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Snips, also known as shears, are
metalworking hand tools Metalworking hand tools are Hand tool, hand tools used in the metalworking field. Types Dollies Dolly (tool), Dollies can be handheld, or mounted on a stake or post. Metal dollies come in a variety of sizes and shapes and are used for all typ ...
used to cut
sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25  ...
and other tough webs. Workers use various types of snips, with the cutting edges being straight or curved to various degrees. The style of edge employed will depend if a straight sheer or some type of shape cut is necessary. There are two broad categories: ''tinner's snips'', which are similar to common
scissors Scissors are hand-operated shearing tools. A pair of scissors consists of a pair of blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles (bows) opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting var ...
, and ''compound-action'' snips, which use a compound
lever A lever is a simple machine consisting of a beam (structure), beam or rigid rod pivoted at a fixed hinge, or '':wikt:fulcrum, fulcrum''. A lever is a rigid body capable of rotating on a point on itself. On the basis of the locations of fulcrum, l ...
age handle system to increase the
mechanical advantage Mechanical advantage is a measure of the force amplification achieved by using a tool, mechanical device or machine system. The device trades off input forces against movement to obtain a desired amplification in the output force. The model for ...
.


Types


Tinner snips

Tinner's snips, also known as tinner snips or tin snips, are one of the most popular type of snips. They are defined by their long handles and short blades. They usually have extra wide jaws and are made of
drop forged Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which ...
carbon steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...
. Depending on the size of the blade, tin snips can cut between 24 gauge (0.64 mm) and 16 gauge (1.59 mm)
cold rolled In metalworking, rolling is a metal forming process in which metal stock is passed through one or more pairs of rolls to reduce the thickness, to make the thickness uniform, and/or to impart a desired mechanical property. The concept is simil ...
low-carbon
tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...
. They can be ranged in length from long. There are two main types: straight-pattern and duckbill-pattern. Straight-pattern is best for straight cuts, but can handle gentle curves. Duckbill-pattern snips, also known as trojan-pattern snips, have blades that taper down from the pivot to the tip of the blades. The blade edges are also bevelled to more easily cut curves and circles or shapes. They are a lighter duty snip that can only cut up to 25 gauge (0.56 mm) mild steel. Other common blade patterns include the circle pattern or curved pattern and the hawk's-bill pattern. Circle pattern snips have a curved blade and are used to cut circles. Hawk's-bill snips are used to cut small radii on the inside and outside of a circle. The shape of the blades allow for sharp turns without buckling the sheet metal. A common use is cutting holes in pipes.


Compound-action snips

Compound-action snips, also known as aviation snips, maille snips or sheet snips, are the most popular type of snips as they are able to exert a higher force compared to other types of snip of the same size, because of the design of their linkage. They were first developed to cut
aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
in the construction of aircraft, hence they are often referred to as ''aviation'' snips. They can handle aluminium up to 18 gauge, mild steel up to 24 gauge (0.64 mm) or
stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...
up to 26 gauge (0.48 mm). There are three cutting styles for compound-action snips: straight cutting, left cutting, and right cutting. Straight cutting snips (generally have yellow colored soft grips) cut in a straight line and wide curves; left cutting snips (usually red) will cut straight and in a tight curve to the left; right cutting snips (usually green) will cut straight and in a tight curve to the right. These different cutting styles are necessary because metal is stiff and heavy and does not move out of the way readily when cutting around a curve. The respective styles move the material out of the way when cutting in the direction they are designed for. The blades are usually
serrated Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied pr ...
to prevent material slippage. In addition to the configurations outlined below, there are also ''upright'' and ''long cut'' configurations. The upright snip has the blades rotated 90° from the handles. This configuration is more
ergonomic Ergonomics, also known as human factors or human factors engineering (HFE), is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Primary goals of human factors engi ...
and commonly used in tight spaces. The long cut snip has long blades that make it easier to make long straight cuts. These snips are commonly used on vinyl or aluminium siding. Standard compound-action snips are designed for cutting steel or softer materials, although the occasional use on stainless steel is not detrimental. For cutting through tougher materials, such as
inconel Inconel is a nickel-chromium-based superalloy often utilized in extreme environments where components are subjected to high temperature, pressure or Mechanical load, mechanical loads. Inconel alloys are oxidation- and corrosion-resistant. When he ...
and
titanium Titanium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...
, ''special hard'' snips are available. They are similar in design to standard or offset aviation snips, but have specially
heat treat Heat treating (or heat treatment) is a group of industrial process, industrial, thermal and metalworking, metalworking processes used to alter the physical property, physical, and sometimes chemical property, chemical, properties of a material. ...
ed blades. These snips will have a different color handle to differentiate them from the other standard types.


Pipe and duct snips

Pipe and duct snips, also known as double cut snips, are a subtype of compound-action snip used to cut stove pipe and ducting lengthwise. The snips have a three-piece jaw that has two side blades that slide against a central blade. This creates a wide strip that curls up along the cut. A
compound lever The compound lever is a simple machine operating on the premise that the resistance from one lever in a system of levers acts as effort for the next, and thus the applied force is transferred from one lever to the next. Almost all scales use som ...
system is used to increase the mechanical advantage.


Configuration

The following types of snips are available in different configurations. The first is the angle of the blades to the handles. If the handles are inline with the blades then the combination is known as a straight snips; if the handles are at an angle then it is known as an offset configuration. This design allows for the material to flow away from the blades when making long cuts, which is easier and safer than straight cutting snips. The bulldog-pattern is a blade pattern that has longer handles to increase the mechanical advantage of the snips. In tinner's snips this means the handles are extra long. The compound-action bulldog-pattern, also known as a notch snips, has the ability to cut up to 16 gauge (1.59 mm) cold rolled sheet metal or multiple layers of sheet metal up to thick. Some snips have replaceable blades for when the blade becomes worn out. An added advantage to this is the ability to make the rest of the snips from a lightweight material, usually aluminum. This helps to reduce
fatigue Fatigue is a state of tiredness (which is not sleepiness), exhaustion or loss of energy. It is a signs and symptoms, symptom of any of various diseases; it is not a disease in itself. Fatigue (in the medical sense) is sometimes associated wit ...
.


See also

* Nibbler *
Shear (sheet metal) There are many types of shears used to shear or cut sheet metal. Types Alligator shear An alligator shear, historically known as a lever shear and sometimes as a crocodile shear, is a metal-cutting shear with a hinged jaw, powered by a flywheel ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tin Snips Metalworking cutting tools Metalworking hand tools Fabrication (metal)