TinnerFlow™
Search what the tool does, why to use it, when to use it, and what not to use it for. Built for duct install, sheet metal, supports, flex, sealing, testing, equipment, and jobsite safety.
Pool/natatorium air, chemical air, high humidity, coastal air, and wet exhaust areas can attack duct supports and hardware. Check material, coating, isolation, stainless hardware, anti-seize, and corrosion signs before cover.
Use OWL to calculate rectangular duct offset angle/travel or round/spiral pipe-style rolling offsets before you cut, order, or ask the foreman.
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Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Calculates rectangular duct offset angle/travel and round/spiral rolling offset travel.
When: Use before laying out, cutting, ordering, or asking about duct offsets.
Do not: Do not use it as approval to reroute, cut, or modify; verify drawings, fitting takeoffs, shop standards, and foreman direction.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cut sheet metal by hand.
When: Small cuts, trimming slips/drives, notching, and light-gauge field modifications.
Do not: Do not use them to force heavy gauge, cut energized/unknown material, or make unapproved field changes.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cut sheet metal while keeping your hand above the material.
When: Long cuts, overhead cuts, and duct already in place.
Do not: Do not use them as a pry tool or to cut material beyond their rating.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cut short, tough, heavier sheet-metal sections.
When: Short heavy cuts, tight corners, and thicker connector areas.
Do not: Do not use them when the cut needs a long clean straight line.
Group: Cutting tools
What: General cutting for packaging, tape, insulation facing, and light trim.
When: Opening materials, cutting tape, trimming vapor barrier, and small non-metal tasks.
Do not: Do not use dull blades or use it for metal cuts it was not made for.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cut duct liner, flex jacket, insulation, and wrap.
When: Flex duct, duct wrap, internal liner, and vapor barrier work.
Do not: Do not use it to cut metal duct or to hack at installed components.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cuts controlled round holes in sheet metal duct.
When: Spin-ins, collars, branch takeoffs, and approved field holes.
Do not: Do not cut holes before verifying location, system, size, and approval.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cuts circular holes through sheet metal, wood, drywall, or panels.
When: Small penetrations, control holes, drains, conduit, or approved accessory openings.
Do not: Do not drill blind into rated assemblies, hidden utilities, or unknown wall/roof areas.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Enlarges holes in sheet metal in steps.
When: Pilot holes, small penetrations, controls, and accessory holes.
Do not: Do not oversize holes or use it as a substitute for verified layout.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cuts rough openings, demo material, and old supports.
When: Removing old duct, cutting supports, and opening access where approved.
Do not: Do not use it for clean finish duct cuts or near hidden utilities without verification.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cuts or grinds metal quickly.
When: Only where allowed, with PPE, fire watch, and protected surroundings.
Do not: Do not use near insulation, grease duct, finished surfaces, or hot-work restricted areas without approval.
Group: Cutting tools
What: Cuts threaded rod, unistrut, and support steel.
When: Hanger rods, strut, brackets, and trapeze support pieces.
Do not: Do not use it without securing material or checking cut length twice.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Bends, straightens, and adjusts sheet-metal edges.
When: S-and-drive joints, tabs, slips, edges, small offsets, and field tweaks.
Do not: Do not use it to force a bad layout into place instead of fixing alignment.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Bends sheet metal in tighter spots.
When: Overhead bends, tight duct edges, tabs, and small field adjustments.
Do not: Do not over-bend flanges or rated/access components.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Makes straight bends and hems in sheet metal.
When: Flashings, hems, tabs, small duct mods, and field-fab pieces.
Do not: Do not use it to create unapproved fittings that change airflow or clearance.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Bends sheet metal more accurately in the field.
When: Pans, flashings, small transitions, and simple field-fab parts.
Do not: Do not use it to replace required shop fabrication or engineered fittings.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Reduces one end of round duct so it slips into another.
When: Round pipe, fittings, couplers, and field-made male ends.
Do not: Do not crimp exposed spiral where finish appearance matters without approval.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Power-assisted crimper for repeated round duct work.
When: Repeated round duct crimps and higher-volume install.
Do not: Do not over-crimp or damage fitting shape.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Pulls rectangular duct ends together for alignment.
When: S-and-drive, rectangular duct, and flange alignment when pieces are close but not seated.
Do not: Do not use it to hide bad layout, wrong dimensions, or unsupported duct.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Temporarily holds duct sections while fastening.
When: Overhead joints, flanged duct, rectangular sections, and awkward fittings.
Do not: Do not leave temporary clamps as permanent support.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Cuts controlled notches in sheet metal.
When: Tabs, slip/drive prep, corners, small field-fab pieces.
Do not: Do not notch structural reinforcement, rated parts, or grease duct without approval.
Group: Forming & duct connection tools
What: Makes holes in sheet metal without drilling.
When: Fastener holes, accessory holes, and layout holes where access allows.
Do not: Do not punch unknown/rated/high-risk components without approval.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Measures duct, offsets, hangers, and field dimensions.
When: Before cutting, drilling, ordering, hanging, or field modifying.
Do not: Do not trust memory measurements or measure from the wrong reference point.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Stiff measuring tool for tight spaces.
When: Ceiling grids, openings, tight corners, and short checks.
Do not: Do not use it when a longer verified reference is needed.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Measures long distances quickly.
When: Long duct runs, room spans, shaft-to-wall checks, and repeated dimensions.
Do not: Do not trust it through clutter, glass, angled surfaces, or bad reference points.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Projects level/plumb lines.
When: Hanger layout, duct elevations, equipment alignment, and ceiling coordination.
Do not: Do not ignore print elevation or use it from an unverified benchmark.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Checks small parts level/plumb.
When: Strut, rods, brackets, dampers, access doors, and short duct sections.
Do not: Do not use it as the only check on long runs.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Measures slope and angle.
When: Grease/exhaust slope, roof curbs, offset layout, and angled transitions.
Do not: Do not guess slope where code/spec/AHJ requirements apply.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Snaps long straight layout lines.
When: Hanger rows, floor layout, wall lines, and long duct runs.
Do not: Do not snap lines from the wrong grid/control point.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Transfers points vertically.
When: Deck-to-floor layout, floor-to-ceiling layout, risers, and sleeves.
Do not: Do not use when wind/air movement makes it unreliable.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Marks duct, steel, and layout points.
When: Cut lines, hanger marks, piece labels, and install notes.
Do not: Do not mark finished/exposed surfaces without checking cleanability.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Checks square and lays out cuts.
When: Sheet metal, strut, supports, and rectangular layout.
Do not: Do not assume a duct edge is square before checking.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Marks circles and arcs.
When: Collars, takeoffs, and round penetrations.
Do not: Do not lay out holes before confirming system and location.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Drives screws, bolts, and fasteners quickly.
When: Sheet-metal screws, brackets, flanges, supports, and access doors.
Do not: Do not strip hardware, overdrive screws, or use where torque control matters.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Drills holes and drives fasteners with control.
When: Pilot holes, bits, hole saws, anchors, and delicate fastening.
Do not: Do not drill blind into deck, walls, rated assemblies, or hidden utilities.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Drills concrete or masonry for anchors.
When: Hanger anchors, brackets, seismic supports, and concrete attachments.
Do not: Do not drill concrete/deck without checking approved anchor, depth, and embedded hazards.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Drive sheet-metal screws and nuts.
When: Duct screws, flange hardware, access doors, and brackets.
Do not: Do not leave screws loose or drive screws into damper blades/access areas.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Tightens nuts and bolts.
When: Flanges, anchors, equipment connections, and supports.
Do not: Do not use wrong-size sockets or leave anchors under-tightened.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Holds and tightens nuts/bolts.
When: Threaded rod, supports, equipment, flanges, and brackets.
Do not: Do not substitute pliers on hardware that needs proper tightening.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: General backup wrench.
When: Service hardware, brackets, and support adjustments.
Do not: Do not use it where a proper wrench/socket is required for final tightening.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Tightens to specified torque.
When: Manufacturer-required hardware, anchors, equipment, and some fittings.
Do not: Do not guess torque where a spec requires a number.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Cuts all-thread cleanly.
When: Hanger rods and trapeze supports.
Do not: Do not cut rods too short or leave burrs/sharp ends.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Cuts strut for support assemblies.
When: Trapeze hangers, equipment supports, and brackets.
Do not: Do not cut without measuring support width including insulation clearance.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Sets approved anchors properly.
When: Drop-in anchors, wedge anchors, and approved support anchors.
Do not: Do not use the wrong anchor or skip manufacturer instructions.
Group: Sealing & leakage tools
What: Applies sealant from tubes.
When: Collars, seams, small joints, equipment connections, and penetrations.
Do not: Do not use unapproved sealant or seal over dirty/loose joints.
Group: Sealing & leakage tools
What: Applies duct mastic.
When: Seams, takeoffs, collars, corners, and leakage points.
Do not: Do not smear mastic over a bad mechanical connection and call it fixed.
Group: Sealing & leakage tools
What: Spreads sealant/mastic into corners and gaps.
When: Flanges, seams, patched holes, and corners.
Do not: Do not use it to hide big gaps that need metal repair/fastening.
Group: Sealing & leakage tools
What: Seals approved duct or insulation joints.
When: Vapor barrier seams, insulation seams, or approved duct sealing applications.
Do not: Do not use random tape where mastic, gasket, or listed sealant is required.
Group: Sealing & leakage tools
What: Presses tape down evenly.
When: Foil tape, vapor barrier tape, and insulation seams.
Do not: Do not skip surface prep before rolling tape.
Group: Sealing & leakage tools
What: Cleans metal before sealing.
When: Before mastic, tape, gasket, adhesive, or labels.
Do not: Do not seal over dust, oil, shavings, or wet surfaces unless approved.
Group: Sealing & leakage tools
What: Shows air movement and leaks.
When: Leakage checks, return leaks, airflow paths, and smoke movement checks.
Do not: Do not use it as a substitute for required pressure testing/TAB.
Group: Flex & insulation tools
What: Cuts flex jacket, liner, and insulation.
When: Cutting flex duct to length.
Do not: Do not use it to cut metal collars or supports.
Group: Flex & insulation tools
What: Cuts the flex wire helix.
When: Flex duct ends and wire helix trimming.
Do not: Do not leave sharp wire ends exposed.
Group: Flex & insulation tools
What: Tightens flex straps evenly.
When: Inner liner/collar connections where zip ties are specified.
Do not: Do not crush the flex collar or only tie the outer jacket.
Group: Flex & insulation tools
What: Tightens draw bands on flex duct.
When: Flex collar connections and boots.
Do not: Do not use tape alone instead of mechanical fastening.
Group: Flex & insulation tools
What: Cuts duct wrap/insulation cleanly.
When: Duct wrap, insulation blanket, and vapor barrier work.
Do not: Do not cut too deep into liner, duct, or hidden components.
Group: Flex & insulation tools
What: Presses vapor barrier tape seams tight.
When: Duct wrap seams and vapor barrier repairs.
Do not: Do not leave vapor barrier tears open.
Group: Flex & insulation tools
What: Straightens bent coil fins.
When: RTUs, coils, condensers, and damaged fins.
Do not: Do not dig into coils or damage tubes.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Cuts copper tubing cleanly.
When: Refrigerant linesets, copper tubing, and small piping.
Do not: Do not use a hacksaw when a clean sealed system cut is required.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Removes burrs inside tubing.
When: After cutting copper tubing.
Do not: Do not skip deburring before joining/brazing/flaring.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Bends copper without kinking.
When: Refrigerant piping, VRF, mini-split linesets.
Do not: Do not hand-bend too tight and kink the tube.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Forms flare connections.
When: Equipment with flare fittings.
Do not: Do not flare dirty, crooked, cracked, or un-deburred tubing.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Expands tubing end for same-size joining.
When: Copper tube prep before brazing.
Do not: Do not swage without cleaning/deburring and approval.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Brazes copper joints.
When: Refrigerant piping where brazed joints are specified.
Do not: Do not braze without fire safety, nitrogen purge when required, and qualification.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Controls nitrogen pressure.
When: Leak tests, pressure tests, and brazing purge setup.
Do not: Do not over-pressurize or use without correct procedure/spec.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Reads system pressures and connects hoses.
When: Charging, recovery, pressure checks, evacuation setup.
Do not: Do not vent refrigerant or guess charge from pressure alone.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Digital pressure/temperature readings and calculations.
When: Charging, superheat/subcool checks, and documentation.
Do not: Do not trust readings without proper probes and system conditions.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Removes air/moisture from refrigerant systems.
When: Evacuation after pressure test/repair.
Do not: Do not charge without proper evacuation and micron verification.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Measures deep vacuum level.
When: During evacuation of refrigerant systems.
Do not: Do not rely only on manifold gauge vacuum reading.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Removes refrigerant from a system.
When: Before opening charged systems.
Do not: Do not vent refrigerant.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Weighs refrigerant charge/recovery.
When: Charging by weight or weighing recovered refrigerant.
Do not: Do not eyeball refrigerant charge.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Detects refrigerant leaks.
When: After pressure test, suspected leak, or repair.
Do not: Do not skip pressure test/soap check where required.
Group: Refrigerant & tubing tools
What: Removes Schrader cores without losing setup.
When: Evacuation, recovery, and service work.
Do not: Do not use without understanding system pressure and valve position.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures air or surface temperature.
When: Supply/return air, equipment, and ambient checks.
Do not: Do not diagnose full system performance from one reading.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures pipe temperature.
When: Suction/liquid lines and piping checks.
Do not: Do not place on dirty/loose pipe or wrong location.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures dry bulb, wet bulb, humidity.
When: Startup, TAB support, troubleshooting, and comfort calls.
Do not: Do not use bad/uncalibrated readings for final decisions.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures air velocity.
When: Registers, grilles, openings, and quick airflow checks.
Do not: Do not treat rough velocity as final TAB unless procedure requires it.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures airflow volume at diffusers/grilles.
When: TAB, commissioning, and airflow verification.
Do not: Do not block airflow or use wrong hood setup.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures static/differential pressure.
When: Filters, coils, ducts, VAVs, and fan checks.
Do not: Do not drill test ports without approval or leave holes unsealed.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures duct velocity pressure with manometer.
When: Airflow measurement inside ducts.
Do not: Do not use in unsafe/inaccessible duct or without proper traverse method.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures RPM.
When: Startup, pulley checks, fan speed verification.
Do not: Do not touch moving parts with unsafe methods.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Measures noise level.
When: Diffusers, equipment, mechanical rooms, and occupied spaces.
Do not: Do not ignore install restrictions causing noise.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Sees inside hidden areas.
When: Before cutting/drilling, inside ducts, walls, shafts, or ceilings.
Do not: Do not use it as permission to modify without approval.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Measures voltage, resistance, and continuity.
When: Controls, transformers, motors, safeties, and equipment checks.
Do not: Do not work beyond your electrical qualification or skip lockout/test procedures.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Measures amperage without opening the circuit.
When: Motors, compressors, fans, and startup checks.
Do not: Do not clamp the wrong conductor or assume amperage explains every problem.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Detects likely live voltage.
When: Before opening panels or touching conductors.
Do not: Do not rely on it as the only proof of de-energized equipment.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Turns screws around electrical components with added protection.
When: Control panels and electrical compartments when qualified.
Do not: Do not use damaged insulation or work live without authorization.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Strips insulation from wire.
When: Thermostat wire, controls, low voltage, and equipment wiring.
Do not: Do not nick conductors or strip too much insulation.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Crimps electrical terminals/connectors.
When: Spade terminals, butt connectors, control wiring.
Do not: Do not use wrong terminal size or bad crimp pressure.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Labels wires, dampers, equipment, and access points.
When: Controls, damper locations, access doors, and QA/QC.
Do not: Do not leave hidden systems unlabeled when documentation requires it.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Turns small terminal screws.
When: Thermostats, BAS, sensors, VAV controllers.
Do not: Do not over-tighten or strip small terminals.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Raises duct into position.
When: Large rectangular duct, spiral, and overhead installs.
Do not: Do not use without stable ground, load limits, and controlled area.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Elevated work platform.
When: Overhead duct, hangers, ceiling spaces, and warehouse installs.
Do not: Do not drive/use without training, inspection, and site rules.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Reaches high/outward areas.
When: Warehouses, exterior work, high ceilings, and roof/exterior duct.
Do not: Do not use without training, harness rules, and ground hazard check.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Basic vertical access.
When: Short-duration work at appropriate height/task.
Do not: Do not overreach, use top step, or use when lift/scaffold is required.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Moves duct and material.
When: Transporting duct sections, fittings, and hardware.
Do not: Do not overload or block access/egress.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Secure material during movement/staging.
When: Transport, staging, and controlled positioning.
Do not: Do not use damaged straps or use them as permanent supports.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Pulls or lifts heavy material in controlled ways.
When: Approved rigging points and supervised heavy movement.
Do not: Do not rig to unapproved structure or improvise lifting.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Controls load movement.
When: Hoisting or lift-assist work.
Do not: Do not put yourself under the load or wrap rope around your body.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Protects finished duct and surfaces.
When: Exposed spiral, finished spaces, and tight material moves.
Do not: Do not hide damage or skip owner/architect finish requirements.
Group: Grease/high-risk tools
What: Helps locate and install access openings.
When: Only per approved system/spec/detail.
Do not: Do not cut access openings without approved door/detail/AHJ direction.
Group: Grease/high-risk tools
What: Cuts/secures fire wrap systems.
When: Grease duct/kitchen exhaust wrap and rated applications.
Do not: Do not wrap over missing access, wrong clearance, or bad duct joints.
Group: Grease/high-risk tools
What: Join duct where welded construction is required.
When: Only if qualified and approved by project requirements.
Do not: Do not weld without qualification, hot-work controls, and approved detail.
Group: Grease/high-risk tools
What: Controls hot-work risk.
When: Grinding, welding, brazing, or cutting with ignition risk.
Do not: Do not start hot work without permit/site rules/fire watch when required.
Group: Grease/high-risk tools
What: Checks hidden sides and tight clearances.
When: Before cover-up, inspection, and hard-to-see locations.
Do not: Do not inspect only the easy visible side.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Protects eyes from chips, dust, screws, and insulation.
When: Cutting, drilling, grinding, overhead work, and general site work.
Do not: Do not cut/drill/grind without eye protection.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Protects hands from sharp sheet-metal edges.
When: Handling duct, cutting, carrying, and field modification work.
Do not: Do not wear gloves where they can catch in rotating machinery.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Protects from overhead hazards.
When: Per site rules and overhead work zones.
Do not: Do not remove it in active construction zones because it is uncomfortable.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Protects hearing from loud tools/equipment.
When: Grinding, hammer drilling, cutting, and equipment rooms.
Do not: Do not wait until ears are ringing.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Protects lungs from dust/insulation/debris.
When: Dusty work, insulation, demo, and required site conditions.
Do not: Do not use the wrong mask for the hazard.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Protects knees during layout and low work.
When: Floor layout, low duct work, roof work, and kneeling tasks.
Do not: Do not let comfort gear replace proper body positioning.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Protects from falls when used correctly.
When: Lifts, roof edges, and fall-exposure work when trained/required.
Do not: Do not use without training, inspection, and approved tie-off.
Group: PPE & safety tools
What: Illuminates dark work areas.
When: Ceiling spaces, shafts, mechanical rooms, and roof/night work.
Do not: Do not work blind above ceilings or inside dark duct areas.
Group: Testing & commissioning tools
What: Uses a calibrated fan and pressure sensor to pressurize ductwork for leakage testing.
When: Pressure/leakage tests, pre-TAB verification, high-pressure duct checks, and failed leakage investigations.
Do not: Do not treat a fan reading as approval by itself; follow the test standard, spec, gauge setup, caps, blanks, and foreman/TAB direction.
Group: Measuring & layout tools
What: Projects long-distance level or elevation lines for hanger layout, sleeves, rack coordination, and long duct runs.
When: Long straight duct runs, hanger elevations, multi-bay layout, equipment pads/curbs, and repeated rod heights.
Do not: Do not ignore approved benchmarks, control points, slope requirements, or grid references just because the laser looks clean.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Repairs or cuts threads on small hardware, rod, and accessory fasteners when approved.
When: Damaged threaded rod, chased bolt threads, accessory hardware, and approved small-thread cleanup.
Do not: Do not use it to make unapproved structural connections, fake a bad anchor, or repair critical hardware without direction.
Group: Electrical & controls tools
What: Grabs, bends, and positions small wires, clips, cotter pins, and tight hardware.
When: Controls-adjacent tasks, small fasteners, pins, labels, wire ties, and tight ceiling work.
Do not: Do not use them as a wrench, pry bar, or permission to work electrical unqualified.
Group: Fastening & support tools
What: Grips nuts, couplings, straps, and awkward hardware when the exact wrench is not available.
When: Hanger hardware, collars, small threaded connections, equipment accessories, and general holding.
Do not: Do not round off hardware, crush finished duct, or use pliers where torque/specific wrenching is required.
Group: Access & material handling tools
What: Connects a rated tool tether to a tool, pouch, belt, lift rail point, or approved anchor point.
When: Lift work, roof edges, overhead work above people/finished surfaces, and sites requiring dropped-object control.
Do not: Do not improvise with string, key rings, or unrated clips; use rated components and follow site rules.