Mike, I've done some minor sheetmetal work before, filled in door handles, frenched taillights, etc. What are you using to cut your new metal? nibblers? snips? both? Cuts look really clean and smooth. That's always what gave me hell. Looks really good, man. Look forward to next post.
Thanks SS.
I'm working w thick metal...18 ga., 16ga., and 1/8th plate. I use a 39.00 Ryobi 4.5" grinder w/ the really thin cut-off wheel to follow a line cutting a little wide, then the other grinder w/ a 40 grit flap wheel to smooth the edge exactly to the desired cut. (somewhere in the pics, the two grinders are laying on the floor) It's like somebody already pointed out.....I'm old school.
I also used to have a problem w/ getting a good cut when I used to use a jig saw, but watching JR. do it on American Chopper convinced me to start using that method. I don't know that I'd use it if I had the band saw he has though,...maybe the piece he was cutting on the episode was too wide to fit on the band saw.
What is really stupid of me is I have a plasma cutter. I just don't use it because I find it too hard to get close enough and follow the cut line free hand. ( I guess I should listen to myself preach, and practice).
For the really thin stuff below 18 ga., I use electric shears.
but I cut the front of the hood off w/ the same grinder, took 15 secs.