Make Your Own Heavy-Duty Scissors With This Short Guide

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Do you have a pile of stuff that needs to be cut, but don’t have some heavy-duty scissors? Then instead of buying some, why not turn some old metal into a mighty pair of scissors? 

Follow this short guide to find out how. 

But first, you’ll some materials and gear to get the job done. 

The best picks that will help you do the job

• Scrap metal
• Paper
• Pen
• Glue
• Angle grinder
• Belt sander
• AIRAJ hacksaw
• REXBETI metal files
• Dremel and polishing accessories

With all your tools and materials in hand, it is now time to get on with this awesome build.

Step 1: Make the blades

The first step is to trace out the design of your scissors on some pieces of scrap paper. Once you are happy, cut out the design and transfer it to your metal of choice. 

Glue the paper to the metal. 

Once that is complete, cut out the design as best you can using a circular saw or angle grinder. You don’t need to be too accurate here. 

With that complete, transfer the blades to a belt sander and refine the shape as needed. Next, drill some holes through the thumb holes of the scissors and cut out the extra metal using a saw, if needed.

Tidy up the cuts using a metal file. 

Step 2: Finish the blades

Next, drill a hole through the hinge point of the scissor blades using a drill. This will be used to rivet the scissor blades together. 

With that done, it is now time to give the blades an edge. Score the portion of the blades you want to make sharp. 

You will also need to file a groove to one side of the hinge point to allow the scissor arms to slide past one another — just like in commercial scissors.

With that done, transfer your scissor blades to a kiln to heat treat the metal. This will make the metal more durable and help it keep its edge longer once sharpened. 

With that done, take the blades and sharpen the cutting edges using a mixture of files and your belt sander. 

You may want to use an old door hinge to help you angle the blades here. With that done, you can now use a Dremel tool, or similar, to remove any sharp edges or burrs from the rest of the piece, as needed. 

You’ll want to make the scissor comfortable to hold and use after all. You can also sandblast the piece to remove any oxidation from the heating process too. 

Step 3: Finish the piece

Next, dip the blades in some oil and transfer them to a pot containing pebbles. Roll and shake the pot to give your scissor blades a cool, aged, and darkened aesthetic. 

With that done, give the scissor blades a keen edge using your belt sander or similar. Marry up the blades at times and adjust the blades as needed to ensure they have a tight fit together. 

With that done, take your scissor hinge screw, and secure the blades together as needed. Alternatively, you could rivet the pieces together if you have the equipment to do so. 

Tighten the screws as needed, but don’t overtighten. The scissor blades will need to move after all. 

With that, your DIY scissors are now complete. So why not give them a test run immediately? You surely have some scrap stuff to cut into pieces? 

If you enjoyed this quick DIY tool tutorial, you might enjoy making some more different tools? How about, for example, making your gun hammer?