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What are straight pattern tin snips?

What are straight pattern tin snips?

Shop for Tinsnips and Aviation Snips

Materials

straight pattern tinsnip Straight pattern tin snips are one of the most common sheet metal tools for home and workshop use as they can cut the biggest variety of metals, ranging from aluminium to stainless steel.
open straight pattern tinsnip blades Due to the strength of the jaws, they can cut many different types and thicknesses of metal. Straight pattern tin snips can cut up to 18 gauge of mild sheet metal, depending on the snip’s size.
plastic They are also versatile in capability as they can cut multiple other materials, as well as metal. They are suitable for cutting materials such as sheet PVC, leather and plastic.
crimped wire mesh The straight pattern, unlike other snips, can also be used for cutting wire mesh.

Characteristics

tinsnip in hand Straight pattern tin snips are easily identifiable from other snips by their handles which contain thumb and finger holes to ensure they don’t slip out of the user’s grip when cutting thick or difficult materials.
Straight pattern cutting The straight pattern tin snip is often simple in design and strong in construction. They handle straight line cuts best, however, they can also manage gentle curves if needed (especially in lighter materials).
Jaws These snips are also characterised by their extra wide jaws. These jaws can have serrated edges referred to as the ‘teeth’. These serrations provide better grip and precision when cutting, as they hold onto the metal firmly without allowing it to move out of the blades’ clasp.
drop forged The blades are made from drop forged carbon steel which makes them one of the strongest types of tin snips, and allows them to carry out heavy duty metal cutting.
different straight pattern tinsnip sizes

Sizes

The size of the tin snip you choose should depend on the job in hand. Straight pattern tin snips can range in size and length to accommodate for different tasks. If the snip has a longer length then the tool as a whole becomes longer, as both the handles and blades increase in size.

They are available from 178-355mm (7-14″ approx.) in lengths.

Here is a guide to the size of tin snip that should be used for different metal thickness. Please not that this may change slightly between each model.

tape measure

Tin snip

 Mild steel / soft metal (ga)

 Stainless steel (ga)

 7″  24  28
 8″  23  27
 10″  22  26
 12″  20  22
 14″  18  20

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