guage..

I have include a picture of the panel. Would these HF nibblers work?

[Josiah Bartlett]

Nibblers or aviation snips should work fine. The snips can be had with curve cutting jaws. Also, a jig saw with a metal cutting blade will work if you back it up with a thin piece of wood scrap. An air hammer with a sheet metal cutting bit will work too.

[Keith Outten]

David,

I have watched roofers score that kind of metal roofing with a utility knife and then bend/snap it when they need to cut straight lines.

[Rick Lizek]

http://www.mkmorse.com/
Get a metal cutting blade like this. Not new technology really, just not known by most folks. I've cut cast iron on a woodworking table saw. Almost no sparks. They make on for cutting metal roofing. Many others have these blades including Makita, Milwaukee and even Harbor Freight.

[phil harold]

aviation snips would do the job

if there is no big ribs where the lights go I would use a malco cutter, nice clean holes with these cutters

http://www.malcoproducts.com/products/shears/hc.asp

[James White]

David,

Sorry to change the subject. But were do you get the panels and how much are they? I need to cover my lumber piles and I am fed up with using tarps. Any one else have an inexpensive alternative?

James

[Scott T Smith]

I have include a picture of the panel. Would these HF nibblers work?

YES - they will. Other options include metal cutting snips (less $) if you only have a small amount of cutting to do inside.

BTW - GREAT idea using the metal panels inside the shop. They will provide a clean, painted and light reflective surface when you're done. I've seen other shops that used these on the walls and ceiling and was impressed how well they looked.

[Roger Savatteri]

.

I have this unit http://www.malcoproducts.com/products/shears/tshd.asp and it works quite well. Saves your hand. Works well for curved cuts.

but personally for following a straight line I would follow Ricks suggestion of using a metal cutting blade .........and a straight edge to set the saw.
(cleaner cut)

.

[harry strasil]

visquen, the clear stuff they put down before pouring concrete

[Donald Hofmann]

Hi. I am using these metal barn panels for my ceiling in my workshop. I have been cutting them with a metal cutoff blade in the driveway and then bringing them into the shop. Tons of sparks... I have an area that I need to cut out to install two recessed lights and need to do the cuts after the panel is attached to the ceiling.

I need a tool that I can use to cut these out without creating sparks..

The panels are 29 guage..

I have include a picture of the panel. Would these HF nibblers work?

My shop ceiling is covered with those panels (30x45'). I cut all of mine with a circular saw with the blade on backwards. We have built quite a few barns around here with corrugated sheet iron and have always done it that way. For the recessed holes you can use the circular saw- just pull back the guard and plunge it into the sheet- but be careful if you have never cut that way before. If spark are the concern then I have also used my jig saw with a fine tooth blade. Also a cutoff wheel and air compressor work well. Sawzall will also work. It helps to have support around the area that you are cutting. For example when I cut two holes for a/c units in the wall I built the frame work first then cut the metal out. This way the saw can rest against the framework for support and the sheet metal won't wobble so much
The pain with the panels is that they are not flat,makes it harder to cut but it can be done

[harry strasil]

This should work well, http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=65766

[David Schmaus]

I bought them at Carter Lumber in Dayton Ohio. They are 36" by 10', 12' 14', 16', 20'. My ceiling is 13 wide so I bought 14s. They were $34 each and I needed seven. I am surface mounting 8 foot lights everwhere except where the garage door raises. Not enough headroom to surface mount so I bought two 2x4 recessed lights. That is all I need to cut out while the panels are installed.

I had a bad experience with sparks in a garage ceiling a couple years ago and Im kind of freaked out about it... Im leaning towards the $50 snips at HF..

I will include pics of the install... BTW. Where gloves. Sharp as all get out...

[James White]

David,

Thank you. So it would be $64 per lumber stack. That will be a tough sell with my wife. But I think it will be worth it. Nothing worse than water pooling up on the tarps and constantly dripping on the lumber.

James

[Chuck Saunders]

If you buy it from the places that sell the whole barn kits the sell it to you cut to your desired length. The only ones I had to cut were the gable ends. i used the ferrous metal cutting Freud blade in my circular saw.

[Stan Johnsey]

The niblers won't cut very well across a panel. They cut fine with the ribs. The best way to cut panels is a plasma cutter if you can get your hands on one.