Shears / snips for cutting "tough" plastic sheets

[SixThirtyTwo]

I'm going to be cutting some plastic sheets to make some custom lids to fit totes of several sizes, as well as making shelf liners for garage-style shelves. I'll probably use a thinner plastic for the latter.

Please note that I'm well aware of more efficient methods to accomplish what I'm asking, but I'll be doing this from a spare bedroom/makeshift office, so I'd like to keep the mess to a minimum.

What type of shears or snips do you think would work best for cutting relatively thick plastic sheets such as polypropylene or polyethylene similar to the plastics used in common "heavy duty" totes? Not too brittle.

I was thinking an offset straight long cut style of aviation snips might be ideal, though I'm not sure. When used to cut metals, they're mainly used for notching, but I want to use them closer to how I'd cut paper with scissors.

Are there any specialized tools that I should consider looking at?

 

[Toold_up]

I think you would be fine with kitchen scissors, or those ones that cut pennies in half.

 

[FigN⋅m]

trauma shears?

 

[RTM]

Some plastic sheets are cut by scoring, then snapping . Check with a reputable supplier, they can tell you about cuts.

I bought some thin strips to make Akro dividers, they cut the strips with a table saw, then they pointed me to a scoring tool, and told me scoring and snapping was cleanest and neatest method for crosscutting.

 

[cody1325]

Usually any heavy shear from the few times I've had to cut it.

For me--I have a pair of Kobalt "heavy duty" shears that I bought thinking they were a type of tin snip--there's little they won't cut.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-8-in-Serrated-Molded-Grip-Scissors/1000371995

These cut surprisingly well for what they cost. Had to borrow my grandmother's pair recently on a stubborn fuel hose, and I wish I'd bought a pair for myself when I bought hers. These are blue, so I can quickly tell them from her pink.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Stainless-Steel-2Pc-Set-Scissors/5014205721

Whether or not you're in medicine, Raptors are really ridculously overpriced for what they are.

I've used X-Shears as my heavy-duty shears for quite some time. I've cut through plastic much thicker than a sheet with them a few times.

XShear 7.5” Heavy Duty Trauma Shears - The Original XShear

The XSHEAR® is a revolutionary heavy-duty trauma shear designed for professionals who demand reliability and performance in emergency situations. This robust tool features: Hardened stainless steel blades that are twice as thick as standard trauma shears, meticulously sharpened to a razor edge...

xshear.com

 

[bluedog225]

Just choose your wife’s favorite scissors. They’ll work fine.

 

[RTM]

Just choose your wife’s favorite scissors. They’ll work fine.

Yeah, get the good fabric ones, or if she has hair trimming shears, the micro teeth on them will keep your plastic from slipping.

And when she breaks the plastic over your skull, it might shear on the lines you need.

 

[GrayFlattop]

That XShear looks great!

Without knowing what plastic or thickness is involved, the first tool I’d reach for (assuming a flexible plastic) would be a pair of SK 10” heavy duty scissors. Bezos sells them for under $20. I have several pair around the house. The downside is that they are made in China. The upside is that they are a high quality tool that is very comfortable to use.

I’ll probably order aXShear, well, because.

 

[Toold_up]

 

[banditbigdog]

Malco

 

[Citation]

Take a look at aviation snips/shears.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Klein-Tools-Offset-Left-Cutting-Aviation-Snips/5015154787

Lot's of different options. Note they have right and left hand versions based on the direction of the scrap part of the material. These are intended for sheet metal and the scrap side tends to curl.
The cheap HF ones are about $15 for 3 (left, center, right). Wiss makes good ones. They are more like $40-50 per 3 tool set.

 

[ecotec]

I like the Malco 2000 series. They seem much nicer than Wiss or Midwest. I cut the end cleanly off the end of a plastic wire raceway cover the other day.

They are a little heavier than the Midwest and Wiss version. When I was younger, this would have mattered more. Now we work off plastic Rubbermaid style carts, and it matters a little less if our boxes start to get a little heavy. Just know that if you are trying to keep the weight of your toolbox to a minimum, these are just a little heavier.

 

[neophyte]

There are shears made specifically for cutting laminate.
The shears are usually a strip cut design, which removes a strip of material using three blades.
These are similar to strip cut duct shears.
I would not buy Wiss brand though, unless they have fixed the bad tolerances the USA made Wiss Duct shears had.

 

[SixThirtyTwo]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I realize my post was a bit lacking in details, mainly because I haven't yet chosen the material.

I would not buy Wiss brand though, unless they have fixed the bad tolerances the USA made Wiss Duct shears had.

I have a couple pairs of Wiss aviation snips from years ago. I've grown a bit wary of buying anything new bearing the Crescent brand, though I had been thinking of picking up a pair of their "heavy duty" tradesmen shears just for use as general purpose shop shears. I'm sure there are better options, but I don't have enough information to make a better decision. Unfortunately, I find that true of most tool purchases.

Those laminate shears look formidable. That gives me a useful search term I hadn't considered. Thanks!

 

[danski0224]

I've cut plenty of relatively thin plastic (~1/16") with offset aviation snips, a unishear or double cuts. Thin like FRP sheet for walls or ceiling light diffusers.

It really depends on how thick the material is, and what type. Some lighting diffuser material will make little cracks at the cut line, and other stuff is OK.

Scissors or the Andy snips above would not be recommended for anything but straight cuts, and even then either probably won't work as nicely as offset aviation snips.