How to Cut Aluminum Sign Panels

Aluminum sign panels need to be cut square, as an out-of-square cut will be readily noticeable after the aluminum sign is installed. Cutting an aluminum sign with a power saw or power shears would not produce a square, even cut. A sheet metal shear has a squaring arm attached to the shear bed and a back gauge that ensure that each cut on the aluminum sign panel remains square. You need to cut all sides of the aluminum sign panel to allow the combination of the back gauge and squaring arm to be effective.

Things You'll Need

• Aluminum sheet
• Tape measure
• Sheet metal shear
• Sheet metal deburring tool

Instructions

1. Set the aluminum sheet on the bed of the shear.

2. Measure the length and width of the aluminum sheet to determine the amount of metal you will need to cut from the aluminum sheet.

3. Adjust the back gauge of the sheet metal shear to cut the length of the aluminum sign panel, plus one inch.

4. Slide the aluminum sheet against the back gauge and depress the pedal of the shear to make the first cut on the aluminum sheet.

5. Rotate the sheet of aluminum 90-degrees and slide the aluminum sheet against the sheet metal shear's squaring arm.

6. Hook the tape measure to the edge of the shear bed directly below the cutting blade of the shear and pull the tape measure along the aluminum sheet.

7. Slide the aluminum sheet to the dimension that you need to make the second cut plus one-inch, and depress the pedal of the sheet metal shear to make the second cut on the aluminum sheet.

8. Rotate the aluminum sheet another 90-degrees and again slide the previous cut against the shear's squaring arm.

9. Pull the tape measure along the aluminum sheet, set the end of the sheet at the exact dimension you need to shear the aluminum sign panel, and depress the pedal of the shear to place the third cut on the aluminum sign panel.

10. Rotate the aluminum sheet 90-degrees and push the previous cut against the squaring arm.

11. Repeat Step 9 to perform the fourth and final cut on the aluminum sign panel.

12. Run the sheet metal deburring tool down each side of the aluminum sign panel to remove any sharp edges left from the sheet metal shear.