Profiled sheeting: what to cut? Circular saw, electric saber saw, guillotine - advantages and disadvantages of tools

Profiled sheeting is a sheet of galvanized steel, on the surface of which a protective polymer coating is applied to the surface, prolonging the service life. In appearance, this material is similar to corrugated tin, but the protective coating dictates cutting methods, which differ from those used in the case of tin. If you also decided to use profiled sheeting in your work, than to cut this material, you need to decide before the work starts, for this it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the most common tools.

Tools for cutting corrugated board

The most popular tools that are used today for cutting profiled sheeting are:

• Hacksaw for metal;
• Electric and manual jigsaw;
• Electric shears;
• angle grinder;
• Electric hacksaw;
• Scissors for metal;
• Manual circular saw.

Using Bulgarian

Manufacturers of angle grinders do not recommend using this device for cutting the described material because the polymer coating is not capable of withstanding thermal effects. However, some sellers of corrugated board apply the Bulgarian and believe that this tool is the most convenient. If you also decided to use an angle grinder, you should follow certain rules, they say: instead of an abrasive wheel, you need to use a carbide-tipped disc, which is called a disc for cutting corrugated board. In this case, the thickness of the cutting element should be equal to the limit from 1 to 1.6 mm. In order to avoid corrosion processes, the sawing line must be covered with high-quality paint after completion of the work, which corresponds to the shade of the profile sheet. If you use a disc to cut the corrugated board, the cutting line will be as neat and delicate as possible. Some specialists use diamond-coated discs, and it is possible to cut a whole pack of sheets containing up to 10 pieces.

Should I use a Bulgarian

The use of a Bulgarian for cutting profiled sheets has its disadvantages and advantages. The latter can be called the speed of cutting and the convenience of work. However, there are also disadvantages, one of which was mentioned above. Among other things, zinc coating can be damaged, as well as polymer protection, which burns, and sparks will get on the sheets, burning their surface. The red-hot metal particles that will stick to the surface will become the cause of the formation of foci of corrosion. If you used this tool once in your work, you noticed that the sheet in the region of the edges turns out to be torn, and it takes a long time to remove the burrs. One of the shortcomings is the creation of a lot of noise. But if you use a special disk, then it is able to eliminate a lot of negative moments of the Bulgarian.

Hacksaw for metal

When the work is using profiled sheeting, than cutting this material, all the masters decide. The material can be cut using a metal hacksaw, and the sheet will be subjected to the least damage. Profiled sheeting does not have high resistance when cutting, so manual work does not take much effort and time. Due to the fact that there will be no thermal effect, it will be possible to preserve the coating of the material. Hacksaw for metal gives many advantages, with it you can accurately and quickly cut the sheet, and put a lot of effort will not have to. But there are certain disadvantages, for example, when working with the tool it will be impossible to get curvilinear forms, but straight lines with ease. When a hacksaw is used, an additional table for cutting is also required.

When it is necessary to use electric and manual jigsaw

If you need a device for cutting the corrugated board, then you can choose a manual or electric jig saw. This is the tool that differs from the hacksaw in that it allows you to get curvilinear cutting. When comparing the electric and hand tools, you will not find much difference, but the electric version allows you to perform work in a shorter time. Electric and hand-operated jigsaws are used for small-length sheets, and the height of the corrugation should not be more than 25 mm. The sheets can be cut both transversely and along, and the web must be pressed to prevent vibration. It is important to remember that cutting should be carried out at high speeds, and the saw for the metal should be selected with allowance for small denticles. It is important to remember that to increase the speed, only the reciprocating mode will be insufficient, and it is necessary to make a longitudinal tilt of the saw. If you have purchased profiled sheeting, than to cut this material, it is important to decide at the first stage. But if you use a jig saw, then you may encounter a disadvantage in cross-cutting, when the height of the sheet profile exceeds 25 mm. Among other things, the cutting speed will be reduced in comparison with the same parameter peculiar to the Bulgarian. Thin strips cut with a jigsaw is also not always convenient, and when working with an electrical analogue, edges will burn out, but it is still not as strong as when using an angle grinder. As practice shows, work with a jigsaw is accompanied by an unpleasant noise.

Use of scissors for metal

Scissors for cutting profiled sheeting are also quite common, their use is accompanied by a multitude of advantages. This tool is simply indispensable for obtaining thin strips, and with a high-quality sharpening scissors will be good at cutting. But scissors poorly cope with the corrugated board, which must be cut along, since in this direction the sheets have little flexibility. The main drawback of using scissors are not so smooth edges that can be obtained after cutting. Today, a rather common building material is a corrugated board, than to cut it, many home masters think. Experts argue that the most effective tool for this is the electric scissors, with which it is possible to get a perfectly flat edge.

Using a circular manual saw

Sheets of corrugated sheet can be easily cut using circular knives, on which you need to install a small-toothed disk with winning teeth. For quick and easy work, you need to enlist the help of a second person, but the supply when cutting should be minimal. In order to avoid damage to the paint, it is necessary to make a conductor from a strip of plywood, the length of which should be 1.5 m, while the width should be equal to 300 mm. At its center along the strip you need to cut a groove, not reaching the ends, this will become a guide for the work. When using an electric manual saw, two points along the cutting line should be marked on the sheet, and the conductor is applied to them. In this case, the groove must coincide with the marked points, after that the fabric must be pressed well and it is possible to start cutting. Electric hand saw is suitable for corrugated board, but slightly less than metal scissors.

Advice from a specialist

Buying profiled sheeting, consumers think about what tool to use for cutting it. For example, the Bosch Reciprocating Saw is not designed for this, since it can tear the edges of the material. If you want to speed up the process of work, it is best to use the Bulgarian and a special disk, recommendations on this have been presented above. The Bosch Reciprocating Saw is intended primarily for cutting conventional metal and wood.

As an example of such a model, you can bring the PSA 700 E, pay for which will have 6200 rubles. The power of the tool is 710 W, and the maximum speed is equivalent to 2700 per minute. A tool like a guillotine is also used for cutting metal, but the latter should be smooth, in addition, similar equipment can be found only by professionals, since it is massive enough and very expensive. That is why the guillotine for cutting profiled sheeting at home is not suitable.

Size of material

If you decide to purchase profiled sheeting for any kind of work, it is important to pay attention to the marking, since it determines the purpose of the material. Each consumer is also interested in the dimensions, for example, the C8 sheet has a full width of 1200 mm, but the useful width is 1150 mm. The height of the profiles of this type of material is 8 mm, and the thickness of the walls can vary from 0.4 to 0.8 mm. Profiled sheeting, the size of the sheet which will allow you to exclude material overspray, has also a parameter such as the step between the ribs, in the case of the above-mentioned marking, this parameter is 62.5 mm.

Conclusion

On sale, you can find profiled sheeting under other markings, for example, C10. This corrugated sheet, whose sheet size is 1155 mm, as regards width, can be used to install the fence.