Power Shears

Many people associate power tools with woodworking, but there are many other materials such as metal, sheetrock, or laminate that DIYers may encounter while working on their homes. When this occurs, it’s nice to have a power tool handy that can make the job go a little faster and perhaps even enable you to do the task a little more safely. Power shears are perfect examples of the tools in this category.

Working with metal can be more dangerous than wood as you not only have to be careful while using your tools – you can also receive severe injuries from the materials. Unless you have some sort of unusual accident, splinters are the most common injury suffered when working with wood and while they can be painful, most of the time they aren’t too serious. However, metal has sharp edges that can cause very bad lacerations and the edges of freshly cut metal can be the worst.

Working with hand tools puts your fingers near those sharp edges constantly, but power shears not only makes the cutting much easier – they can also keep your hands at a safe distance away from the freshly sliced material.

Types of Power Shears

There are several designs of handheld power shears to choose from and if you plan on setting up a metal shop, you may even want to consider purchasing a floor standing model that allows precise cuts every time. The most common use around the home for metal shears is cutting ductwork or nail plates, but they can be used to cut most sheet metals. A few types of power shears to consider for your cutting needs:

• Drill models – these shears are shaped much like a power drill, but they have cutters at the end rather than a chuck. The pistol grip makes them easy to hold and keeps your hands safely away from the blades and sharp metal edges. These shears are normally rated as to the maximum gauge of material they can be used to cut – the most common size is 18 gauge, but you can also find models capable of cutting heavier materials. Higher end power shears often have swiveling heads so you can adjust the cutting angle to what works best for your situation and they may have variable speeds as well.
• Elongated handle models – these shears are very similar to the drill model shears in the features they offer, but the handle is long and narrow — much like a reciprocating saw or small grinder. Many DIYers prefer this shape over the pistol grip design as it can give the operator a little more control over the power tool as it’s being operated.
• Floor standing shears – these models are for the serious metal worker – they can often be found in machine shops, but aren’t in too many home workshops due to their size and expense. They normally operate with a foot pedal that causes a large blade to emerge and cut your metal sheet.

Power Shears Safety

The biggest danger in working with power shears may be the material itself – as mentioned above, metal can be very sharp and dangerous to work with – especially for the novice DIYer. Always wear eye protection when working with metal shears and ear protection can be a good idea as well. You might also find a pair of heavy leather gloves can protect your fingers and hands from minor cuts, but choose gloves that fit your hand tightly so they don’t affect your feel for the materials or get caught in the shears.