Page 71 - Issue 45

Bonus Tip: Cutting
rounded shapes & holes
by hand (Without hole
saws or knockouts) is an
art form, but if you have
to do it by hand then
doing slow cuts in small
increments is essential in
getting a clean fi nal cut.
Dimple Dies: Also using cartridge roles
» Dimple dies are a fl aring tool that adds a 3-d lip to clean up and round sharp
around a hole edges will make a huge difference in the fi nished result
(I most often use Empire Abrasives 2”x1” cartridge rolls).
» This is a good way to add some character, lower the The fi nish is what everyone sees, so take your time making
weight of the project (by removing material) and add sure all the edges are as clean as possible.
structural strength by, in a sense, adding “thickness”.
Much like the bead rolling process this adds 3-d structure
to the part, which is always stronger than 2-d structure.

I use the Mittler
bros punch and
fl are set on sheet
metal components;
it makes rapid hole
cutting & fl aring
easier than any
product I have
ever used. PS: the
anvils in the bottom
left pocket are for
my MB planishing If you notice, this article got lengthy
hammer even just with the tools and a
short explanation of each, so (as
Metal Shears mentioned) I will actually show more
» There are many options and ways to cut examples and the steps involved in
metal, as discussed previously. However there
metal, as discussed previously. However there each of these small projects in the
are ways that are more effi cient than others. next article.

» A Beverly style throatless shear is very
versatile for many types of applications, and
affordable for the backyard fabricator.
To see additional projects and
» A more specialized shear is a Tennsmith tutorial style fabrication content
Sheet metal shear, which can make long, feel free to visit my YouTube at
clean & consistent cuts every time, but https://www.youtube.com/
comes at a higher price tag and takes up tinman2kustoms or
substantially more space. These tools create follow the Tinman 2 Kustoms
much cleaner cuts than a cutoff wheel. page on Facebook.

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