Is there a tool that will make a rounded cut in flat metal wire?

Question

Is there a tool that can cut flat 5mm-wide aluminum jewelry wire to leave a rounded end? (An as-yet nonexistent extremely heavy duty nail clipper comes to mind).

In the image below, the wire on the left is an example of what we started with. We've used a grinder to round the end of the wire on the right. If we could just cut it in a round shape and then polish the end, it would save a lot of metal dust about a minute of grinding per end (and we may have hundreds to do).

An answer to this other question mentioned the use of a deburring tool, which may be useful after making a round cut.

This metal piece helps snug a medical mask to a person's nose. We wanted it to be rounded to prevent it from breaking through the material. My wife is making medical masks for friends that are health care providers who are worried about the current mask shortage. Hers is a five layered design that I'll encourage her to post soon. Without this metal piece, air leaks around the nose.

UPDATE: "Normal" toenail clippers actually worked well enough. I hadn't thought about actually trying them, but after the accepted answer below suggested something we thought flimsier than toenail clippers, we went ahead and gave toenail clippers a try.

Answer 1

I popped out a 'net search using "scalloped edge shears" and found a variety of sewing related cutters that may work, if your material is thin enough.

The first link I selected, from Amazon, has a user question regarding the size of the scallop. It's 5 millimeters, although there are others with 3 and 7 mm sizes according to my search results.

It's important to note that the edge on the downstroke will probably have a bit of a burr, but one can remove the burr with a few strokes of abrasive material such as sandpaper. The shears will not last long cutting aluminum, but may provide for a few hundred cuts before needing replacement.

It's important to note that you'll have to carefully align a 5 mm wide strip with a 5 mm wide cut to ensure you get a smooth profile. It might be more practical (easier) to use a 7 mm scallop to provide a bit of leeway.

A jig of sorts holding one handle of the shears braced against a surface, along with a guide channel to place the material consistently will facilitate production.

Answer 2

As you're only working in thin aluminium, I suggest a gouge chisel. It will need sharpening fairly often (a diamond file is probably easiest) to go through easily but should do a good job. Use scrapwood clamped down securely as your anvil.

I don't have a gouge, but I've tested a straight chisel successfully. My scrap aluminium is 3mm thick and a cut of about 8mm long took a couple of blows with a carpenter's mallet on the back of my roughest (not very sharp, as well as chipped) chisel. This is bigger than your cut, so you should be able to do it in a single blow. An offcut of oak worktop was a much better anvil than softwood: the cut was easier and the burr on the back much less. If doing a lot you may wish to make a jig, or at least attach a fence/length guide.

The heavy-duty nail clippers you were thinking of do exist, but I suspect that they'd push the strip out when you squeeze them.

There are also curved tin snips, but ones as curved as this old pair are rare nowadays.

Answer 3

I think the best option are sheet metal cutting shears, either manually handled ones (like heavy duty scissors), or electrical ones (power tools), although the latter one seems a little overkill for these small strips.

Here is a demonstration video of both.

You can get quite clean cuts with the 'scissors' variant.

A variant of these, referred to as 'tin snips' or 'aviation snips', seem to be a perfect match for your intended use.

Answer 4

Pure Aluminum melts at 660°C so a soldering iron won't be enough, I suggest you to use a Blow Torch that can reach a temperature of 1300°C, if you keep the wire vertical and melt it the end of the cable would result in a perfect round. Be careful, droplets are very hot, it's much worse than a classic soldering burn!

Answer 5

aluminium is very soft, maybe you can use some kind of press to get it into shape?

Answer 6

Ok all you need to do is either get a bag of glue sticks put them in something like a tuna fish can use a sterno can for heat or however you choose to heat the can of glue sticks cut your strips dip the ends in the hot glue im sure the more you keep the hot glue as liquid as possible the thinner the material left after dipping let cool or rapidly put in cool water to instantly set the glue if you have any streamers use a heat gun to quickly clean up the excess streamer/ problem solved think of a bobby pin and how the ends are on one to prevent it cutting skin when put in hair in fact get one and pull the end off and you will see why bobby pins look the way they do there is many other ways to do what your asking you can take a pair of plyers and a dremil with a cut off wheel and grind one face of the plyers jaws smooth the other jaws do the same except you leave a raised section that looks like this U a little profileing to give the shape of the U when viewed from The side it looks like this V hope this helps