Thread: Need a good pair of snippers

Hi again

Can anyone recommend a good pair of snippers to cut stainless steel 10 and 20mm x.9 and 1.5 thickness?

Thank you

I wouldnt use snips on 1.5mm S/S if I didnt have to.
If you must, Wiss snips. I wouldnt expect them to last very long.
Giblow would do it but it would be hard work unless you can get a big pair which will be spendy.

Stuart

14" short jaw Gilbows, sometimes you can pick them up at the markets, Wiss will die.

Seems the heavy duty 14" Gilbows G691 aren't as spendy as I thought. Looks like you should be able to buy a set from the UK for about $60+ postage.
Buy Gilbow Tin Snips from Arco Limited

If you have many cuts to make go with them.
Depending on the S/S it will still be hard going if you have many to do.
Stuart

Stuarts right, if you have plenty to do maybe a 4" grinder with the thin cutoff wheels. You could pick a cheapy up for the same price as the Gilbows

Thank you all
I"ll have about 20 cuts to make and I also have a 115mm grinder with a cut off blade but the sheet metal man said use a good quality snips for .9 strips otherwise you'll distort the strips.
As for the 1.5 mm I will use the grinder

All snips will distort the metal to some extent, so either you mis-heard the 'expert' or he was no expert/having a lend of you.

Wiss snips (made in Albury NSW these days) will die, as will your hands & wrists. A general rule is that stainless counts as 2 'gauges' heavier than the same thickness mild - 1.2mm stainless equals 1.6 mild. 1.5 stainless roughly equals 2mm mild.

For a small number of short cuts, you may be able to force a set of regular large tin snips to cut - one handle firmly clamped in a heavy vise and slip a metre or so of heavy wall pipe over the other handle for leverage, then with your third & fourth hands, hold the metal level (parallel to the pivot bolt). Eventually the pivot bolt will shear off, and after a few bolts one jaw will break off, but you should be done well before that happens. It may also try to spit the metal strip out, which is why you are holding it with gloves - to keep it in place.

I have a set of Beverly #2 shears for cutting sheet, but I once purchased a guillotine for cutting 3mm+ mild strap & bar - you can get a basic one from McJing or OzMeStore for less than $100 that cuts 3mm mild - you will probably have to tune it up for thin stainless by shimming the fixed jaw so it just kisses the moving jaw.

Thank you bsrlee
I since first posting was kind of barking at the wrong tree as far as what kind of steel I may need since then I moved from galv to 304,316 and now considering 430 and 444 meaning that if I use any cutting tool I'll be cross contaminating the steel making it susceptible to corrosion so it seems that I may have to use laser cutting services for my project

what are you making ? a space shuttle?

What about a jigsaw with a metal blade on it? Never tried one on stainless, but works well on 1.6 mild, and may have even used one on 3mm mild before (can't remember for sure)....

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

what are you making ? a space shuttle?

No but I'll have you know that there are more than 300 standard types of steel broadly classified in 100 categories each with their own properties like adhesion, corrosion resistance, fabrication characteristics, availability and mechanical properties in specific temperature ranges.
Put it this way is like different types of wood show their own characteristics.

galv to 304,316 and now considering 430 and 444 meaning that if I use any cutting tool I'll be cross contaminating the steel making it susceptible to corrosion so it seems that I may have to use laser cutting services for my project

Not sure where you come up with 'cross contamination' if you use a new stainless cutting disk on a 4in grinder there wont be any and assuming there will be a degree of finishing after fabrication what are you going to do about that. And as far as contamination...the only difference between E.G. 316 and 304 is the percentages of the ingredients added to provide the required degree of corrosion resistance , working properties etc. not some massive inclusion or omission of a completely different additive.

As for cutting ...from the dimensions you provide, assume it is flat strip...find a sheet metal or fabricating shop and pay them to guillotine them .

Originally Posted by ravna

Not sure where you come up with 'cross contamination' if you use a new stainless cutting disk on a 4in grinder there wont be any and assuming there will be a degree of finishing after fabrication what are you going to do about that. And as far as contamination...the only difference between E.G. 316 and 304 is the percentages of the ingredients added to provide the required degree of corrosion resistance , working properties etc. not some massive inclusion or omission of a completely different additive.

As for cutting ...from the dimensions you provide, assume it is flat strip...find a sheet metal or fabricating shop and pay them to guillotine them .

The person who adviced me is a engineer metalurgist working for a large steel company. The steel I am getting now is grade 430 or 444 and have laser cut by Williamstown Steel
BTW search for "annealing" on the net

Am well aware what annealing is.

Do you imagine laser cutting is some magic cold wand waved overt the surface.

Laser cutting of stainless steel uses an assist gas to blow the MOLTEN metal out of the cut....yes that is MOLTEN.

Whats wrong with the extremely low tech guillotine....no heat, no distortion and a good finish, and most important, probably a tenth of the cost.... with only minor linnishing to remove any burr.

lol, what a great thread

Personally, I'd cut 0.9 316 all day with a pair of wiss snips, up to 40mm long. I sharpen my wiss set maybe twice a year and cut a lot of 0.9 to 1.5 316 in between. But then, maybe he wants the strips 8' long...

Really need to know the purpose before a real answer can be given...
If he needs little support tabs then cut any way
If he wants stainless inlays in a jewellery box then laser cut is the only way.