In metal-working, larger pieces of material need to be cut and reduced into pieces of various sizes and shapes. Metal Cutting is primarily a process where specific equipment is utilized to chip or reduce layers of metal from a bigger workpiece.

The resultant chip or layer must satisfy predefined specification criteria like shape, dimensions and thickness.

Considering that metals are typically rigid and difficult to cut unassisted, metal cutting involves a number of processes and a wide variety of specialized equipment. Considering that the inherent tensile strength and hardness of every metal is different, cutting each type of metal or alloy may require a different tool, or a different cutting blade for the same tool. Here are some of the processes and instruments that can be used to process metals.

Guide Cutting Resources

Manual Cutting Taps Instrument is the best option for cutting “female” threads into pre-drilled holes on nuts and other metal parts; they can also be used to expand an existing female thread, or refresh a thread that has been damaged. Hand-operated taps are used for relatively easy, custom cutting jobs; heavier cutting generally asks for power tools.

Metal Hacksaw

A metal hacksaw is generally similar to a wood-cutting hacksaw except that it’s constructed out of hardened steel, so it can chew through hard metal surfaces. A hacksaw is usually shaped like an inverted ‘U’ form and is equipped with teeth that run along its outer edge.

Wood, plastic or metal are fixed in a clamp, to prevent shifting when cutting. The blade is generally detachable by way of a turn-screw that tightens or loosens the blade as needed. Hacksaw blades normally measure about 10 to twelve inches in length although it is possible to locate smaller sized, six inch designs for cutting smaller sized metal pieces.

The amount of metal teeth also can differ across various models of hacksaws, although the number usually falls among 14 to about 32 TPI (Teeth per Inch). These are specially manufactured from carbon steel.

Metal cutting shears usually resemble a pair of scissors and can be found in various sizes. They range from smaller sized, portable, manual versions to enormous, floor-mounted or bench -mounted versions. Bigger models of metal shears are operated pneumatically or electrically.

Despite the prevalence of powered and automated metal-cutting machinery in workshops, hand-operated cutting taps, cutting dies, hacksaws and other non-powered tools are still an important part of metal cutting, due to their simplicity, low cost and portability.