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A rather strange issue has occurred where I moved into a house and there was a lot of junk, the majority of which turns out to be useful, but there is a big set of blinds encased in a 2 meter unit made of metal. To get rid of this, I either have to drive to the local dump or if I can cut it in half, the refuse collectors will take it.

So I realised I don't have a tool for cutting this. I only have a wood saw (my tool collection is growing, but limited).

The question really is, what do I need to cut this thin, long metal casing in half. I have used saws that do this kind of thing in the past, but don't own one. I really don't want something over-elaborate - does a hacksaw or a jigsaw do this kind of work?

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    In my city, ANYTHING metal of ANY size put to the curb will disappear LONG before the sanitation engineers get there
    – HerrBag
    Jun 24, 2013 at 23:02
  • Ha, well over here, I would most probably get fined or told to take it to a civic dump if I left it out on the street!
    – Sam
    Jun 24, 2013 at 23:21

3 Answers 3

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A hacksaw would definitely get the job done. If you're looking for a power-tool version, a Reciprocating saw is the (fun) way to go.

Probably not a good thing to use a jig saw on as usually they are intended for making more precise cuts, hence are slower.

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  • Thanks for the answer - a simple answer for a simple question, but one that has been annoying me this week!
    – Sam
    Jun 24, 2013 at 23:00
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    @Sam - A jig saw (also known as a saber saw) with a metal cutting blade works surprisingly well. In some ways better than a reciprocating saw. That said, if you intend to extend your tool set by purchasing a saw then I would suggest the reciprocating saw as it will find a a lot more general usage than the saber saw. You can even prune trees with the reciprocating saw.
    – Michael Karas ♦
    Jun 24, 2013 at 23:06
  • @MichaelKaras - awesome, thanks - I have a workshop in my new house, so I do need to make the most of getting the right tools, but having a multi-purpose tool is always good too.
    – Sam
    Jun 24, 2013 at 23:10
  • Hand powered tool is better for thin metal you can't lock FIRMLY in place. Teeth of recip or jig saw will tend to hang up on the metal edge, bend rather than cut, and shake the heck out of your arm. If tin snips won't do it, use a hacksaw.
    – Wayfaring Stranger
    Jun 25, 2013 at 13:01
  • @Steven, glad you mentioned the hacksaw before a reciprocating saw. Very few people respect the sheer handyness of a hacksaw. For smaller applications, you can cut it with the hacksaw faster than plugging a Reciprocating saw into the wall.
    – ench
    Jan 21, 2016 at 18:08
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Depending on how thick the metal is, I've seen guys turn the blade of a circular-saw backward (so the teeth are on the trailing edge, rather than doing the cutting) and cut with that. It's not pretty, and it's not exactly orthodox, but it'll get the job done. If you do decide to try it, you'll obviously want to use a cheap ripping blade rather than your nice finishing blade, cuz it'll tear it up ;-)

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A hand circular saw every carpenter owns with a 7/32 carbon cut off disk.

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