How to Build a Sheet Metal Duct Transition

Don't just tape pieces together for your duct transitions! Joe walks you through how to build a proper sheet metal duct transition so all of your jobs look professional and clean.

[@EMERYE77]

Great job, I worked in the layout department of a large duct shop back in the mid 1970’s. This brought back a lot of memories.

[@catherinegeiling5625]

I just built a rectangular bespoke duct reducer leveraging everything this video taught me. Never done ductwork before. Researched the heck out of it. We're renovating a 100+ year old house and replacing all the ductwork (among other things). This was very clear, and really helped me. Although achieving a Pittsburgh with only hand tools was a wee bit of a challenge - I'm envious of the shop machines - lol. Thanks for sharing your expertise!

[@snakeeyes1649]

I started on my first ductwork project and needed a reduced from 10” down to 8”. I tried a few different ways and messed up so many expensive pieces. I absolutely nailed it after watching this video!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!

[@gilhernandez13v]

Great job, and well explained

[@jonathansmith7540]

Excellent job👍👍

[@robertbennett2586]

Old retired SM worker.. A 12in trans finished should be 13in long.. Also, you pittsburg the wrapper and hobo the single side.. Sheetmetal has been very good to me.. Excellent trade. Good luck.

[@westonosborne6689]

Hey man, this is a great video! You should definitely make some more particularly with transitions with multiple offsets!

[@billmiller5075]

Very nice work

[@bryanc6889]

great video. many thanks.

[@TechnicalEnglish101]

You are a champ, buddy.

[@abdorakeebnaji1527]

Great job.

[@assabetmetalfabrication6143]

Excellent presentation Thanks joe Bravo Zulu

[@francissalcedo1901]

Great video, thanks 👍

[@sapo1168tx]

That's a great job...man I miss my sheet metal days...hope to be back at it soon..👍👍👍

[@thatmeatteacher8662]

Lots of electrical tape, snips, and blood lol. But in all seriousness, sheetmetal is very fun to work with besides that

[@jstkeeps]

Great to see a craftsman at work... plumber 32 years...

[@abaidrehman4883]

Good job 👍

[@johnnyhoward7337]

That’s pretty cool. I make mine in 4 pc instead of two but I like the two pc better great video

[@ryanv01]

Nice work but not so easy in the field with hand tools

[@mrdieh]

That’s the difference between hourly and piece work. Hourly guys would take their time with a transition like that

[@backhomeatthisoldhouse4227]

Great Video! Looking to Buy or make a 24x8 to 12x8 Transition

[@alekseykool]

Hey Joe! Let's see more videos like this! Help us DIY guys!

[@7soulcraft7]

Also mark everything - duct size, S D etc. So 1. the field guys can keep up with the pieces and orientation for assembly and 2. assuming your shop has more than 1 worker or if you are producing more than 1 fitting. Layout, cut everything. Then run all the edges, beads ( or crossbreaks if you don't have a beader), locks and the the drive edges last. This way all the pieces, if they get mixed up can easily be sorted and organized. And sending 100s of pound to a jobsite, loading unloading carrying al the duct to the assembly area, etc - stuff ALWAYS gets mixed up, so labeling is essential. I always put in/out, top, bot, L, R on each piece. Again it reduces human error in the shop and/or at the job site. In out is for lined duct. Also keeps straight which direction you are bending the 1" side that straightens fitup for the D or S as the case may be. Keeps the drives on the correct face :) Also when cutting stacks of S and D, the guys can see at a glance which edge is the S and drive. It all just makes things more organized and time saving. BTW your 2 pc method for 1 side transitions is fast and easy. But center taper fittings and double transitions are relegated to 4 piece. Hence is IS ESSENTIAL to mark everything as you lay it out. Cheers - and nice vid for beginners doing residential light 26 gauge work and small shops with limited machinery.

[@dormindont1]

Спасибо за полезный совет!👍👍👍👍👍

[@bsdiceman]

Nice tools

[@patriciarambert9261]

People don't usually have breaks on site. Sometimes a transition piece takes too long to come in and holds up a job that was supposed to finish yesterday. I have seen so many transition pieces fabricated on the site, I can't even count. Sometimes it's just unavoidable. It's all in the wall anyway. Just use a high quality tape and you good.

[@toemblem]

It's interesting to hear different names for different tools. For example, I've always heard notchers. I mean, they make a V so V-notchers makes sense. And we call your drive bar, a bar fold and your hand brake would be seamers. Just curious, why not have a snap lock machine for small stuff? When I was a kid, I used to make myself scarce when the guys in my dad's shop were knocking down the pittsburgs. Then he got a snap lock machine and I was so happy.

[@SHINBI102]

Can you build a reverse elbow? Show us the same way you did with this transition, would appreciate it, thanks

[@69Crimthann]

I do not get to do a lot of sheet work, but would love to see some offsets with reduce transitions. I would also like to see the allotment for each seam, ie pitsburg is 1" but I believe Drive is 1/2" and "S" seam is 3/4"? but I am not a metal worker. Just trained by an old hand from way back.

[@openyuheyeby8674]

It's all going to be in a bulkhead. + new 2020 code all supply ducts have to be taped or duct sealant used.

[@boilshifter1350]

I wish I had the tools and stuff to make one that I could put in my house

[@dannyc7839]

What tool do you use to make cross breaks? Thanks

[@scottjones7279]

All of that with no gloves or blood👍

[@Oxatolla]

Cross check anything 12" and up.

[@marvingarcia8982]

Thats why you did not get the job, you are a professional and they were looking for HACKS. Beautiful video. Thank you. You got one more subscriber.

[@pf5658]

Pretty darn amazing job. Very professional. What state are you located in?

[@MetroHCI]

Des Moines, Iowa

[@pf5658]

@@MetroHCI Thanks. Will you do a custom piece if I send you a sketch with some dimensions? Just bought my very first home and it’s an older home which I am renovating myself. Have a piece of duct I need moving in my basement but the quotes I’ve gotten are just too ridiculous IMO. I can do this myself but finding the duct parts is not easily obtainable where I live. Just need to extend the duct to get it out of the of where I need to build a wall.

[@MetroHCI]

@@pf5658 Where do you live?

[@pf5658]

@@MetroHCI Thank you for the quick response. I live in the Atlanta metro area.

[@MetroHCI]

@@pf5658 Sheet metal prices are ridiculous right now. I'm not going to be able to do it cheaper than your local guy. I just received price increases this morning. Example: 12x8 duct is $5 per foot!!!

[@BlackLight_VA]

Can you make a square to round or an offset piece?

[@docholliday45lc3]

Sure thing cut a hole and add a start collar

[@LIBERTY0RDEATH]

Must of started out as a union tinner or taught by someone that was. Well done. You can actually make Pittsburgh’s without the machine as well. Just need a break.

[@fernandotrejo570]

What about 6 bottom 5 on the top and 3 opening

[@livingstones1196]

...But it takes too long to do it right...Nice video!

[@diaz5878]

How can i build a 72in x29in transition to 54in x 39 in?

[@7soulcraft7]

Gosh, I would never do the dict size layout the way you demo'd. Adding adding etc. I verify all my dimensions from the last line. Too may possibilities for errors adding in your head all day. Also the 1/4 edge should be laid out as a perpendicular that way It finishes as 1/4 not 3/16 the way you layed it out. It is the little things that make the difference.

[@Musicmannstudios]

accrost? Must be like floor joisteses.

[@boneyetephlon3442]

Yow broh.....id love to see a shoe collar one end 250 by 100

[@arturomejia4624]

Cute but make one with in the field tools only

[@MetroHCI]

All of our box trucks are outfitted with pittsburghs and 3' breaks.

[@theastuteangler]

grinder, drill, and hand seamers. easy peezy.

[@omargonzalez7664]

What gauge of sheet metal are you using?

[@suruaki1739]

It looks 30 gauge coz he snipped so easy

[@69Crimthann]

I bet 26 ga@@suruaki1739

[@robertbennett2586]

28ga. that's res duct. @@suruaki1739

[@bigdaddy4975]

Field

[@Nine_883]

No excuse for except I am missing the shop and everything in it.

[@dineshbhoibhoi583]

Sir I am duct fitter you have vacancy tell me

[@kalingapithum893]

Well.

[@fernandotrejo570]

I see you have 8 all the way to the top

[@adrianwright2652]

Can you make more transactions

[@allenricketts1467]

By my measurements, that is an 11" fitting, not 12".

[@FlyEaglesFly19111]

Doesn't you area have codes for duct testing.. its almost second nature anymore to mudd all the duct. I always make v not straight lines... say something scratches the metal to confuse a line. O guess you don't have the Malco screen with all the different measurements 1">1/8". Why not just use snips and make straight cuts go back to the stomp shear and just use that to cut.. helps save the hands in the long run. Cross hatch all fittings is good practice. Nice simple shop to be efficient.

[@MetroHCI]

Good morning. Yes, our jobs do get tested for duct leakage. Most of our customers opt for using the AeroSeal duct sealing process though, so no need to mastic our ductwork. When we do use mastic we will paint it on on the jobsite. Why don't I use the stomp shear for my angles? The more dramatic of transition the more you would cut into the piece that slides into the s-cleat. Also, If I used the shear for everything I would lose my Popeye sized forearms ;)

[@toemblem]

@@MetroHCI I'm glad you didn't cross brake it. Something that small, with S-cleats just doesn't need it.

[@robertbennett2586]

Most codes are 18in.@@toemblem

[@yepyep340]

air does not care. right way, wrong way, and a way to make money.

[@user-ch5en5ry1h]

Sar my work vcd dumper laeik video

[@franciskimhuattay4525]

Ji

[@beemerkon]

Hence why u didn't get the heating install job cause u gotta charge a million dollars for something you think is needed

[@nzfalcon8698]

should be using a planishing hammer to tap over the edge

[@Cody-ye3ye]

I know a guy that does it cheaper Any new construction 2000+

[@muds17]

I have a feeling I know why you didn't get the job

[@bigdaddy4975]

Nobody uses these tools in the fiels

[@wendelfears1027]

Very unfair I could have done a better job than them. But don't compare show to field. I could have made the transition with a full 4' joint of duct. As well as a double offsetting transition. All from one joint of duct. Just field hand tools.

[@josephraatz1918]

And this is fine all for you to be able to do a shop transition in a shop I thought you're going to show us how to do a field transition in the field because that was a field transition I mean I really don't like using those their kind of cheesy but they're definitely you can just build a transition in the field not using a break not using any shop tools show us that and I'll be impressed