Metal tiles are a popular roofing material. It is lightweight, very easy to install, strong and durable. It has a multi-layer structure, so drilling or cutting should be done according to some rules.
Features of cutting metal tiles
The metal tile includes several layers:
- base - steel sheet;
- protective zinc layer - the thickness varies depending on the type of material;
- passivating layers and primers - improve adhesion, protect against moisture ingress;
- decorative coating - creates color, sometimes a pattern. The thickness of the coating varies greatly.
The main strength component is metal, but the tool must be selected taking into account other factors. If the metal easily tolerates high heat, this cannot be said about other layers of the composition.
Tools for cutting metal tiles
The list of tools and devices is quite long.
- The nibbler is electrically driven. They act as a separate device and as a nozzle.
- Roofing scissors - mechanical. Used for the same job, but require physical effort. The advantage is an even, clean cut edge.
- Circular Saw - Only use reverse angle carbide discs for roof tiles. In this case, it is not necessary to increase the speed to cut the metal.
- A hacksaw for metal or a jigsaw - both manual and electric. The second option simplifies matters. However, only straight cuts can be made with a hacksaw, complex cutting is not possible.
- Circulation saw - mechanical, with an aluminum circle. Suitable for cutting metal tiles, as it involves cold cutting.
With any type of cutting, the integrity of the decorative coating is broken and the cut is unprotected. It is necessary to paint along the cutting line.
Why you can't use a grinder
Cutting metal tiles with a grinder is strictly prohibited. This is due to the peculiarities of the tool. A very fast rotating disc acts as a cutting device. It allows you to cut through the toughest materials. In this case, due to friction, the temperature rises significantly in the cut section. The metal easily tolerates such an effect, and the passivating, polymer layers melt, deform and lose their properties.
These layers serve as protection. When damaged, the base metal is exposed - black steel, which is subject to corrosion. Rust appears on such a site after a couple of years.
Cutting metal tiles with nibbling shears
Nibblers are good for small volume cuts. In this case, the metal tile also heats up, but weakly. With scissors, you can cut in a straight, complex curve.
The dimensions of the device are small. Scissors are controlled by special handles. You can cut in a curve or at an angle as freely as in a straight line thanks to the die holder. It allows you to set your hand arbitrarily.
The nibbler does not chip or burr, and the cut is very clean.
Using electric scissors
Varieties of electric shears:
- Cutting - a punch acts as a working body of the tool, that is, when cutting, part of the material is cut out.But in this way, you can get cutting of any configuration, and the sheet itself can be cut both from the edge and from the center. In the latter case, a hole must be pre-drilled.
- Knife - 2 blades cut metal. One of them is motionless, and the second moves in its plane. In this case, there is no waste during cutting, but only straight lines or cuts with a small angle of rotation can be made. Slicing is only possible from the edge.
- Slotted - the cutting element is open, very sharp, which allows you to get a clean, thin cut. Chips are generated, but in small quantities and only from the top, so that they are easy to remove before stacking.
You can also take a circular saw or jigsaw for cutting. But at the same time, it is necessary to perform work on a flat horizontal surface, fix the sheets.
How to cut material with a drill bit
The drill bit for cutting metal tiles consists of a punch and a matrix. The attachment is placed under the sheet. When starting, the punch moves, as a result, in the direction of travel, a strip of the desired shape is obtained. The cut width is quite large - 3.1 mm.
The attachment can be used to cut the following materials:
- stainless steel up to 0.8 mm thick;
- galvanized steel, zinc, copper up to 1.5 mm thick;
- aluminum up to 2 mm thick.
For cutting thicker sheets, a higher speed will be required, and this should not be allowed when processing metal tiles.
The drill bit for cutting metal or profiled sheet is fixed on the chuck. The principle is similar to the installation of electromechanical punching shears.
In addition to a saw or electric scissors, the "Cricket" drill attachment is also popular. This device allows you to cut straight and diagonally, regardless of the complexity of the texture. With the help of fasteners, the nozzle can be installed at different angles. "Cricket" is cheaper than a grinder or a circular saw.
Useful Tips
How and how to cut metal tiles determines the type of roofing material, the amount of work, the nature of the cut. The recommendations are as follows:
- If you need to cut in a straight line, take a regular metal hacksaw or scissors.
- If the contour should be curly, nibblers, nibblers, and an electric saw with a special attachment are recommended.
- When installing metal tiles, it is necessary to calculate the material in such a way as to reduce the number of cuts to a minimum;
In any case, it is impossible to use an abrasive mechanism for cutting: the cut is uneven, it is difficult to process.
