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Needed a pair of snips to cut a hole in a bonnet for someone, and my good Wiss snips had recently grown legs... So, determined NOT to buy another set, I designed and made exactly what I wanted/needed. These are fabricated out of some leftover flatbar, tubing and a couple of old bolts, with a bit of welding, tempering and work hardening...

They have cut about 4 metres in straight and curves in the bonnet now, and even through double layers where I wanted to trim the framing at the same time. Worked nicely, very easy to cut with and still easily cut right to the tip on light fabric. I'll give them some more engraving and smooth off all the grinding marks soon. The main concern for now was getting them functional...

Wow, that's awesome... That would make life easy. There are so many 'custom' tools that you would be able to make. i.e the rear L series tool that 'El Fredo' made....
Nice:)

Thanks Guyph! That tool is a life saver when doing the rear bearings!

And steve, you've got a gift - and some determination to boot! You sure you weren't a blacksmith in a previous life?? That is an awesome piece of kit, guard it well!

Cheers

Bennie

Awesome , that's art that is , beautiful piece Steve

I actually built my own portable forge a few years ago, and have made a few things like an axe head, spear and arrow points, other tools, fittings and stuff. But this was entirely fabricated, using standard forms and welding and grinding things into shape. Ok, there was some trick tempering using the heat generated from welding with staged quenching, then the work hardening is basically cold forging...

It really amazes some people what you can do with a stick welder and a grinder. I've made drill and auger bits that way, and pliers, screw drivers, chisels, gate hinges, screws, presses, folders, dies, woodworking tools, machinery, hammers, spanners, all sorts. When you have a feel for steel, you need tools that fit what you're doing, and it's easier for me to make them from scratch than try and find one that will do the job properly.

nice job ya done there mate

FROG wrote:Awesome , that's art that is , beautiful piece Steve

it works so its not art, art is somthing tha doesnt have a purpose.
it looks different i cant see the difference between them and normal aviation snips??

apart from being really heavy duty

They work more along the lines of bench sheers, than "aviation" snips, as the bottom jaw is integral with the bottom handle. The top handle is the only one that moves and forces the top blade down through variable leverage, requiring around the same effort at the start of the cut as it does at the tip...

I'm going to make another set soon, so then I'll have the right hand ones to go with the left, although I worked in the ability to cut slightly to the right in these left ones, so you can very easily cut straight and track either way.

As for them being a work of art, well... They are engineered to work in certain ways and be strong enough to last, but as with tools "of olde", they have some attention to detail and decoration reflecting the thought and care that went into making them. Apart from that, art can be functional. I don't claim these are art, but they are artistic. LOL

They are fully a functioning work of art mate, I can see the thought , patience and care that have been put into them , they are fricken fantastic

Can't wait to see them polished up

Any chance of some pics of said forge ?
Please

Continue to hold you up on a pedestal with your abilities shown. iF you are after a name for them, the first thing I 'saw' was the prehistoric flying dinosaur bird - name escapes me quite rudely at the moment. Work of genius

pterodactyl ? ( I had to google it )
I see it too

YES ! Can anyone give me step by step instruction on how to copy this image to screen?

Oh, sorry, got it - scrub the [url] at front and back and ta..da....

Curious to know how much you are gonna sell these for ? And a Dianna Fisher question - colour of the handles?

spike wrote:it works so its not art, art is somthing tha doesnt have a purpose.
it looks different i cant see the difference between them and normal aviation snips??

apart from being really heavy duty

Spike saying "art is something that does not have a purpose" is a very dangerous statement.

Artisan

the second definition

2. One trained to manual dexterity in some mechanic art or trade; and handicraftsman; a mechanic. [1913 Webster]

Thesaurus words for "artisan": Admirable Crichton, adept, aeromechanic, apprentice, artificer, artist, artiste, attache, authority, connaisseur, connoisseur, consultant, copyist, cordon bleu, crack shot, craftsman, craftswoman, creator, dauber, daubster, dead shot, diplomat, diplomatist, elder statesman, experienced hand, expert, expert consultant, graduate, handicraftsman, handy man, journeyman, machinist, maker, marksman, master, master carpenter, master craftsman, mechanic, mechanician, no slouch, old master, politician, prentice, pro, professional, professor, proficient, savant, shark, sharp, statesman, technical adviser, technician, wright

The clay forms that cars are designed from are created by engineers, designers/ architects and graphic artists. to name a few of the people who are involved in the process.

Art of any form can follow form and function, it can be something that doesn't have a purpose or it can be the simplest of tools to cut metal. (damn beautiful looking tinsnips that were made with artistic talent)

a sample of art that is both form and function



a very biased jeweller by trade

TOONGA

+ 1 from a "very biased fitter and first class machinist " (non practicing, but still interested in and in awe of this kind of work )

i just recon you got to much time on your hands .i think you should lend me your brain as im building a new suker and your mind would help ie i need a turbow time with cordless remote shut down any ideas ) $$$$$$$ txt me m8

Dibs you could just use a immoblisher with remote shut down?