Cutting Glen Snyder Display Shelves

Its aluminum so any hack saw or most all band saw blades will work.

Pete

This works great!

Click the link below....

Harbor Freight Saw

I use a chop saw with a blade rated for metal. 

Excellent cuts.

A hand hacksaw has always worked fine for me, have dozens of Snyder shelves. Just clamp it to a work bench before you cut.

Go to a hardware store and get a cheap plastic miter box, a hacksaw with a good blade, and some clamps.  

Chop saw with appropriate blade.

Be sure to use eye protection and a mask.  

Too tedious to cut a lot of this with a hand saw, I'd use the chop saw as well.

I have used a Rockwell oscillating tool to shorten a few shelves, it worked really well as long as I could follow my pencil line, I just went slow. The cut ends weren't going to be seen behind a door anyway.

Jeff

@Clarence Siman posted:

Go to a hardware store and get a cheap plastic miter box, a hacksaw with a good blade, and some clamps.  

I agree!  A four or five dollar plastic miter box will insure your cuts are square.  Unless you have 30  or more to cut, a cutoff saw would be an overkill.  I never needed a clamp but it would insure the shelving stayed in the right place while cutting.

Good luck,

Don

+1 for hacksaw.

All you guys suggesting big bulky power tools read the part where he was moving into an apartment, right?  

Possibly Not a lot of spare space for a chop saw (or band saw, etc) he will probably not have much need for other than this task.

-Dave

@DaveSlie posted:

This works great!

I bought one of these to cut track (its cheap, and people said it worked well for that purpose).

Did I mention this was cheap?  The saw self destructed after about three cuts on my aluminum shelves.

Any carbide blade will cut aluminum. Just be sure to wear eye protection if it is a chop saw. A metal blade in a Bosch jig saw will plow through it as well. I would sand the edges after you cut because it will be sharp.

@Dave45681 posted:

+1 for hacksaw.

All you guys suggesting big bulky power tools read the part where he was moving into an apartment, right?  

Possibly Not a lot of spare space for a chop saw (or band saw, etc) he will probably not have much need for other than this task.

-Dave

Tell 'em Dave. Talk about overkill. Shouldn't take more than a minute with a sharp blade. Surprised no one has suggested using a laser.

Pete

David 45681

@Dave45681 posted:

+1 for hacksaw.

All you guys suggesting big bulky power tools read the part where he was moving into an apartment, right?  

Possibly Not a lot of spare space for a chop saw (or band saw, etc) he will probably not have much need for other than this task.

-Dave

The above are merely suggestions.  By your comment above you are making assumptions not in evidence.  How do you know he does not have access to a chop saw at his current home or through a friend or family.  

The gentlemen asked a question and various members made suggestions, he will chose what works best for his current situation, 

Having  a couple hundred feet, I always just used a Hacksaw and held the shelf with one hand and the saw with the other. I use a square and draw a pencil line and cut. NEVER have I had a crooked cut or problem with mating to the next shelf. Hack saw I use is one I purchased 45 years ago at least from the Snap On Dealer. Just use a good blade and tighten!

File the edges vs sanding and cut from the bottom up or tape the top; all to prevent scratches to the top. (or if up high, protect the bottoms)

I might cut them in half or 75/25 etc. so maybe the scrap could be reused someday.  (or make a one car display shelf for a desk or workbench or hallway wall upstairs, etc.)

 Lots of apartments and condos have two or three floors 

@Adriatic posted:

I might cut them in half or 75/25 etc. so maybe the scrap could be reused someday.  (or make a one car display shelf for a desk or workbench or hallway wall upstairs, etc.)

I agree with the thought to cut them in lengths that allow for the re-use of the cut sections.  I purchased c. 900 feet of used aluminum shelving many years ago and some of it was cut to various lengths.  I did have a number of sections that were too short to re-use and I eventually recycled them.  They were cut to lengths of 6 inches or less and were useless.  Luckily most of the cut sections worked out well with my wall lengths.

NWL

I believe the Website has a cut charge for those, who would like the pieces, to be cut-to-length.  $1 per cut.   

Call, to check availability of material, and cut-to-length charges. 

Note that shipping charges can be pricey, the 6ft lengths, are a UPS problem. 

Longer than 6ft. There are split/roll pins provided to splice the shelves.  

My shelves.   Click to access pictures. 

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

For the record, it is a large apartment in my in-law's basement. I do have access to a shop in a pole barn on the property, so tools are not an issue. 

You might also look into their plastic end-caps which give a clean finished look to the shelving and will hide any rough cut edges.

Still, file edges so you don't cut yourself capping them. 

Years ago I would likely have used a Porta-band with chopsaw type base for something like this.(know any plumbing/mechanical/HVAC folk?)

Careful if you grind vs cut, aluminum snags discs hard(& brass, copper). You should really have a disc just for aluminum.  Many metals should really take their own type of grinding discs. Some discs can even change metallurgy at the cut. Stainless for instance can loose it's stainless properties with a regular old Superbond discs.  And beware of the big box fat discs. Buy industrial, wear that shield and be able to yell for help.  ....please.

It's overkill and most folks don't have one but a plasma cutter slices through like butter and leaves a perfect edge every time.