Finally Bought a Metal Nibbler
Martin_H
Posts: 4,051
I make many of my own brackets and parts for robots out of brass and aluminum sheet. My usual technique is to scribe or draw a line and use a pair of tin snips to cut out the part. This has several problems because the snips can distort the metal and it is really easy to cut farther than intended. I usually correct the distortion with a rubber mallet and a flat surface, but often some residual curvature remains.
While I've known about metal nibblers, I didn't know that their big advantage was that they won't distort the metal. So yesterday I finally bought one and gave it a try. While much slower than snips, they really shine for interior cuts and sharp turns. The metal definitely stayed flat too.
While I've known about metal nibblers, I didn't know that their big advantage was that they won't distort the metal. So yesterday I finally bought one and gave it a try. While much slower than snips, they really shine for interior cuts and sharp turns. The metal definitely stayed flat too.
Comments
Now, what is this "metal" you speak of? People make robot chassis from metal? How novel!!
These days, I start out by cutting a template out of a sheet of cardboard from the side of a cereal box. I make sure that I have a proper fit for odd shaped parts and then position that on the chassis to see what happens. After a bit of pondering about position, I tape the template to the box, trace the hole outline, remove the cardboard, and then cut.
When I am finished, I usually clean up the edges with a set of small files I have.
BTW, the nibbler will work on plastics too.