I want to start acquiring some sheet metal fabrication equipment but I have absolutely no prior experience with using any of it. I've been poking around on ebay and craigslist and I see a lot of the older equipment (Pexto, Diacro, etc.) is available second hand and I've also been looking at new import stuff on various sites. A lot of the new import stuff looks like copies of the older U.S. made stuff so my questions are:
1) In regard to the older U.S. made punch presses, was there any industry standard for the sizes of the punches and dies so a punch and die set from one manufacturer would fit the press of another manufacturer?...Or if I buy a particular make and model am I commited to scrounging for the punches and dies of that particular make and model only?
2) Is there any interchangability between the older U.S. made punches and dies with the newer import punch presses?
Also, I should add that I am refering to the manual presses (lever & foot operated).
1) In regard to the older U.S. made punch presses, was there any industry standard for the sizes of the punches and dies so a punch and die set from one manufacturer would fit the press of another manufacturer?...Or if I buy a particular make and model am I commited to scrounging for the punches and dies of that particular make and model only?
2) Is there any interchangability between the older U.S. made punches and dies with the newer import punch presses?
Also, I should add that I am refering to the manual presses (lever & foot operated).
Last edited: