Fig. 1 is:ni elevation of a pair of shears suitable for cutting stout sheet metal. The top bar is of iron 3iu. by 1 in. thick, on which the top knife, of best cast steel2in. wide by 1/2 in.thick, is fixed, and hung at the end of the supporting bracket by bolt and nut. The supporting bracket is of wrought flat iron, 3in. wide by 1 1/4 in. thick. In the top of this bracket is fixed the bottom knife of best cast steel, 2 in. wide by 1 in. thick. The upper bar in which the upper knife is fixed is moved by a long handle working from an outstanding portion of the supporting bracket at A, connected to the upper bar and knife with square connection, pinned to both rail and handle. The ironwork is bolted to a wood block, dovetailed into a 3-in. plank 11 in, wide. The whole arrangement should be slightly on the slope. This is done by setting the shears end of the machine on a block of wood Sin. thick. Fig. 2 is a plan of the ironwork in position, with the knives as they meet each other. The wrought-iron supporting bracket is affixed to the wood block by square-head bolts.

Fig. 2. Hand Shears lor Cutting Sheet-iron.