[TheForge] old tool

[ries]

Mike
 I would love to have 8 of em- but even in the seventies, when I first discovered them, they were going for a hundred apiece around here, and, frankly, how often do you need to roll an edge over a wire?
I got a great deal on my 622, at a shop that was closing, around a hundred bucks, and then ordered new dies from Pexto, which, in about 1990, were still 20 or 30 bucks a pair. 
There isnt hardly any used sheet metal equipment where I live- there never was much, and its in high demand. 
So you never see anything but late model import stuff used.

I dont use my machine that much, but when I do, I am sure happy to have it. 
I often do stiffening ribs with it on sheet metal shelves, or ogees, or crimping, for ornamental stuff. 
Cant say I build any ductwork from scratch, though.

I always found sheet metal to be an interesting, and logical, trade, and since geometry was my best math subject, I took to it naturally. 
I have a big finger brake, a couple of sizes of slip rolls, a few punches, the rotary machine, and lots of hand tools- never found a good deal on a shear, but I use my 4x8 plasma machine for that if its too big to use my old wiss bulldog snips on. 
The same place I got the rotary machine, I got a 24" throat Whitney punch- it will punch an inch and half hole in 16gage, and with the deep throat, its mighty handy.
I would prefer a rotary punch, like an old Thor or a Rotex, but I have never seen one for sale on the West Coast for under $1500, and most are closer to three grand.

I would guess all of that stuff is cheaper and more plentiful in Milwaukee.

The one sheet metal tool I always wanted was a Roper Whitney Radius Master- its more of a fab tool, I guess- its a machine that has dies to cut radiused corners in steel up to 1/8" thick or so, in about a dozen different radiuses, from 1/8" to 1". 
Another tool you wouldnt use that often, but when you need it, it sure would be handy.

ries



On Jun 30, 2011, at 9:26 AM, CGRAF wrote:

On 6/30/2011 10:24 AM, ries wrote:
> Actually, for the last 50 years or so, we just call this whole category of sheet metal machine a "rotary machine", and Roper Whitney, which now owns Pexto, is the last big US manufacturer.
> Jet, and other importers from the far east sell these too.
> In the old days, when they really were only fifteen bucks, a sheet metal shop would have 8 or 10 of these, each with different dies.
> Now, since they start at closer to $500, you generally buy ONE machine, and multiple dies.
> 
> I have a deep throat, Pexto 622, shown here-
> http://roperwhitney.com/beading/1-67.cfm
> 
> and you can do all kinds of things with it. Beading, flanging, burring, ogees, and so on.
> 
> But its not really good for putting a flange on 1 1/2" tubing. As mentioned, the rolls are too big.
> 
> Ries
> 

Ries,
I wonder what year that catalog was from.
I am guessing 1900-15.
I think the $500 now might be a better deal.

I have the eight or so of them in the shop AND drawers of dies.
Most of these have had no use in many years.
Ever since it became cheaper to but pipe and fittings for HVAC work 
there is little use for a tool to make smoke stops or clinch lock pipes.
I still use some for decorative architectural stuff, but there is 
usually no need to change the dies.

Still, I keep them. Just knowing I can duplicate most anything, using 
original tooling has some advantage.

Mike Graf

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Ries Niemi
Industrial Artist
http://www.riesniemi.com/