Thread: tin snips-left hand or right hand?

I can imagine its a British V USA thing, with the poms relating it back to scissors and the yanks to the way it cuts(simply to be different to the poms). So the correct answer may just depend on where you live.

My ref is a Vic TAFE handbook.

Ray, I've also had some nasty Wiss snips, I put it down to them being so much easier to abuse(say for wire cutting) than the Gilbows. maybe they cheapened them up at some stage? or maybe as you say a knock off. I should still have a pair kicking around here somewhere.

A pair of reds will cut counter clockwise, which happens to be easier in the right hand so you not cutting away from your center. Green cut clockwise and thus visa versa. Yellow handled snips just cut straight but the right blade is on top so they will turn left but not right (just like reds).


Also Stuart

Originally Posted by Fricasseekid

A pair of reds will cut counter clockwise, which happens to be easier in the right hand so you not cutting away from your center. Green cut clockwise and thus visa versa. Yellow handled snips just cut straight but the right blade is on top so they will turn left but not right (just like reds).


Also Stuart

Again this is only true if your working above the sheet .............if working below the sheets its opposite...........this often happens where the sheet is afixed in place and access to opening from above is imposible.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Again this is only true if your working above the sheet .............if working below the sheets its opposite...........this often happens where the sheet is afixed in place and access to opening from above is imposible.

In any case the snips are one the same side of the sheet you are on. So...

Originally Posted by Fricasseekid

In any case the snips are one the same side of the sheet you are on. So...

not always

Originally Posted by RayG

+1 .... whenever it's something to do with wire, ask a farmer...

Regards
Ray

Best to use with wire is a hammer and the edge of something you don't want to damage.

A file works well if you are keen.

Your wifes best scissors.

Dean

Originally Posted by capt'ngrumpy

So how many pairs of snips(left or right) have you dulled(or wrecked) cutting wire? Do they still cut sheetmetal after trimming all that fencewire?
Regards
capt'n

Sometimes you actually want to cut metal sheet with a rough torn section every so often along the cut. about the width of a piece of wire.

Dean

In all honesty if one thinks about this question how many different tools are made to suit the roughly 10% of lefties among us? Almost none! Doesn't this mean anything to anyone? Because of SWMBO I know you can get scissors (for girl type things) in left hand configuration. Hard to get in past but easier now and generally cost the earth.

Bout the only tool available that I know of.

Dean

Originally Posted by wheelinround

not always

Well I'm a sheet metal mechanic by trade and can't imagine a situation where you and the snips aren't on the same side of the sheet metal. Even you are upside down and inside out and giving it a good reach around the red handled snips will always cut counter clockwise and the greens will always cut clockwise (with respect to the snips).