Sheet Metal Equipment - How to get started

[bullnerd]

I worked in a small shop that had just about every DiAcro sheet metal tool!

We made small prototype parts for non-destructive testing.

Love Di Acro tools.

Someday I will own some for my own shop.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Dennis, looking at the manual online, the top "tees" come off by pulling them and the upper shaft and the vertical shafts out of the base assembly. The upper "tees" should then come off the main shaft, hopefully with the bearings staying on the shaft. Each of the vertical shafts should have a nut on the bottom of the base.

Yeah, my son and I took the nuts off the bottom, and tried driving it out from there (with the shear on its side). The left side would have come all the way out ~ it was loose for most of the way.. and even went into the base casting about an inch, but the right side binds up once the threads where the nut goes makes its way into the base casting / hole ~ flush. We kept the shaft ends flush a first and the right side just stops. Its had obviously been driven on with a pin driver before (nicked up but not mushroomed.. and is bound tight (we used tool makers jacks and the side nuts on the base casting, as well as the overarm itself and no effect). So, still noodling options. The top of the be T arms (shaft bearing assembly) have a tremendous amount of hammer damage where it appears it was reassembled after the line was re-welded.

I will probably put the table back on and use a height gage and an indicator to determine if the overarm shaft is bent and maybe see if I can take enough of a measurement to determine if the shaft bearing assembly is bent any (T arms).. I don't want to force it if I don't have to.. so I'll study options and try all until they're exhausted. I have all the time I need..... all summer if needed.. I may eventually find someone with a press to see if it would come apart that way..

 

[matt_i]

Arbor press is the way to go imo. A bottle jack press can substitute but it lacks "feel". It is possible you may be able to setup a framework and use a pressure screw (screw + nut) to do the same work.

If you see hammer damage from direct blows and gouging from pins and or chisels there's bound to be mushrooming or torn/folded metal occluding a smooth fit.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Good point Matt I... I'll double check that too..... Thx

 

[Damon L.]

Try not to remove the shaft bearings (T castings) from the posts if at all possible. The bores were finish machined after they were assembled with the posts to ensure perpendicularity.

After the nuts were removed, they should push out from the bottom of the shear. It's possible that they rusted into place, so I would try penetrating oil or the like before I hammered or pressed too hard. I would hate to crack the base castings. The post/casting interface is fairly tight tolerance.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. I should be able to help.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Try not to remove the shaft bearings (T castings) from the posts if at all possible. The bores were finish machined after they were assembled with the posts to ensure perpendicularity.

After the nuts were removed, they should push out from the bottom of the shear. It's possible that they rusted into place, so I would try penetrating oil or the like before I hammered or pressed too hard. I would hate to crack the base castings. The post/casting interface is fairly tight tolerance.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. I should be able to help.

Thanks Damon.. Looks like the damage has been done. The 3/4" handle was bent.. you can see it on the front of the first picture on the table.. I suspect the cross shaft is bent or partially sheared or ?? Anyway.. I'll monkey with it a bit more without putting pressure on anything. The link was broken and repair welded.. I have replacements. Might be interesting to see how it comes apart. It must have once upon a time.....

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Alright.. found that the right side "T" was backward (as cast surface on the cam of the main shaft). I suspect that was what had it in a bind. I had to drive it out with a brass bar, didnt damage anything.. did it about 1/8" per side at a time.. and eventually got it out. Now to inspect and check for bent or out of square items..

The T shaft is screwed into the T casting, so I need to figure out how to disassemble them so I can chase the threads on the lathe to clean them up, or come up with a 1x14 die.....

Damon you were right, some corrosion in there too, that didnt help matters, although it was oily, it was obviously not that way before I started to douse it with PB Blaster....

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[whtbaron]

sheet metal workers, is it brake or break?

Brake...unless you are sitting on it and drinking coffee...

 

[Damon L.]

The T shaft is screwed into the T casting, so I need to figure out how to disassemble them so I can chase the threads on the lathe to clean them up, or come up with a 1x14 die.....

I would not take the bearings off the posts unless you needed to replace the bearing for some reason. If they aren't installed in exactly the same position, they may lose the perpendicularity with the posts that was originally machined into them.

Just because the handle is bent does not mean anything else is necessarily. If someone was hanging off the handle with the machine against the stops, that would do it.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I would not take the bearings off the posts unless you needed to replace the bearing for some reason. If they aren't installed in exactly the same position, they may lose the perpendicularity with the posts that was originally machined into them.

Just because the handle is bent does not mean anything else is necessarily. If someone was hanging off the handle with the machine against the stops, that would do it.

Thanks.. The one shaft was already loose... I suspect that's what caused the misalignment and difficulty...

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Weather is starting to warm up here.. garage time will increase. I've been busy in MSP these last few weeks, but hope to spend more time at home on the shear....

 

[jdwilson44]

Dennis,
There are deals out there if you know the market, what you are looking for, and how much you're willing to pay. I seem to find a good deal on something I need a couple of times a year; not every week. Just for encouragement, here are some of the better ones:
Powermatic 1150 drill press $75
DiAcro five station sheetmetal work table from a school 12" shear, finger break and slip roll plus a corner notcher and #0 bender $400
DiAcro 24" B&P break $250
Large tote full of aircraft SM tools, riveting equipment etc $75
52" JET stomp shear unused $700
HECK Trace A Punch $100 Needed new punch and die set so really $200
Roper-Whitney 218 punch with stand $175
#2 beverly shear $200. I use it a lot just because it's pleasant to use
KAMA 996 swiveling cut off saw $229 (and a lot of clean up) It's a great saw.
!0" Taiwan metal lathe $200

Point being, there is stuff out there if you look diligently. You are in a part of the country where the kind of stuff you are looking for should be pretty plentiful. Good luck on your quest.

Geezus - a Kama 996 saw for $229? That's a total steal, right now adding a bandsaw is on my short list and those go for around $3500 new

To answer the OP's question - and reiterate what a number of other people have said: be persistent, and know what you're looking for and you'll find deals.

I've scored a few over the years . I put together a Lincoln Mobiflex 400 welding fume extractor for a grand total of about $1200 a couple of years ago. Bought the unit with the long arm cheap from Ebay - sold the long arm - and then found a short arm (fits in my garage better) for cheap money.

I just picked up a pallet load of brand new Bessey 10" and 12" welding clamps for $200. Again some guy on Ebay who didn't know what he had.

I picked up a Diacro #4 bender a couple of years back - brand new - for $1500.

Got a LandPride 60" mower for the back of my tractor a few years back for $500. Not new - but in decent shape , for something that normally goes for about $1400 used in this area.

To get deals you've got to look around - and sometimes be willing to piece things together. You'll find companies selling equipment that don't know what it is - or just want it gone. You'll find people selling equipment that is "broken" - and in reality just needs a part replaced.

I think searching for cheap stuff is a skill. To learn it you've got to start doing it.

 

[joe49]

What type of band saw you looking for vertical or horizontal?

 

[jdwilson44]

What type of band saw you looking for vertical or horizontal?

Horizontal.

What I *really* want is a mitering bandsaw like a Jet J-9225, Hyd Mech DM-6, Grizzly G0614, Baileigh BS-250M, Ellis 1500 or 1600.......... something like that.

For the short run I could get done what I need to get done with just a straight horizontal though. I've been going back and forth on whether I just should just go for "cheap for now" and find straight horizontal just to get me a saw that will hold me over until I can find what I ultimately want (the pivoting miter saw).

 

[ez-duzit]

Get a good mitering bandsaw like the Ellis 1600.

Here's my Vectrax, in the left foreground, which is identical to the Baileigh. Has the gearhead speed change, no belts.

 

[matt_i]

Bandsaw and sheetmetal are a blade killing combination which attacks thru your wallet

Since we are digressing into vertical bandsaws, the Powermatic 87 is a nice saw if you can find it and the gold standard imo is a DoAll 2013 series.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Good discussion on bandsaws... .... no need to worry about digressing... all good here.....

 

[ez-duzit]

...Since we are digressing into vertical bandsaws...

I haven't seen this.