How To Cut Sheet Metal With Tin Snips

They are usually color coded based on what you re trying to do with them.

How to cut sheet metal with tin snips. For a reference on gauge thickness see our gauge chart. Right cutting left cutting and straight cutting snips. Yellow snips are designed to cut in a straight line while green snips cut to the left and red snips cut to the right. Cutting metal rated too thick for your blades will damage both the tool and your metal.

These tools are good for cutting soft sheet metals such as tin aluminum and brass. You probably wont find snips which are capable of cutting above 18 gauge mild steel. Aviation snips and tin snips are a common method of cutting thin sheet metal for hobbyists. Clamp the sheet metal in place on your work table to hold it in place while you work.

Aviation snips which are also known as compound snips or tin snips are designed to cut metal and come in different shapes and sizes. But you don t have to be a tin knocker to cut sheet metal with ease. The edges are sharp the cutoffs are stiff and get in the way the snips bind or you just can t seem to negotiate the curve. When cutting seams and thick metal use compound snips.

I recommend a pair of tin snips that will get you through 90 percent of the jobs you ll run into. Snips are ideal for cutting any type of corrugated roofing especially for cutting softer metal like tin sheets. When you re covering your cuts with flashing and such it s not necessary to sweat for a pretty cut line. But i can also point you in the.

Longer tin snips and compound snips are best for heavy corrugated metal. Tin snips are primarily used for cutting thin sheet metal like tin aluminum brass and thin gauge stainless steel. They are essentially metal cutting scissors that are stronger and more durable than standard scissors. But you don t have to be a tinsmith to cut sheet metal successfully.

There are many types of snips available on the market designed either for straight or curved cuts. These problems are common for those of us who don t work with sheet metal every day. Probably it s also the cheapest way for cutting corrugated tin roofing. The cheapest way to cut metal roofing is with a pair of tin snips.

The best tin snips are good for cutting any edge of corrugated iron that is going to be seen as they are easy to control when cutting. There are many different types of tin snips but for cutting sheet metal you only need to work with three basic types. Align the snips with the line you want to cut with the upper blade of the tin snips touching the sheet metal. With the correct snips and a few good ol fashion techniques you can cut some sheet metal worker like you have been a tinsmith your whole life.

Tin snips have heavy blades that can cut through thin sheets of metal.