Hydraulic press sheetmetal shear

[whateg01]

Thinking about buying a shear for up to 16 ga crs. I have a harbor freight 3-in-1 that I use a bit, but it's not heavy enough for a lot of what I do. So I'm planning to build a 24" press brake attachment for the 50T press. Why not a shear also? I see 36" stomp shears heavy enough for 16 for around a grand, which I don't think is bad, but where would I put it. I know that no matter what I end up with there will be a job heavier or bigger. But I do more with narrower 11 ga stuff than I do wide 18 ga. So what about a shear I can stick in the press and cut 11 or maybe even heavier? I think I could source blades easy enough, even if I found an old broken stomp shear for cheap just for the blades. (I found out last week that we got rid of the one at work because it was "broken"!) I've looked around online and the only things I see for is in a press are geared more for shearing structural shapes. Anybody done this? I would ask if I'm a fool for thinking about it, but I already think I know that answer.

 

[cvairwerks]

Go with either a bench shear or a Beverly Throatless and you will be much happier.

 

[whateg01]

Go with either a bench shear or a Beverly Throatless and you will be much happier.

I have a throat less that I use occasionally but it doesn't really like anything above 14. I'm not sure I could cut a straight line 24" long on it either

 

[rsanter]

Look into an iron worker
They have attachments that will bend and cut

You may find a deal on one or can copy what they did

 

[whateg01]

I have been looking at ironworker too, mainly for the ability to pinch holes. But to shear a 24" piece of sheetmetal I have to get a big un.

The project I'm working on now that prompted me to think more about this has a bunch of 14 ga pieces about 24x20. Cutting them all on the throatless *****. The 3 in 1 isn't really heavy enough for it. It is possible it could do it but I don't really want to break it trying. I know they can be broken because I've seen it.

 

[cvairwerks]

Some of the 12" bench shears will cut up to 7 gauge sheet.

 

[whateg01]

Some of the 12" bench shears will cut up to 7 gauge sheet.

that doesn't help me with a 24" long cut

 

[Kscardsfan]

I’d be willing to bet you can find a good sized shear being put to pasture as surplus in the ICT pretty easily.

 

[whateg01]

I’d be willing to bet you can find a good sized shear being put to pasture as surplus in the ICT pretty easily.

I've been watching ICT, OKC, KC, and DFW for the past month. I have found lighter ones. There's one in Benton that would do 18. Or there are some $10,000 52" machines that might do thicker, but I haven't called on those. For less than a fortune, I can either buy something lightweight but wide or heavy but narrow. Combine wide and heavy and the price goes up fast.

 

[cvairwerks]

that doesn't help me with a 24" long cut

A bench shear won't do 24" in a single cut, but since it's throatless, it will do it in 3 hits. 11 gauge in a floor shear is going to be a a power shear, so several kilobucks in cost, even for used.

 

[neophyte]

There are portable hand held power shears and nibblers.
14 gauge is one of the standard “medium” gauges the shears can handle in mild steel.
The shears and nibblers can be run against a straight edge
Some types, such as the strip cut shears can even have a parallel fence attached to the shear.
Nibblers and strip cut shears remove material, do there is a certain amount of waste.
There are also power shears with only two blades, that don’t remove a sacrificial material kerf, but those are sometimes limited by how wide a strip can be cut, since they have to bend material up and down on either side while cutting, and this type of shear is more likely to deform material.
For heavier material, 10 gauge mild steel is usually the next step up in thickness from 14 gauge.

Shears - DRACO Tools

www.dracotools.com

Shear cutting | TRUMPF

Electric shears from TRUMPF for the cutting of mild steel and stainless steel. For fast, precise, burr-free cutting.

www.trumpf.com

Nibblers | FEIN Power Tools, Inc.

This makes nibbling worry-free: spark and distortion-free with a perfect view of the work surface thanks to the chips falling down. Even when nibbling a wide variety of materials up to 5 mm thick, FEIN nibblers remain maneuverable with their compact dimensions. Changing the working direction is...

fein.com

Sheet Metal Shears | FEIN Power Tools, Inc.

When cutting becomes a curve sport: With FEIN plate shears, even tight radii are no problem. Efficient, precise and trouble-free in any position - even overhead - for fast processing of large surfaces. And all without chip formation and material loss at top speed. This is where performance and...

fein.com

Slitting Shears | FEIN Power Tools, Inc.

Chips can be tricky. With FEIN slitting shears, only a spiral chip forms. The open cutting head also allows a clear view of the cutting line - for maximum precision and cutting quality. The material remains undistorted and free of scratches. This gives you particularly clean results when cutting...

fein.com

Kett Tool Company

Kett Tool Company

kett-tool.com

Kett is the major US manufacturer of similar tools, although they don't offer a parallel guide system.

Bosch is another good example.

Nowadays, circular saws for metal would also be a good option for long straight cuts.

 

[threepiece]

I do quite a bit of sheetmetal work in my shop. Unless I was doing production shearing I would not consider buying a dedicated shear. They simply are too costly in both money and floor space to justify. on occasion I have outsourced shearing work if I don’t see fit to do it myself.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I've been watching ICT, OKC, KC, and DFW for the past month. I have found lighter ones. There's one in Benton that would do 18. Or there are some $10,000 52" machines that might do thicker, but I haven't called on those. For less than a fortune, I can either buy something lightweight but wide or heavy but narrow. Combine wide and heavy and the price goes up fast.

Watch the area up here NE of MHK too. All those trailer companies surplus off fab equipment fairly regularly.

 

[RoninB4]

-Without any sarcasm I wish you good luck finding the capability/budget balance point.

 

[txvwnut]

A bench shear won't do 24" in a single cut, but since it's throatless, it will do it in 3 hits.

Yes but the issue is keeping the cut straight. I do everything I can to keep cuts straight with my bench shear and almost always end up with an angled cut. One of these days I am going to try the This Old Tony mod and see if it really helps.

 

[cvairwerks]

Yes but the issue is keeping the cut straight. I do everything I can to keep cuts straight with my bench shear and almost always end up with an angled cut. One of these days I am going to try the This Old Tony mod and see if it really helps.

Try cutting about 75% of the length of your blades and then reset. It won't be the same as using a shear for the full cut. BTW...mine has 12" blades, so about 8-9" at a time.

 

[cannuck]

First question is how big is the throat on your 50T?? You need more than 24" to put a shear in there as there needs to be considerably beefie structure for the guides/slides. A shear doesn't cut in one location, the force you need to feed to it has to travel from side to side, so just pressing in the middle will jam the slides from assymetrical loads at start and end of cut. I have a 18 ga 50" foot shear that easily handles 16ga (I weigh in over 200) but for much fab work 1/8" is waaayyyy to heavy to cut manually. When you get to 1/4" stuff I don't think I have ever seen one under 8' to to find pieces to make a 24" accessory for your press sounds pretty unlikely.

 

[txvwnut]

Try cutting about 75% of the length of your blades and then reset. It won't be the same as using a shear for the full cut. BTW...mine has 12" blades, so about 8-9" at a time.

I do.

 

[tarbellb]

Shearing anything over 16g requires large powered equipment besides a throatless

You're better off grabbing a dedicated metal circ saw like the M18 and a straightedge

Or do what I did and buy a cheap track saw and run metal cutting blades

Good luck w the unicorn hunt

 

[PMD1966]

Thinking about buying a shear for up to 16 ga crs. I have a harbor freight 3-in-1 that I use a bit, but it's not heavy enough for a lot of what I do. So I'm planning to build a 24" press brake attachment for the 50T press. Why not a shear also? I see 36" stomp shears heavy enough for 16 for around a grand, which I don't think is bad, but where would I put it. I know that no matter what I end up with there will be a job heavier or bigger. But I do more with narrower 11 ga stuff than I do wide 18 ga. So what about a shear I can stick in the press and cut 11 or maybe even heavier? I think I could source blades easy enough, even if I found an old broken stomp shear for cheap just for the blades. (I found out last week that we got rid of the one at work because it was "broken"!) I've looked around online and the only things I see for is in a press are geared more for shearing structural shapes. Anybody done this? I would ask if I'm a fool for thinking about it, but I already think I know that answer.

Years ago, the plant I worked in had a shear that would cut 3/8" diamond plate. Might find a used one.

 

[readhead]

I use a metal blade in my 6 1/2” circular saw and have cut 3/8”. It is no trouble at all to run it against a straight edge.

 

[whateg01]

A bench shear won't do 24" in a single cut, but since it's throatless, it will do it in 3 hits. 11 gauge in a floor shear is going to be a a power shear, so several kilobucks in cost, even for used.

Not interested in using the bench shear for this. For one off stuff, it's fine. But when you have several parts to make, especially several parts that are supposed to be the same, cutting by hand is less than ideal. And yeah, power. Hence the hydraulic press part of this equation.

There are portable hand held power shears and nibblers.

I have both and have used both. The nibbler is great for odd shapes with a template. Mine will only do 18 ga, I believe. The hand held power shear is also limited to 18 ga.

There are also power shears with only two blades, that don’t remove a sacrificial material kerf, but those are sometimes limited by how wide a strip can be cut, since they have to bend material up and down on either side while cutting, and this type of shear is more likely to deform material.

This is the type I have.

14 gauge is one of the standard “medium” gauges the shears can handle in mild steel.

I do see some larger machines that list 14 as the capacity. But it seems when you get above 16, the price starts to climb.

Watch the area up here NE of MHK too. All those trailer companies surplus off fab equipment fairly regularly.

I have my search area setup for 150 mile radius, I think. So either KC or Wichita should catch it.

-Without any sarcasm I wish you good luck finding the capability/budget balance point.

That's the tough part. I am the posterchild for champagne on a beer budget. That's why I am looking to build something that will meet my needs, but won't cost several thousand dollars.

First question is how big is the throat on your 50T?? You need more than 24" to put a shear in there as there needs to be considerably beefie structure for the guides/slides. A shear doesn't cut in one location, the force you need to feed to it has to travel from side to side, so just pressing in the middle will jam the slides from assymetrical loads at start and end of cut.

I know how they work. I don't know the tonnage to shear 24" of 11 ga all at once, but it is probably pretty high. The throat is 26+. I plan on using 3/4" plate for the ends. The bigger issue, as you describe, is the fact that the cut moves across the work. Large mechanical shears and press brakes use a flywheel and a big pulley to slow down the motor, but the side effect of having both ends of the shear linked like that is that the whole upper blade moves at once. I intend to use a setup like a sway bar on a car to achieve the same synchronization.

I have a 18 ga 50" foot shear that easily handles 16ga (I weigh in over 200) but for much fab work 1/8" is waaayyyy to heavy to cut manually.

Hydraulics...

Shearing anything over 16g requires large powered equipment besides a throatless

Hydraulics...

You're better off grabbing a dedicated metal circ saw like the M18 and a straightedge

I use a metal blade in my 6 1/2” circular saw and have cut 3/8”. It is no trouble at all to run it against a straight edge.

Nowadays, circular saws for metal would also be a good option for long straight cuts.

I was looking at these over the weekend, but didn't pull the trigger.

I don't NEED a heavier shear. I have a plasma cutter that works. But the sheared edge requires no debur or cleanup afterward. It also doesn't require me to drag out the plasma cutter and hose and put it all away or a fire watch.

 

[NUTTSGT]

A dedicated shear is going to take up floor space and a bit of it. About the only way to get around that part (for a dedicated shear) is to put it on casters and shove it against the wall.

Have you searched Govdeals in your area ? Another option is HGR, but you would have to get it shipped.... Maybe offset costs.

 

[cannuck]

I know how they work. I don't know the tonnage to shear 24" of 11 ga all at once, but it is probably pretty high. The throat is 26+. I plan on using 3/4" plate for the ends. The bigger issue, as you describe, is the fact that the cut moves across the work. Large mechanical shears and press brakes use a flywheel and a big pulley to slow down the motor, but the side effect of having both ends of the shear linked like that is that the whole upper blade moves at once. I intend to use a setup like a sway bar on a car to achieve the same synchronization.

You are telling us you know how they work and in the same breath describe exactly how they do NOT work. Yes, the top element moves all at once but the blade is at an angle, not flat. Thus the cut progresses as I tried to explain from one side to the other. NO blade shear I have ever seen cuts all at once. What I have seen and could work for you is a top blade that is pointed so cut starts in the middle and progresses as 2 separate cuts outwards to ends. Problem is you need 2x the hydraulic power to sustain the cut that in a normal slanted blade requires for the thickness and hardness of the material.

 

[whateg01]

...is the fact that the cut moves across the work.

...both ends of the shear linked like that is that the whole upper blade moves at once. I intend to use a setup like a sway bar on a car to achieve the same synchronization.

You are telling us you know how they work and in the same breath describe exactly how they do NOT work. Yes, the top element moves all at once but the blade is at an angle, not flat. Thus the cut progresses as I tried to explain from one side to the other. NO blade shear I have ever seen cuts all at once. What I have seen and could work for you is a top blade that is pointed so cut starts in the middle and progresses as 2 separate cuts outwards to ends. Problem is you need 2x the hydraulic power to sustain the cut that in a normal slanted blade requires for the thickness and hardness of the material.

Where did I say that it shears the whole width at once?

 

[txvwnut]

I like the OP's idea of a shear that can be put in an existing press as that way you can have a shear not have another piece of equipment on the floor. Now the issue with that will be the weight of the attachment. I have one of Swag Offroads brakes for my 20T press and it probably weighs 40 pounds or so. A shear made the proper way will probably weigh 80 pounds or considerably more making it a workout to move it from the press to wherever it gets stored.

 

[whateg01]

A dedicated shear is going to take up floor space and a bit of it. About the only way to get around that part (for a dedicated shear) is to put it on casters and shove it against the wall.

Have you searched Govdeals in your area ? Another option is HGR, but you would have to get it shipped.... Maybe offset costs.

The goal, if it is a hydraulic press accessory, is that it would live under the bed of the press when not in use. (along with the press brake attachment, and everything else that migrates there)

 

[whateg01]

I like the OP's idea of a shear that can be put in an existing press as that way you can have a shear not have another piece of equipment on the floor. Now the issue with that will be the weight of the attachment. I have one of Swag Offroads brakes for my 20T press and it probably weighs 40 pounds or so. A shear made the proper way will probably weigh 80 pounds or considerably more making it a workout to move it from the press to wherever it gets stored.

Chainfall or electric hoist will lift it into place. I suspect that to cut 24" of 11 ga, it'll be well north of your 80# estimate.

 

[cannuck]

Where did I say that it shears the whole width at once?

in your words: " I don't know the tonnage to shear 24" of 11 ga all at once, " An angled blade does not cut "all at once", it is a cut the progresses over time/stroke. I think you just used the words inappropriately.

Agree you can use a shaft with lever arms at each end while you press pushed on a 3rd central lever. If you are doing this, you could extend the center lever to give mechanical advantage to the shorter end levers and links (to accommodate the arc of the levers). As you can start to appreciate this is going to be an extremely large and heavy device. The cutting plane could well be outside of your press (from offset of levers in the torsion shaft). You will also need a table with guides if you want easily squared handling.

 

[whateg01]

in your words: " I don't know the tonnage to shear 24" of 11 ga all at once, " An angled blade does not cut "all at once", it is a cut the progresses over time/stroke. I think you just used the words inappropriately.

I was pointing out that I know the cut is at an angle that goes from one end to the other because to shear the whole edge at once would require a huge amount of force.