Recommended Tin Snips (Under 15$?)

len509 · Post by **len509** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 6:17 pm

Check out the Modding & Cutting with Tin Snips sticky thread in the Cases & Damping forum. Basically you should get some quality tin snips. The recommened brand, Wiss, should only by about $17 at Home Depot.

BrianE · Post by **BrianE** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:17 pm

You can also find another type of "nibbler" tool, even though it works like shears/scissors and doesn't take out bites of metal. It has a metal finger that has shearing surfaces on either side of it, and it has a scissors action between two other (hardened of course) metal surfaces. Basically it ends up cutting a 1/8" strip of metal out as you work.

I believe Bluefront has one of these....

I ended up buying both types of nibblers because they have slightly different uses (and I found them relatively cheaply), but the type I described above seems like a much more substantial tool, and with more leverage.

nici · Post by **nici** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:54 am

BrianE wrote:You can also find another type of "nibbler" tool, even though it works like shears/scissors and doesn't take out bites of metal. It has a metal finger that has shearing surfaces on either side of it, and it has a scissors action between two other (hardened of course) metal surfaces. Basically it ends up cutting a 1/8" strip of metal out as you work.

I have one of these, but the quality is crap so they are pretty much useless. i hate crappy tools. I thought this tool was what you referred to as "tin snips", but apparently not.

Using this "nibbler" is much better i think, if i could find one wich is high quality.

I have several cheap tin snips, and go tired of them. So i went and bought some BAHCO snips for 40€, they are better but i still wasnt able to cut a hole in the side panel. The Nibbler is much, much better for this.. Its very easy to cut straight lines and theres no bending of the material so you get a nice finish.

As for cutting the fan holes, i think its pretty damn difficult with either of these tools.

shigaloo · Post by **shigaloo** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 9:49 am

got an air compressor?

get your self an air powered nibbler

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=46061

threevok · Post by **threevok** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:03 am

I bought right and left Wiss tin snips and also a cheap nibbler to get the hole started. I ended up removing the front and rear grills on an Antec SLK3700AMB with the nibbler only. The snips caused too much bending. Oiling the nibbler really helps.

nici · Post by **nici** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 1:13 pm

shigaloo wrote:got an air compressor?

get your self an air powered nibbler

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=46061

No i dont.. But have thought about getting one, i need one anyway. I do have access to a compressor though..

chylld · Post by **chylld** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 2:44 pm

i'd highly recommend the wiss tin snips. i'm doing a lot of sheet metal work for my current project and my wiss m2 (green) snips make cutting metal easy as pie!

don't make the same mistake i did and buy a cheap brand just to save a few bucks. i thought i could get by with a lesser-known brand ("ETC" to be exact) and the snips binded after a few dozen cuts. took it back to the store and got a refund for it, and put that money and a bit more towards a pair of wiss m2's. it's been going for a long time now and hasn't missed a beat.

whether you need both red (m1) and green (m2) snips depends on the kind of work you're doing. surely there've been times when i wished i had m1 snips but once you get used to them you can actually cut left with the m2's as well.

just remember, if you want to keep what's on the left, bend the waste to the right of the snips up as you cut. if you want to keep what's on the right, bend the waste to the left down as you cut. if you do this it'll give you a perfect cut. and also it always helps to make preliminary cuts to within about 1/4"-1/2" of the line, because the finishing cut will be much easier.

/rant (sorry i just love my wiss's

)

nici · Post by **nici** » Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:41 am

I can guarantee you that BAHCO quality is at least as good as wiss. I dont think wiss is available here anyway.

I had a look here and the design on the wiss snips seem more or less like the cheap ones i have, but they are made of better material it seems. I have both straight, right and left cutting versions of the cheap snips, this is the straight cutting version. The BAHCOs are the lowest pics.

And while im at it, heres a couple of pictures of the crappy nibblers i have.

And heres a pic of some BAHCO nibblers i found on their site, unfortunately they were not available in the local hardware store though. I couldnt find any nibblers there.

grand106 · Post by **grand106** » Sat Oct 01, 2005 5:56 am

i bought a stanley tinsnip (red for cutting straight and left).did the job great(cut a hole in my steel case -side panel)cost around 17 euros.no need for taking both red and green

chylld · Post by **chylld** » Sat Oct 01, 2005 7:03 am

nici wrote:...the design on the wiss snips seem more or less like the cheap ones i have, but they are made of better material it seems....

heheh this was exactly my train of thought when i was standing in the hardware shop trying to choose either the cheapo ones or the wiss ones - they both looked the same. the cheap ones binded though and the wiss's haven't. crisspy's thread is an awesome source of snipping know-how

hyperq · Post by **hyperq** » Sat Oct 01, 2005 10:04 am

Go with Wiss snips.

I have never used tin snips before, then I found this thread, Modding & Cutting with Tin Snips. Author crisspy gave great insights on these tools. Armed with his knowledge, I went to HomeDepot bought both green (M2) and red (M1) ones, and made the first mod to my SLK3000B. The result is fantastic. (Click the url in my sig to see photos.)

They are not that expensive, cost about $12 each. For the price of two pizzas, you get to keep a pair of quality tools for life.

shigaloo · Post by **shigaloo** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:40 pm

nici wrote:
shigaloo wrote:got an air compressor?

get your self an air powered nibbler

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=46061
No i dont.. But have thought about getting one, i need one anyway. I do have access to a compressor though..

i have also run air tools off a CO2 tank, great for the car

nici · Post by **nici** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 1:14 pm

shigaloo wrote:
i have also run air tools off a CO2 tank, great for the car

Yup... Much easier and faster to change wheels with air-tools than the X shaped crappy thing that comes with your car and breaks the first time you use it..