What tool for accurate cuts in steel?

Part of my new van plan involves a modified bulkhead. I can explain it if you’re bored.

Basically, it’s a right bugger to cut! An angle grinder and 4 cutting discs just made loads of noise, smoke and an ugly, straight edged hole in the middle.

That’s fine for now but I’ll need to finish it with a lot more accuracy and hopefully without going deaf or setting myself on fire.

Perfect excuse to go tool shopping. What’s best for carefully following a marked line in a steel panel with lots of curves? Jigsaw? Nibblers? Can’t really justify a plasma cutter.

Jigsaw blade with fine tooth pitch should do it

Nibbler or power shears.

Jigsaw will be loud as anything on a big sheet surely.

Nibbler

Saxton 5pcs Double Head Cutter Sheet Metal Nibbler Cutter Power Drill Attachment with Metal Storage Box https://amzn.eu/d/j6LTIZ1

Or I had

Draper 35748 Expert Hand Nibbler for Metal Sheet, Plastic https://amzn.eu/d/0txCmxc

Water jet cutter*.

* I accept this might be overkill but as the general consensus here is that festool and not aldi is the right answer to “what [power took] for occasional use” I think I’m keeping the STW end up. Also no need to worry about which blades to buy.

Water jet cutter*

If the cut has to be performed in situ in the van I wholeheartedly second this suggestion 😀

Plasma cutter…

If you can’t beg / borrow / pay / bribe someone to do a homer and cut it out for youwith a plasma a good sharp cold chisel can be accurate if you can manage to clamp the sheet metal.

Hole saw for the corners, nibbler for the straight lines

Oh look, they even do mobile ones

https://www.waterjet-cuttingmachine.com/Coal-Mine-Water-Jet-Cutting-Machine-use-for-cutting-oil-tanks-p.html

Laser cutter. You can likely get one down your local Speedy-Hire.

You know what? I think I’ve already changed my mind about this.

I thought that before I just scrap my bulkhead I could use it to cover the gaps between the cabin trim and the back bit as it’s already the right shape and bolts right in. So I wanted to remove the entire middle section and leave the edges. But, with it fitted I’ve realised it don’t actually sit that close to the existing trim and still leaves huge gaps.

Also, someone makes these plastic bits which are a perfect fit…

So I might take the easy way out this time!

Plasma cutter. Only if you want it to look like it was chewed out by a passing cow.

I’d use 1Mm cutting disks if you can’t get a neat cut with them it’s user error not the tool

https://www.toolstation.com/ultra-thin-disc/p39737

I use these at work (different brand but same type of disc) for cutting stainless steel, they cut a lot more accurately on an angle grinder than a normal cutting disc

Are you using the plasma 1mm discs on a decent grinder. Should go through like butter.

Edit – too slow, what they said

Cutting it in situ? Definitely oxy acetylene…..

Plasma cutter. Only if you want it to look like it was chewed out by a passing cow.

I’d use 1Mm cutting disks if you can’t get a neat cut with them it’s user error not the tool

If you can’t get a straight cut with a plasma cutter then you are an amateur 😉

On clean material no bother. Or with a high end/high power unit.

On thin painted steel such as a van bulkhead a standard 13amp consumer grade unit will spit and leave a nibbled edge.

So you grind back to clean metal…..in that time the cuts already done with a 1mm disk

Anyway real men use water jet cutters. The one we use at work we have to put sacrificial rebar inside our tubulars or it’ll cut through both sides of 7inch 29lb tubing like butter – it’s big enough to get the van inside.

Anyway real men use water jet cutters.

well thats bollocks, a real man would be using a suitable cold chisel nicely sharpened with a smear of oil on the cutting edge. he may resort to a hacksaw for straigh bits but as its a sheet he’d be using frameless hack saw such as an eclipse 55. all tidied up with his nicholson files. he’d then wipe down all his tools with an oily rag, chalk his files, brequp, remove his flatcap and wipe his sweated brow, sit back and admire a job well done.

That would only occur if said real man was sporting a suitable beard to be using such things.

13amp consumer grade unit

Like I said, amateurs 😂😂

No cup of strong tea?

What do you think brequp was supposed to be?