Tools used in sheet metal

Marking tools:

Marking tools are used to mark the sheet according to required dimensions. Various marking tools are:

Steel rule: 

These are available in variety of sizes. The rule could be steel foot rule, folding rule or tape rule.

Steel square: 

It is a L-shaped piece of hardened steel. It is used to make square corners. It is also used for checking and making right angles.

Scriber: 

It is steel wire of 200 mm length with one end sharp and hardened to make lines on the metal sheet.

Divider: 

It is used to scribe arcs and circles on metallic sheets.

Trammel points: 

It is used for drawing large circles and arcs. It has two straight, removable legs tapered to needle point and mounted on separate holders.

Punches: 

The following punches to tool steel are used in sheet metal shop.

• PRICK PUNCH: 

Used for making indentation marks for locating the center position for dividers, having included angle of 30.

• CENTER PUNCH: 

Used for marking the location of points and the center of holes to drilled. Its tapered point is grounded to 90 include angle.

Cutting tools:

Straight snips: 

For cutting along straight line, straight snip is used whose blades are straight. It is used to cut 22 S.W.G or lighter. To cut sheets of greater thickness lever shearing m/c is used.

Hollow punch: 

When circular holes are to be cut in the sheet then hollow punch is used for thin sheets. The sheet should be placed over the wood or thick block of lead to avoid chipping of edges of the punch.

Chisels: 

These are generally used in sheet metal shop for cutting sheets, rivets and bolts.

Striking tools:

Hammers: 

The hammers are used for riveting work, bending of sheets, smoothening of sheets, locking of joints etc. For these operations the following hammers are generally used:

• Ball pean hammer: 

It is general purpose hammer. its face is slightly curved and the head is round.

• Square face hammer: 

This hammer is also called setting hammer and has a square flat face. It is used for flattening the seams

• Raising hammer: 

It is used to form flat surface of sheet into curved surface. It is used with raising block.

• Riveting hammer: 

Face is square slightly curved and with beveled edges.

Mallet: 

Mallet is made up of good quality of wood or plastic. These are used whenever light force is required. The use of mallet does not spoil the surface of sheet. It is used for smoothening of sheet.

Supporting tools:

Stakes: Stakes are used to support sheets in bending, seaming, forming, riveting, punching etc. Some commonly used stakes are:

Hand stake: 

It is a handy with flat face, two straight edges one concave edge and other convex edge and is used for pressing the inner sides of straight joint.

Half round stake: 

It is used for pressing round seam joint on inner side.

Taper stake: 

It is used for rounding of tapering jobs such as conical jobs.

Grooving stake: 

It is made up of forged steel and is used to make grooves of different sizes. Grooves are made to impart strength.

Hose stake: 

There are two square holes for holding two stakes at a time for carrying out different operations.