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- Circle Shear - Tinplate, or tin, was the dominant material for utilitarian items in 19th-century America. To help meet demand, tinsmiths added new machines to their more traditional set of hand tools. Using such machines, tinsmiths could produce large numbers of uniform pieces quickly and cheaply. This hand-cranked circle shear, patented in 1860, cut circles of tin up to 20 inches in diameter.
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Circle Shear
Tinplate, or tin, was the dominant material for utilitarian items in 19th-century America. To help meet demand, tinsmiths added new machines to their more traditional set of hand tools. Using such machines, tinsmiths could produce large numbers of uniform pieces quickly and cheaply. This hand-cranked circle shear, patented in 1860, cut circles of tin up to 20 inches in diameter.