Cutting corrugated roofing

[Clint S]

Skill saw with fine tooth carbide tipped blade, and cut from back side....and GOGGLES UNDER FACE SHIELD and cover up really well..... Sounds extreme but the saw will spread the shards everywhere, its like beach sand gets in every crack or crevice.....Its no fun going to ophthalmologist to get metal shard removed for eyeball....

If you need saw guide lightly clamp a length of 2x4 on each side of panels and use bolts or threaded rods to secure....

Dale

I dont like carbide tipped blades for this I have seen the tips fly off when cutting metal. YMMV.

 

[yomax4]

I did several metal roofs on my buildings and started with a shear. It was neet but too slow for the amount I had to cut so I went with Plasma set at 20 amps with correct consumables was a breeze.

 

[radios1]

why cut the panels at all?. you can lay one panel over the other, making it double thick, but that should be no problem.

 

[LouNY]

I cut it with a woodblade turned backwards in a circular say. Wear hearing protection and eye protection. Clamp it down

We have always used a fine tooth preferably carbide tipped installed backwards, we cut just one at a time.
With a 12+12+3=27 on a 26 ft run is not much overlap, we have usually shot for at least a foot over lap at each joint, in your more moderate climate it may not be needed.

 

[the old grind]

Cut with this $20 drill-mounted or similar nibbler. "up to 14 Gs steel". Others may cut heavier gauges. (BigBarn's Makita?)
It will follow contour easily for crosscutting, and can be held vertically to let chips fall to floor.

https://www.amazon.com/Nibbler-Cutt...t=&hvlocphy=9017065&hvtargid=pla-795729708862

De-burr edges to suit with this $10 drill-mounted paint stripper or similar, 'Bright-Boy, etc.
Use a med speed drill, and not w/o the side handle if your touch is a bit rough. Finish with alkyd enamel or rattle can zinc coating.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Paint-Rus...ocphy=9017065&hvtargid=pla-323291404932&psc=1

 

[EddieWalker]

If it's just this one project, use your oldest, most worn out framing blade in your 7 1/4 inch saw with it installed backwards. It will cut the metal easily, but the noise will be horrific. I cut them upside down so the edge created by the cut is on the down side when you are done. Sometimes I'll run a file over the edge to clean it up, and sometimes I don't bother.

For bigger jobs, or where I'm really concerned about how it will look, I use my 4 1/2 grinder with a metal cutting wheel. It's harder to hold, but you get a cleaner cut.

 

[Handloader109]

it ain't gonna make the panels rust. just a lie to make you buy different more expensive panels.
circular saw blade backwards works just fine. done it numerous times. A cutoff wheel works fine also. really no difference. hand or pneumatic shear won't work across the corrugated sheet well. won't stay straight.
have fun. eye protection, glasses and cheap face shield is good. gloves and ear muffs

 

[chim]

I should be ordering metal panels this week for the new 14x28 shed. The supplier near me makes the panels to the length you order. When I asked how much lead time they need, he said "oh, a few hours for an order that size". The only field cuts necessary are for doors, windows or gable ends. In the installation manual they advise cleaning the panels of all debris from cutting. The concern seems to be that the metal shavings or dust will rust and transfer the rust stains to the panel.

Interesting short video of their facility:

Making the ABM Metal Roof Panel - YouTube

 

[sodamo]

why cut the panels at all?. you can lay one panel over the other, making it double thick, but that should be no problem.

Except for the extra $400, I like it.

 

[radios1]

Except for the extra $400, I like it.

how could that possibly cost more?. you are just overlapping the same amount and size of panels to fit the size you want..

 

[chim]

how could that possibly cost more?. you are just overlapping the same amount and size of panels to fit the size you want..

The panels I'm ordering are between $2.50 and $2.89 per lineal foot for 36" wide coverage. They make them to the length you want and charge only for the length ordered. I've recently seen a nice installation where the building has a wainscot of darker material on the wall. Instead of breaking the upper and lower with a molding, the lighter-colored top panels simply lap over the darker bottom panels.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

I’ve cut about 75 pieces with a skilsaw and a blade specifically made for metal. The brand is Diablo. I’ve tried a regular blade backward etc and it doesn’t really do the job. Any abrasive cut leaves a burnt edge in my experience.

Is is extremely loud and the chips really fly - you need tight fitting safety glasses, long sleeves and your collar done up.

I’ve done both new painted and old galvanized this way without issue but for painted I found the best was to clamp a couple pieces of wood onto the metal both as a guide and for the saw to ride on so you don’t scratch the metal.

You can do 2 sheets at a time but I think it takes about twice as long to make a clean cut so I didn’t bother.

 

[timbatrader]

why cut the panels at all?. you can lay one panel over the other, making it double thick, but that should be no problem.

NOT recommended practice capillary action will draw water in between panels and they will rust prematurely recommended lap is about 2 inches fully covered in silicon sealant to prevent capillary action drawing water into the lap

 

[5030]

I cut it with a woodblade turned backwards in a circular say. Wear hearing protection and eye protection. Clamp it down

How I cut mine. Carbide tipped wood blade (fine tooth) running backwards in the Skilsaw. Wear hearing protection because its stupid loud. Learned that from a contractor who puts in metal roofs for a living.

Also works well for putting expansion joints in new cured concrete.

 

[/pine]

They sell fine tooth (non carbide) metal cutting blades (71/4") that don't cost more than a couple of abrasive blades and are meant to be used cutting forward and cut much cleaner than any blade put on backwards...!

 

[Jim Nelson]

About 40 years ago I was asked to help an older neighbor fix his barn roof which was galvanized, corrugated,metal. We needed to split a couple of sheets lengthwise and I started to get after it with a pair of tin snips.He said "hang on boy, don't you know how to cut metal?" Of course I didn't, so he proceeded to get a roll of baling wire about a foot or so longer than the sheets. He then went to the opposite end from where I had started and cut a slot about 4" long then got 2 pieces of 2"x2" about 1' long and twisted the wire on each end around them.He put one piece of 2"x2" with the wire through the slot on top of the sheet and we flipped the sheet over and put the wire down the length of the sheet then flipped it back over so that the wood pieces were on top and the wire was underneath. He then told me to pick up the wood on one end then straddle the sheet with one foot on each side of where we wanted to cut then simply pull on the wood handle and walk backwards while pulling up. It worked amazingly easy and made a smooth cut. I kind of doubt if it would work cutting across the way you need to but might be worth a try.

Sometimes the old timers knew more than us young whippersnappers.
.

 

[sodamo]

how could that possibly cost more?. you are just overlapping the same amount and size of panels to fit the size you want..

Well, if I cut 1 panel into 4 useable pieces, that 3 panels I don’t have to buy. So 3 pieces x 4 panels = 12 panels @ $40/panel. But maybe not

 

[hawkeye08]

I cut ribbed metal with cutter that attached to cordless drill.. some difficulty when cutting across, not perfectly straight, but was ok for storage shed. I would use a skillsaw next time.

 

[atsah]

Well, if I cut 1 panel into 4 useable pieces, that 3 panels I don’t have to buy. So 3 pieces x 4 panels = 12 panels @ $40/panel. But maybe not

I measure and then go order it cut to size so I'm not wasting money and I don't need to cut anything.. As a matter of fact I ordered some for my 12x20 shed last week, it will be here Wednesday all cut a in a nice neat package ready to be screwed down...

 

[PILOON]

There exists a 'friction blade', not easily found.
It looks like a regular skill saw blade but has no teeth, just a lot of slits.
Somewhat noisy but leaves nice cuts.
Much better than reversed regular blades and for sure better than abrasive blades nibblers etc.

I discovered them years back and still use it from time to time.
They simply don't wear out either.
As I said, noisy but decent cuts and lots of fine shavings that kind of look like steel wool.

Note that I have tried just about all methods and highly suggest that oddball blade.
Also not pricy at all.