Tin SnipsCompound Aviation Snips
Compound Aviation Snips, better known as tin snips, are used for cutting thin sheet metal such as tin. You'll notice the three pairs of tin snips in the pictue have different colored hand grips. There is a reason for this. Each color represents a different cutting direction. Red is for cutting towards the left. Green is for cutting towards the right, and yellow is for making straight cuts. You can use all three for making straight cuts, but it's not a good idea to use the red for cutting towards the right, or the green for cutting to the left. Sounds confusing doesn't it? Cutting tin, or any kind of sheet metal is aggravating, even more so when trying to use the wrong tin snips! It can also be dangerous. The edges of the cut sheet metal can be very sharp. I recommend wearing leather gloves for this job.
The hook-shaped lever on the side of the tin snips is for locking the snips into a closed position. When you pull the lever back, the snips spring into the open position. This spring loaded action is really helpful when you're cutting sheet metal. You can buy the three snips in a set. I bought the set in the picture at Sears for $15.00, and they are American made.
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