Steel Panel Nibbler/Other Rectangular Hole Cutter?

[Birken Vogt]

Do any of you have suggestions for a tool for cutting rectangular holes in panels such as for switches and the like?

I have heard of a "nibbler" type tool but never used one except the ridiculous pliers type ones as seen on TV years ago and they were ridiculous.

I am thinking sheet metal but also occasionally something substantial maybe up to 1/16" and thicker if aluminum.

Ideas?

 

[RZucker]

For steel I use a 3" cutoff wheel on a right angle die grinder. Aluminum... it would be slow.

 

[Ronsii]

There are quite a few companies that make these for punching holes round/square/etc... in sheet metal



I would use a plasma table if you have access to one, very handy to draw up a layout and have it go to work

 

[Birken Vogt]

I didn't do a very good job of specifying. I was hoping for something other than grinder-based since the stream of sparks messes up paint and something I can hand carry in the field. Maybe there is no such tool but I am looking anyway. The rectangular hole cutter is intriguring, I guess I could just re-set it a couple times if I had a hole other than the size it punches. I have a tool like that I use for round holes as it is.

 

[Ronsii]

I have seen electrical guys with all sorts of sizes of square and rectangle bits, as long as the material you're cutting isn't too strong offsetting should work... seen a guy doing just that with a 3-4 inch cutter and he had to make a cut and a half and it kept trying to bind sideways... I think a smaller cutter would have worked better with more cuts as long as you keep it 'balanced' so it doesn't try to tilt. Now aluminum should work easy with these although I haven't tried it myself... I have cut sheet aluminum(roadsign) with a rotozip before... cuts great!!! but you really have to keep control of it as it will want to go where ever it can I guess you could make a jig or guide to keep it inside of a specific area.

 

[Birken Vogt]

What is the tool you pictured above?

 

[Ronsii]

That's just a pic I found on the internet of a mechanical punch you just use it with a wrench or socket and first drill a pilot hole.

Have seen plenty of hydraulic ones contractors use... either greenlee, ridgid or one of those name brands.

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

A conventional jigsaw with correct blades works for many applications . . . you can clamp a bit of quarter ply or some such and cut through that too if needed to add a bit of stiffness/backing

A proper nibbler (as opposed to shears) works real well with no distortion.

Like with a jigsaw, you need to drill a hole to drop the anvil through and then they take out little half moon chips along the line.

I used to have a Bosch that would go to 16 gauge 316 but they were pretty pricy for occasional use . . . indispensable though if needed.

The punch and anvil were replaceable,

Cheers.

 

[chroniekon]

The pictured tool above looks like a Greenlee.

 

[hvy 1ton]

Nibblers work great on sheet metal. There are also body saws which are between a normal sawzall and a jigsaw.

 

[Birken Vogt]

I've been considering getting one of those high speed oscillating grinder-shaped thingys. I wonder if one of those with a hack-saw style blade would work for this. Probably be loud as all get-out but I have ear plugs.

 

[hvy 1ton]

I have one of those and i wouldn't want to try to cut metal with one. Doesn't take very many nails to dull the blade.

 

[DIYDAVE]

The oscillating tools are primarily for woodworking, and cutting the occasional nail, in such. Also works good in plastic, but not sure if it would have a fine enough blade, for thin metal... I bought one of the HF ones, like this: https://www.harborfreight.com/oscillating-multi-tool-68861.html

I have used it for wood, and tire patching, but haven't had occasion, to use it for metal. I suppose, if you are handy with a mig welder, you could weld a fine tooth hacksaw blade, to a worn out wood blade...

 

[Birken Vogt]

I borrowed one once, for a difficult wood job here on the house, and wrecked a lot of blades on nails and such, but I was using the blades with the long nasty looking teeth like on a Sawzall demo blade. So they did not handle wood very well. I bought a whole pack of assorted blades including the ones I wrecked to return to the owner when I was done and some looked like fine hack saw blades. That's what made me think of it.

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . .

Birken Vogt. Can you see my number eight post?

With the correct blades they work just fine. They were a standard tool in the sheet shop, I have cut hundreds of meters of 1/8" steel plate . . . they eat aluminium.

They need lubrication and a block of beeswax works just fine

Cheers.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Were you referring to a Bosch nibbler in #8 or a Bosch oscillating tool?

If the oscillating tool would do a good job I'd like to get that because I could also use it on a lot of other things like plunge cutting wood, etc.

 

[95zIV]

https://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet...365468500317&gclid=CJWM7b7F3NMCFcW1wAodpmkNLQ

My dad had a air version of one like this, they work well.

 

[Ronsii]

@95zIV, I have used one of those in the pneumatic version... if I recall it did work pretty good for aluminum but you had to put some force behind it for the sheet we were cutting was a bit thicker than the rating for the shears. Used it mostly for larger openings in jeep inner door panels

 

[DIYDAVE]

The thing you have to remember, when sawing metal, is to have 3 teeth going across the thickness of the metal (for 1/8", that's a 24 tooth blade).

 

[nowing75]

I had a pair like this great for making a square edge hole