Tinner's Toolbox

  • Duct Take-Offs Explained: Spin-In vs. High Efficiency vs. Start Collar

    Some links on this page are affiliate links, marked (paid link). If you buy through one I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only link tools I would put in my own truck. What is a duct take-off? A take-off is…

  • How High Should a Thermostat Be Mounted? 48, 60, and the Exception

    How high should a thermostat be mounted? Both of those are correct, and neither of them is the whole answer. There is a written exception that takes a thermostat legally above 48, and it is the reason you walk into commercial buildings and see them mounted higher with nothing wrong. Where the 48-inch number comes…

  • How Far Apart Should Duct Hangers Be? What the Standard Says vs. What We Do

    How far apart should duct hangers be? Six feet on commercial rectangular duct, eight feet residential, and one hanger within two feet of every elbow. Round pipe holds up at ten. Those are field numbers, not code minimums — the heavier the duct, the tighter the spacing needs to get. Check the tables. The standard…

  • Duct Elbow Came Apart? How to Spin It Back Together

    My duct elbow came apart. Is it ruined? Probably not. Open the seam at one end with a screw driver, hold the elbow firm, and spin the free piece back into the groove — firmly, without crushing it. Squish the oval back round as you go if you need to. The one thing that kills…

  • How to Invoice for Side Work (So You Actually Get Paid)

    I worked the trade for about four years and I have not taken a side job in fifteen. I manage projects for a general contractor in Salt Lake now, so I review invoices and change orders most weeks of the year. This is what a good one looks like and why. What has to be…

  • What Does an Hour Actually Cost You? Setting Your Own Rate

    I wrote about what to charge for a side job and gave you numbers. This is the post where I show the work behind them. Where these numbers come from Straight up front, so you know what you are reading. I worked the tinner trade for about four years. I have not taken a side…

  • How to Install a Spin-In Take-Off on Ductwork

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How do you install a spin-in take-off? Trace the spin-in on the duct, punch a starter hole with the pointy end of your hammer, and cut about a quarter inch inside your line with snips. Straddle the open slot over the cutout and rotate clockwise a…

  • How to Bid a Side Job Duct Repair (Without Losing Money)

    As an Amazon Associate I benefit from qualified links. This assumes you are licensed and insured for the work you are taking on. If you are not, that is the first thing to fix, and it is not what this article is about. I worked the trade for about four years and I have not…

  • Snap Lock vs Pittsburgh Seam — Which One You’ll Meet on the Job

    What’s the difference between a snap lock and a Pittsburgh seam? Snap lock is the standard seam on most commercial rectangular duct. Themachine forms a female edge with a turned down lip and a male edge withpunched notches. Push them together and the notches catch. Pittsburgh isfor the pieces that cannot go through the snap…

  • Job Site Tool Boxes: What to Buy When You Work Out of One Every Day

    You need wheels. Day after day, you pull up to the job and grab your tool bag. The years go by and the tool bag gets a little heavier each year. You need more tools, you end up hand carrying things for hundreds of feet, miles all over the jobsite throughout the day. When do…