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Thread: What power tool will cut hardware cloth?

  1. #1
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    What power tool will cut hardware cloth?

    I need to cut approximately 300 lineal feet of hardware cloth to width to fit various width window openings. I also need cut it into about 40 pieces so I need to make lots of cuts.

    I have done this in the past with an ordinary pair of wire cutters. Making 24 or more cuts per foot is slow and hard on the hands. Is there a power tool that I could use for cutting hardware cloth? It needs to be either a cordless tool or a pneumatic tool as I have no power at the site.

    Would either an air shears or a die grinder with cutoff wheel work? Other ideas?

  2. #2
    What will power your air supply? I’d invest in something that would be useful later on like an angle grinder with a cutoff disk. That will make quick work of that hardware cloth.

    If you’ll be powering the air supply with a generator—I’d make the angle grinder an electric one.


  3. #3
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    Either Harry's suggestion of an angle grinder, or they do make air-powered metal shears (not sure about battery-powered shears, but I'm sure someone makes them). I use a pair of electric shears from HF.
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  4. #4
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    A die or angle grinder with cutoff wheels will make short work of all your cuts. If you could set up some sort of bench to work from and let your cut offs drop to the ground as they're being cut should save any binding of the wheel.

    Jerry
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Hagan View Post
    What will power your air supply? I’d invest in something that would be useful later on like an angle grinder with a cutoff disk. That will make quick work of that hardware cloth.
    I have a gasoline powered air compressor. There is no electric power at the site. The original purpose for the air compressor was to power a pneumatic stapler, but I can use it for other things too. Would a die grinder with a cutoff wheel work, or is there a better type of air powered grinder to use?

    I am doing work at a Boy Scout summer camp. There are a number of campsites that have old log shelters with open sides built in the 1940s. Over the years the open sides have been framed and screen installed to keep out insects. I am replacing the screen and also installing hardware cloth so the boys and animals don't destroy the screen. This will be my fourth year working on this as it takes a long time. The longest part of the project has been cutting the hardware cloth and I want to speed that up.

  6. #6

    Try Harbor Freight

    image_3275.jpghttp://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-...der-95504.html

    I see it's back-ordered. Try your local HF store if you have one.
    Last edited by Harry Hagan; 05-04-2011 at 10:38 PM.


  7. #7
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    I do have a local Harbor Freight store where I could get one of these. I'm wondering if the 4" grinder would get tiring to hold versus getting a die grinder with cutoff wheel instead? Hardware cloth is only 19 gauge so either one would cut the wires just fine I would think. I guess I can stop by Harbor Freight and take a look.

  8. #8
    Do like Jerry suggested. Take some plywood and make a workstation at a comfortable height. Design it so that you can securely position the hardware cloth while being cut. Experiment and see if it’s feasible to include a guide to slide the angle grinder along without having to hold it up or even maintain a straight line. This would require a slot for the blade to travel through without contacting anything but the hardware cloth where you intend to make the cut. For larger windows make a longer guide that you can clamp along the workstation edge.


  9. #9
    Makita makes a nice electric hand shear which would really plow through your job.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Fournier View Post
    Makita makes a nice electric hand shear which would really plow through your job.
    Will an air powered shears work just as well as an electric? I have no electricity at the site. The Makita battery powered shears is way too expensive at nearly $300.

    I have some friends who have the air tools so I could probably test shears versus a cutoff wheel. I have some small pieces of hardware cloth. I am thinking about making a simple jig to hold the hardware cloth. I would have to make it on-site since I have no way to haul it. The Scout camp has tons of scrap wood.

  11. #11
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    If the cloth are coated with plastic, it may build-up on the cutoff wheel

  12. #12
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    The hardware cloth is galvanized with no covering so at least I don't have to worry about plastic buildup.

  13. #13
    Look around for an old sheet metal hand shear. There is a type that is just like the lever type paper cutters. An old heavy duty paper cutter would work, but it would not allow unlimited cut lengths like the metal shear would.

  14. #14
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    http://www.amazon.com/Campbell-Hausf.../dp/B0009KN9VI. Kind of a one trick pony but faster and IMO easier than a cutoff wheel if you're doing quite a bit of cutting. Here are other options depending on your feelings toward Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...esult/?q=shear

  15. #15
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    Maybe this?
    http://www.amazon.com/Malco-TSHD-Turboshear-Heavy-Duty/dp/B0002894R0/ref=pd_cp_hi_

    Says it will do 18 gauge, not sure how heavy your hardware cloth is.

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