How to Use Hand-Held Metal Shears

Hand-held electric shears provide the benefit of ease and reduce the potential for weary hands that comes when you use manual shears on metal. These tools are a lot cheaper than a plasma cutter or a foot-operated shear. They also cut a lot neater than a reciprocating saw or saber saw and are great to use in crafts and the workshop,

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Electric shears
• Measuring tool
• Paper
• Marker
• Straight edge
• File

1. Measure the material necessary for your project before you use hand-held metal shears. Since you can't add more back on metal after you cut it, measure twice and cut once.

2. Create a pattern for the design, if you have something more difficult than a simple square or rectangle. If it's just a square or rectangle, go on to the next step.

3. Transfer the measurements to the metal that you want to cut. Use a marker and, if you don't need a pattern, a straight edge to make the lines straight. Outline your pattern on the metal so you have a precise duplicate of the design.

4. Clamp your project down. You can use C-clamps or a vise for this step. You want to make sure that the project's secure before you use hand-held metal shears.

5. Put on protective eyewear. Hand-held metal shears usually don't cause problems, but it's always better to be safe. Plug in the shears.

6. Practice depressing the trigger if you've never used hand-held metal shears. They usually have variable speeds and you want to get firm control of the power tool and understand it before you begin the operation. Put the shears on the cutting line and pull the trigger to a speed you can control.

7. Look for burrs after you completed the job. Use a small file to clean up the edges and make them smooth.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear gloves, particularly when checking the edges for burrs.