Using Tin Snips

A demonstration of the basics of using Aviation Tin Snips.

[@SolidStateWorkshop]

Thank you, Bill. I love these kind of “classic KZbin videos”, not flashy or loud, just straightforward with everything you’d ever want to know

[@gregcook9915]

Ever since high school metal shop, when I didn't really digest the explanation of how to use tin snips, I've been doing a lousy job of cutting sheet metal. I thought it was finally time to start doing it right and I found your great video. Thank you so much for making this video and explaining it so clearly. It was very kind of you to take the time and effort to do it.

[@billsmetal]

It's been 8 years since I put this video up, and I've been meaning to add this comment, and keep forgetting.. You will notice in the video that the snips I'm using have the lower rubber handle covers removed. There is a reason..!! When I started out in sheet metal work (in 1971) I was installing duct work in houses.. It was two people and we did two houses a day, on a housing project. In three and a half years we did complete duct systems in over 1,500 houses..!! That's a lot of cutting.!! The rubber on the bottom might help you keep a tight grip if you are making one or two cuts in a few hours of work, but when you are using them constantly, the rubber handles will raise a blister on the insides of your fingers in about 20 minutes..!! By removing the lower handles and actually buffing/polishing the steel handles, your fingers will curl around the handles and slide without raising a blister. The top rubber handle still in place, will give you plenty of grip and control. Trust me Gloves won't stop the blisters and your hands will be much more tired at the end of the day when using gloves.

[@fredreyez7614]

Great move!

[@apadgett01]

Respect.

[@billsmetal]

It's been a couple years since I have responded to comments on my videos.. Just wanted to thank everyone for their compliments, and I'm glad that I could help some folks, and pass on a little knowledge.. Like everyone, I'm still learning every day.. Even being 65 years old and not doing this stuff full time any more.. I'm still in the shop doing stuff for myself, and still discovering new things, as well as learning from other folks in person, and on KZbin, and other forums... Stay thirsty for knowledge... It keeps your mind young..!!

[@JR-yr8xm]

Probably the most informative video i've seen on snips. The people accusing the snips of not cutting properly need to see this video. Even if they must be tied to a chair to make them watch.

[@charlesbrewer6552]

8 years later! Thank you I learned a few things tonight that I did not understand before..

[@waynepowell567]

Excellent info and advice. Thanks for clarifying all the mystery of these tools, it is very helpful and much appreciated.

[@WC4DOOR]

I wish I would have found this information 35 years ago. Thank you.

[@billsmetal]

Thanks for all the great compliments.... I'm glad I could share some knowledge and help folks out..

[@TonyWadkins]

Absolutely the best snips tutorial on the web! I saw this 5 to 7 years ago and for the last few years I've wanted to review it again but never found it till now. It's even better the 2nd go round !!!!

[@royackerman206]

Thank you for passing on this valuable knowledge that you received in 1974. It was almost your obligation to do so. It's lost old school know-how . Thanks again!

[@lylecrawford2794]

Wow, I was only searching for information on choosing snips for cutting flashing, and I ended up with so much more information I had no idea about. This has to be the best instructional video I've ever watched on any subject!

[@brandonparr6345]

I've been doing metal fabrication for 20 years. Have to say, I learned a great deal in the last 18 minutes. Great work!

[@James-fs4rn]

👍best tin snip video on KZbin! Thanks for sharing!

[@jamese9283]

Thanks for the good lesson. Corrected many mistakes I'd been making for years.

[@itsallgood7542]

I'm a Sudanese aircraft mechanic and this helped me like big time .... thanks for sharing ur knowledge freely

[@aliposhtpazan2625]

God bless you for showing us how to use and introducing these tools probably. Many thanks

[@KarlAlfredRoemer]

Yesterday i got my first Bessey-right-hand tin snip and of course i instantly tried to make some clean cuts in the tin of an old pc-case. But it wasn't very successfull. I searched for german videos how to use a tin snip but every video i found told the same unplausible myth of the right- and lefthand snips. So i searched for american videos and fortunatelly, i found yours which is the best an plausiblest i could find in the whole internet. Thank you!

[@leesanders6490]

I had no idea I knew so little about a tool I've used and struggled with so many times through the years. Thanks !!

[@LatinosSalon]

This is a great tutorial: straight forward, no fuss. It pretty much answered all the questions I had about how to use the snips. Thanks!

[@notwrkn2mch]

Definitely the best video that i have found so far on the use of tin snips..... I saved this one to my favorites. thanks for taking the time to explain in such detail

[@billsmetal]

Your welcome, and Thanks for your comment.. !!

[@busterhoffmaster339]

What a great little review. Been using snips for years.....only about half right. Also the other little tips will definitely come in handy. Thanks for posting.

[@bluesman6955]

Thankyou so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. I have learned so much from your other metal working videos. I hope you will share more in the future.

[@billsmetal]

Thanks. I'm glad people are benefiting from the videos. I'm starting to get back into the shop more with more projects, so I might be putting more up soon about specific projects.

[@deray9355]

I am 4 minutes into the video and already learned a ton! Thank you for taking the time to make this video!

[@ElanSoftwareSystems]

Great info Bill - thanks for taking the time to post. I've been using snips for over 50 years and learned something new today.

[@livinggood5545]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing, I gotta have my sons to watch.

[@kibrickj]

Oh my thank you. Thank you for this video. Explanation clear as day. Your effort has made all the difference to my technique.

[@1off1935]

Excellent video, all the years I was using my snips incorrectly and wondered why the cuts weren't good! Thanks very much. You made it so simple!

[@Bettinasisrg]

Thanks! After cutting a lot of sheet metal I noticed that the 'land' info you pointed out which really helped a lot, I have never heard anyone else, until you, teach that! Here I thought I found some new amazing thing LOL! Thanks again for all this great info :-)

[@billsmetal]

Bettina Stepek You are welcome....

[@rickl5938]

This guy really knows his stuff! A great teacher too. I learned a lot about snips from this video and I am an HVAC contractor!

[@toolguy6057]

I'm glad I found this video! Up until now I though the Aviation snips were pretty much useless. I now realize I've been using them wrong. Very useful information. Thanks for sharing!

[@beafabulous4278]

Thank you for the great video. I learned something new at 52!

[@arturroslender6340]

I think this is my most valuable 18 minutes spent in youtube! Did 73m (239 feet) of tins around my house foundation in one day with no previous experience. Had to remake only one corner of six and it was the first one I made:). It would have been a mess without your shared knowledge. Thank you for this extremely useful video!

[@cannondavis1]

Great explanation! Off to the shop to get a left and right to add to the straight I thought was useless!!

[@35Geneva]

What a great video! Comprehensive and articulate explanation of how to properly use these tools. Thank you for posting this video.

[@nfernando]

Thank you so much for this. As clear as daylight and you've helped me do a better job than I was going to. Cheers!

[@AB-gn8oh]

Thank you, Bill. Great instruction. I’m a total beginner, and your tutorial was so clear.

[@Rayram555]

This is a valuable video. I enjoyed this very much. Thank you.

[@theHAL9000]

As stated by another already, wish I had this knowledge years ago; many of my do-it-yourself projects would have benefitted. Very informative and enlightening video. Thank you!

[@JaredAF]

Excellent presentation

[@johnmoore5608]

Excellent demonstration. Thanks for taking the time to make it and share your knowledge

[@padhraigodonoghue4185]

Thank you for an excellent video presentation. I believe that most people take the use of tin snips for granted - anyone can use a scissors so why not tin snips? Your demo very clearly showed how to correctly use them and what can and cannot be achieved. It will enlighten many including "experienced" users. Full marks to you, to your proper training and to your trainers. Trade rules!

[@iCanHazTwentyLetters]

Because of this video, I now know that I need the red tin snips. Thank you sir.

[@priayief]

That is by far the best explanation I've seen anywhere! Thank you.

[@ginnymiller2448]

Excellent video, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. Using your advice, I managed to cut a pretty straight neat line in a piece of galvanized steel sheeting over 6 feet long, using only a pair of very old well used yellow-handled snips I bought in a thrift store years ago. I had only used them minimally to cut small easy things, so I was not confident in my skills to be able to cut something that long and make it look nice and square. This video helped me TONS. My project will look much better now. THANKS!! :)

[@billsmetal]

As I said in the video... The yellow handle snips are only designed to cut One Inch Deep... They are not designed to cut all the way across a sheet.. Get a set of Right Hand (Red Handles) and you will make a much better cut..

[@speedbird561]

Finally!!!!!! The definitive video...... Many thanks

[@gregfinch1521]

I learnt so much from this and it was fascinating to watch. I want to buy some snips to cut corrugated iron into art and this was very helpful as I have none or little knowlegde until now.

[@tonyfranklin7515]

As a single woman I tackle (or)try many projects on my own. I have 40x40#3 sheet of polished steel for a table top & after many hrs. Of shopping & reading the reviews, this 1 video answered every question I had. Soo very thankful! I can quit listening to ten different "experts" who thought they knew what they were talking about....You proved my gut instinct correct.

[@billsmetal]

Thanks Tony, Glad I could help.

[@ChristianLikesFootball]

Mr. Thanks for the tips. Very handy to know these techniques.

[@judoslap59]

You're a legend mate thank you I'm not distorting my cuts anymore because of your teachings

[@TheNuggetshooter]

That was excellent. I will certainly watch this again. Certainly explains why many of my cuts look the way they do - awful! I will use your method from now on, and look forward to better results. Thank you for posting and sharing your knowledge!

[@akawireguy1197]

Absolutely awesome presentation. I had no idea and learned a lot. Thank you.

[@McElhinney65]

Your video was very informative Bill, thanks for taking the trouble of posting it.

[@VirginiaWolf88]

This is a fantastic demonstration!! Thank you for sharing this!!!

[@1off1935]

Once again great information and excellent demonstration.

[@JustinL614]

Great video. I'm an electrician but sometimes I have to cut metal studs and I like my work to look neat

[@turbocobra]

Awesome demo. It's good to know the right way to use tin snips, I have definitely been attempting to use them in a way they were not intended.

[@cecil6711]

Very good explanation and demonstration of the proper way to use the snips. This went into my watch again file.

[@michaelwnw]

Excellent video, thank you so much.

[@5tol3n]

Thank you for the wonderful video. Well I just learnt why I always go though my right snips as fast as I do. I didn't know about the leaning in (straight edge)

[@fatt1729]

I didn't think I would watch the whole video,but I did very informative thanks.

[@ektaron]

Thank you so much! Super rare and information-dense video, no bullshit. As many have commented already: I wish I had learnt some of it earlier.

[@cluebtc]

Thanks. Nice video. I have a side job coming up and this answered my questions.

[@72RallyRat]

Excellent demonstration!

[@DonWon4725]

Thank you for such an informative video this was never explained to me before cheers

[@eddieme2009]

I dont own aviation snips coz i dont know how to use it and never done metal works before, but after watching this video ill buy that red and green snips to practice cutting, then eventually get into metal works as a hobbyist, thanks very informative.

[@chumleyshaver7942]

Thanks so much! Really great info and tutorial on cutting sheet metal - best on youtube!

[@nikolaishriver7922]

Excellent tutorial, and very helpful. This is exactly what I was looking for.

[@jvk0703]

Excellent and very informative. Thank you.

[@carolynsumners1567]

Excellent tips!I had no idea angle was so important!

[@txc500]

I literally called Lowe's to see if they'd cut some ductwork before I ruined it fumbling with my tin snips. I made a mess. I watched this video and first try I cut a clean even cut. Then another and another. Thank you!!!

[@brettsyoung]

Gday Bill. Great tutorial. I've been slogging away doing the guttering and making a real mess of it. Your video solved my problems. I especially like the way you just got into it without the bloody annoying five or ten minutes of time-wasting history about yourself and background. Good job mate! cheers Brett

[@beauxtx1959]

HOLY COW!! I now know how to use snips properly! THANKS!!

[@eduardfc]

The best video on this subject! I wish I had watched this video before, I just ordered wrong snips for my needs. :(

[@bluechipmachineshop2333]

Wow! Finally realized why those "junk" Wiss snips of mine don't work worth a d@mn. This video was a real eye opener; Thanks, Mick.

[@ArcanePath360]

A very comprehensive guide, thanks man

[@TerryPon]

Thank you for the video. Learned so much!

[@richardholland7070]

Wow Bill, thank you so much , very informative.

[@garrydavis5905]

Most excellent demo!! Thanks

[@alaskarocket]

Awesome video. Thanks Bill, I learned alot

[@chrisperry5129]

Very useful information thank you very much for sharing

[@SoDamTuf]

Good stuff, Bill! Thanks!

[@qbnwndr]

Hell yea. Thank you, man. I only wish my foreman could demonstrate proper use and make it look as simple as you have. Many thanks.

[@eazymoneyracing]

Very well made video. Thanks for the help!

[@gentlegnt]

Excellent explanation. Thank you.

[@GregWoodsLancs]

Now I know why I chewed up a piece of alu using straight snips! Thank you

[@vibgaming]

great tutorial! thanks for making this video.

[@CindyDouglass]

Very informative! Thank you so much.

[@240z4u]

Great video, thank you so much! I need to get some decent snips now.

[@bryfyre]

Very informative video, thanks!

[@mayyanad]

Thank's so much! Really great information!

[@Gina-bt7qk]

Very helpful! Thank you!

[@donkyuhbuhts540]

This really helped a lot, thank you!

[@flintstoneengineering]

Love this video, so much information, so many myths busted. Exelent tutorial.

[@norcoauctions]

never knew this info until today. I am 60 years old. thank you

[@billsmetal]

bobby redondo You're Welcome

[@Neidytrozeski]

Great video!

[@1971SuperLead]

This video helped me a lot. Thank you!

[@MrStevestomp]

Very good description I did not know if one just cut to the left or the right or it was what hand you used :)

[@TheBrick2]

Excellent thanks for taking the time to reply.

[@_the_Chad_]

Excellent explanation! Thanks for posting, I wish I had found this years ago. Ron Covell even copied your video haha