Large Scale Central

Cutting wire mesh - what's the best way?

Tools and Tips
#1

I use 1/2 inch mesh hardware cloth as roadbed “sub-deck” on the DC&M. The least wasteful way to use it, I’ve found, is to buy it in wide rolls and slice off pieces of whatever width I need. Typically, that’s 18 inches for single-track roadbed.

Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of tedious cutting. I’ve been using aviation snips, but they’re very slow, and after a while uncomfortable to use. I’m hoping someone here has found a better way to cut this stuff. Any ideas? Thanks, Steve (Edit: reduce picture size)

#2

Jon Radder would probably use the table saw but I wouldn’t recommend it!!!
:slight_smile:

#3

Sure would be nice to know somebody with a sheet metal shop = shear!

#4

Do you know someone with a sheet metal shear? I’ve used that method before and works pretty good. Needs to be one that can handle heavy gauge stuff, otherwise you get nicks in the blade.

#5

Using a pair of old style tin snips (non-compound type) will probably be faster than the aviation snips.

#6

I do as Jim suggests and use tin snips. I’ve found them to do better than aviation snips. If you are a bleeder then use gloves. I’ve gotten many a scratch & cut because I just don’t like using gloves myself. Fortunately I clot easily (just an ol’ clot I guess). hehe! I dab a liberal quantity of Absorbine Jr. on the cuts and never get an infection. Makes you dance for a couple seconds though. :slight_smile:

#7

Steve,

Go to the Plumbing/sheetmetal supply house or maybe a large hardware store and get a pair of #17’s
Get the ones with the plain steel hand grips not the ones that have been dipped in the plastc/rubber
sandpaper.

Avaitions are not really made for this type of cutting, though they will work as you know.

The #17’s you want should have a 4 inch jaw and be about 14-15 inches overall, Wiss is a good
brand name though there are others out there. Don’t get anything much smaller than this as they are hand killers.

The first thing to do with them is to take a file and Emery cloth to the handle loops and dress down any and all
casting ridges so that the loops are completely smooth. Do any serious cutting without this smoothing
proceedure and your hand will soon look like hamburger.

Later
Rick

#8

Thanks, guys. I do have several pairs of “regular” tin snips, but mine must all be dull or something because they don’t seem to work as well as my compound snips. I’ll give them another chance; maybe I’ll even try sharpening them…

Color me lazy (I’ve never denied that!) but I was hoping somebody knew of a powered snip of some kind. Seems like there would be a market for an electric hand-held sheet metal cutter of some kind.

Richard: “…I dab a liberal quantity of Absorbine Jr. on the cuts and never get an infection. Makes you dance for a couple seconds…” I expect so, Richard! That stuff stings. But where do you buy Absorbine Jr. these days? It’s been removed from the shelves at all our local pharmacies…

Again, thanks to all for the good suggestions.
Steve

#9

Rick, you too? Clearly there’s something wrong with my regular snips, then (or maybe my hands). I’ll see if I can find a NEW pair of #17’s and give that a try.

(Heck, I’m always game to buy a new tool.)

Thanks,
Steve

#10
David Russell said:
Jon Radder would probably use the table saw but I wouldn't recommend it!!!!!! :)
NOT!!!! I use side cutters and get poked a lot by the sharp ends :(
#11

Hi Steve,
There are three power hand tools for cutting sheet metal that I am aware of.

The first is called a “Nibbler”. Drill a hole in your sheet stock, insert the cutting head of the nibbler and move it along your scribed line. It removes small “finger nail clipping” size pieces of metal. These small pieces fall to the floor and imbed themselves in your shoe soles, this makes it difficult to walk on carpets, like at home. This really Pi++++ off the wife, no need to ask me how I know.
This tool would not be at all suitable for cutting hardware cloth.

The second is called a “Unishear” this cuts sheet stock along a scribed line with a small (1/2 to 3/4 inch) up and down blade acting against a bed plate much like a hand “bevel shear”. I don’t think this tool would be at all suitable for cutting hardware cloth but could possibly work.

The third is called “Double Cutters” This is basically a drill motor with a specialized cutting head. Two fingers acting as a bed plate and a third finger (in the middle) cutting up from the bottom. I think this tool would work quite well for cutting Hardware cloth.
But now “you” will be faced with all those little 1/4 inch long pieces of wire on the floor, in your shoes, and in the carpet and Vinyl flooring. Good Luck with that.
Later
Rick

PS.
I have been cutting hardware cloth off and on for 40 years (professionally) and still can’t do it without getting scratched up.

#12

An option Ricky missed is the cut off wheel in a side grinder. I use min all the time for cutting light plate (up to 1/4"), rolled shapes (angle, channel, etc.) and all forms of open weave material (expanded metal, wire cloth, etc.). Do it out doors and try to hold the cutting wheel in a position that throws the sparks away from you. I was at Harbor Freight last weekend and they had a 4-1/2 in side grinder that would be perfect for the job for about 20 buck. The discs are a few dollars each (i purchase them by the box so I don’t remember the per piece cost) and cutting the wire cloth they will last a fair amount of time. Wear an apron (if you have one or an old pair of jeans that you really don’t care if the get destroyed), good leather gloves and above all wear safety glasses.

Bob C.

#13

Rick, Bob, everyone…thanks! I’ve got lots of options to hunt down now.

Bob: What’s a “side grinder?” Is that the same as an “angle grinder?” HF doesn’t list the former, but does the latter. Thanks.

Steve

#14

I’ve used #77 shears from Cutco…but then they will cut pennies easily (ahem) and I’ve got a ready source … when I built a screen this summer for some soil I was cleaning junk out of, the hardware store up the street from work (Cutco) used a pair to cut the screen. Guy said they were the easiest up to a certain wire size. Can’t argue with the customer right?

Chas

#15

I had a project once that we used that type of wire. We used a 4 inch angle grinder with a metal cutting wheel .
We held down both sides of where we were cutting so it wouldn’t pop-up, it was a fast cutter for us.
Maybe it will help you.

#16

Yep … same tool…

Bob C.

#17
Rick Marty said:
PS. I have been cutting hardware cloth off and on for 40 years (professionally) and still can't do it without getting scratched up.
plasma cutter? :)
#18

Dremel with a cut-off wheel? Probably pretty slow, but not much mess.

#19

Plasma will have a difficult time starting with the small diameter of the individual wires.

Bob C.

#20

…to say nothing of the difficult time I would have persuading SWMBO that I need a plasma cutter! :lol:
Steve