Make sure you cut just a little outside of your described circle and that you buy snips that are for the direction you want to cut. There are left and right hand versions.

If you take your time, you will get a very accurate circle . There will be a few rough edges and a few marks from the serration of the blades but it all cleans up with some light filing, a fine grinding wheel(maybe) and some emery paper or fine waterproof paper. ** the edge of the cymbal will have some very sharp spots after trimming, so don't be inquisitive and run your finger over it before you have cleaned it up a bit**

Could someone post a pic of this snipping tool? So just jigsaw won't work?! (I am half joking, half serious when I ask that).

Actually, if you all could indulge me, what tools have any of you ever used to cut down a cymbal? Pics would be great if needed.

I have yet to ever cut one down, but would love to learn more about how and will not be afraid to do so after reading all your info!

I love this site!

John

Just google aviation snips. The basic format is the same for all of them with just different angles and or reverse offsets on some.

Wiss is the company most associated with them but there are others. Cheap ones come off similar to Vice Grip knockoffs-------they will do the job once or twice but they lose their integrity and precision pretty fast.

There are other options; nibblers ,which make two straight cuts at once ,curling a thin(about1/8") section ahead of you as you cut.

Then there are convential tinsnips, which are more like a pair of scissors, with very short powerfull blades. You would need a large pair of these; probably 12" ers at least.

I've used them all and they all will do the job. I think the aviation snips are the best bet, for starters; just get ones that will curl the cut off(you may need to occasionally give it a manual bend) conveniently for you. I like the right angled ones but they all will work.

Cymbalsmith Heather Stine (37 Cymbals) in Simi Valley isn't terribly far from La Habra, if you want another option.

one other note here. when starting the cut, you come into the cymbal at a very oblique angle, slowly cutting towards your scribed circle-----kind of like entering a big highway from an on ramp. the cuts will be about 1/8" - 1/4" per stroke. if the cymbal starts to crimp, there is something wrong with your technique or more likely the shears/snips. the cutoff material should curl up and out from you but there is nothing wrong withy it going the other way(down and in), as long as that is a comfortable way for you to cut and you hav e the snips angled correctly to match the arc.

i say this because I know lefties who have been taught to cut with true left handed scissors, right handed scissors with left handed grips and right handed scissors and they all cut things differently---( can you imagine that!---being forced as a kid to use right handed scissors as a lefty?). what an f'd up education system out there.

I've only ever used a jig saw/metal cutting blade and never had a problem.

I'm sure snips will work fine as well.

While I have no experience doing this, I worked with a drummer back in the early/mid 90's that would take all manner of broken cymbals and cut them down into various 6", 8" or 10" effects cymbals. He was a very musical player and his effects cymbals sounded quite interesting and always appropriate. It seemed like every time I saw him he had some different ones and I finally asked what he was using as none of them sounded quite like a standard splash or bell cymbal. That's when he told me he liked cutting down broken cymbals to see what he could get from them.