You don't use scissors to cut metal. You use snips or shears. And nor do you cut sheet metal in the same way as paper. Because what the metalworker calls "cutting" is actually severing sheet metal by applying pressure and tension.
And to achieve that, snips and shears come in many different shapes, depending on the type of sheet metal and the shape of the cut. And of course, a metalworker's snips and shears look nothing like kitchen scissors. Instead, they resemble a large pair of pliers.
“Straight-cutting tin snips” are (unsurprisingly) suitable for long, straight cuts.
“Ideal tin snips” combine as many features as possible. One advantage is that they can be used to make both straight and curved cuts, or move directly from a straight to a curved cut.
And “circular punch tin snips” are used to punch circular holes ... right cut or left cut.
However, every clean sheet metal cut relies on precisely drawn lines. And to make sure you can see those lines clearly at all times and don't end up cutting blind at some point if you're dealing with complicated shapes, the snips can be turned. Want to see how it works?
Take a moment to watch the short films. You can find them by touching the film icon on your screen and then "Video". You'll be amazed at how many ways you can use snips and shears!
All depictions: © Europäisches Klempner- und Kupferschmiedemuseum, Foto: Klaus Hofmann
