Working on your own projects can be very rewarding and give you a sense of accomplishment. As you do more jobs, your confidence grows and you feel like there isn’t any job you can’t handle. When we built our home, I learned how to do many different types of jobs, among them was cutting sheet metal. I have a friend that works primarily with HVAC installing air systems and creating different parts for these systems using sheet metal. He taught me how to cut the metal and to shape it into the different configurations I needed to install our air system. Sometimes I would use hand tools to cut through the sheet metal, but it was very hard to keep the lines straight. My friend recommended that I use his power shears to get the larger cuts done instead.
After much instruction and supervision from my friend, I became familiar with the tool and how to best use it. Using the power shears helped me to cut straight lines, even on the larger sheets of metal that I was cutting. Sheet metal can be pretty expensive, so making errors during the cutting process would be like throwing money away. Although I don’t mind working with my hands or using hand tools, having a power tool is nice. Using hand tools throughout a job each day makes the muscles in the hand sore and I found sometimes that my hand muscles would start to cramp up. On the days that I know I will be doing a lot of work, I trust in power tools to help keep my hands in good condition. The power in the tools exerts the right amount of force needed to get through the material and all I have to do is hold the trigger on the tool down.
Power shears definitely make jobs easier and if you plan on doing a lot of jobs that require them, they are a good investment. Being pretty pricey (ranging from around $300 to as high as around $4,000), you may want to consider what work needs to be done before you decide to purchase this tool. Some of these tools are designed for multiple purposes, making the purchase even more logical. I also assume that by using these power tools you probably can decrease the risk of getting arthritis in the future. If that’s not the case, then at least you can save yourself some temporary pain while doing a big job.
With the help and practice I got from working with shear tools on my own home, I have gained the confidence I need to do more jobs for the construction of other homes. I feel that I am doing the job right and the customers that I do the job for can count on the parts used for building their home will last for years to come. Working with sheet metal can be difficult (and gloves should be worn to avoid cuts) but the job becomes much easier when you have the right tools!
