Stomp shear struggeling

[tbirkey214]

I picked up this 36-in wide 16 gauge maximum pexedo stop shear last year and I just got it in almost working order. I set the gap between the blades at a 5 to 10% of 16 gauge per what it says everywhere on the internet, and that's set at about 0.003 to 0.004. I've cut like a washer and half, but I went picked up a footlong piece of 16 gauge mild Steel and I literally have to stand on the stomp part and jump up and down four or five times just to get it to start cutting. I don't know what it means to have the blade sharp, but when I feel it to the touch it feels like a very Square end. Is anybody have any experience on this

 

[mm08822]

get some manuals from mittlerbros and grizzly for the similar equipment and also compare their inputs.

Can you cut lighter material?

Does it cut any better at different locations?

There should be 4 corners on each blade. Are other corners possibly offer better shearing edge?

 

[Firebrick43]

The corner does not look very sharp to me. Zoom in on the edge more but it looks pretty blunt, and the corrosion pitting wouldnt help.

 

[finn]

Blade is worn out

 

[cvairwerks]

Blades needs to be sharpened or replaced and gap should be set to cut a piece of .005" or so, paper.

 

[matt_i]

Not familiar with Pexto but another metal shear concept is the angle of the upper blade as compared to the lower blade. To be sure it's quite small. I think (??) I see some slotted holes in the upper blade holder.

In general, more angle reduces cutting forces as then the line of action drawn thru the cross section is working on a smaller area, but this also imparts more curl or twist into the finished pieces.

Sharp blades are key. Need someone with a long surface grinder to touch them up.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Look at the cutting edges with a magnifier and good lighting.
I sold my stomp shear after I started having knee issues to keep from compounding the problem. The max cut thickness will make you work out.

 

[PoorUB]

That blade doesn't look good to me!

We had a stomp sheer at the HVAC shop where I worked. Even with new blades cutting 16 ga would require a couple extra bounces on the foot lever. 24 ga was barely any effort.

 

[tbirkey214]

Blades needs to be sharpened or replaced and gap should be set to cut a piece of .005" or so, paper.

I used feeler guages for 4 thousandths

 

[tbirkey214]

Look at the cutting edges with a magnifier and good lighting.
I sold my stomp shear after I started having knee issues to keep from compounding the problem. The max cut thickness will make you work out.

I had a friend hold me on the stomp, then jumped as high as I could and it barely cut it. By barely I mean 2 "

 

[tbirkey214]

get some manuals from mittlerbros and grizzly for the similar equipment and also compare their inputs.

Can you cut lighter material?

Does it cut any better at different locations?

There should be 4 corners on each blade. Are other corners possibly offer better shearing edge?

I used 2 differant manuals. You can flip the blade???

 

[mm08822]

I used 2 differant manuals. You can flip the blade???

Possibly. It depends on if the blades are rectangular and symmetric mounting provisions.

Get 2 more manuals to read.

 

[tbirkey214]

All right so I found a couple other PEX to a manuals and it doesn't really say anything about setting to 5 to 10% Like The I guess common trades knowledge says to. It does say that you should be able to cut a heavy piece of paper all the way across it, now I don't know what heavy piece of paper means but I put some printer paper in there and the only way I was able to cut it is if I set the Gap to about .001. I tried my 16 gauge after that and it was just as bad

 

[gorilla]

Those blades are dull, they have four edges you may find an unused set. If not they need to be ground if they have been sharpened a lot you may need to shim under the bottom blade to make it flush with the bed.It's foolish to try to DYI this send it out to a grinding shop.

 

[mm08822]

I can't say I was liking that edge shown. If you are literally jumping like you are on a trampoline, then you have your answer. Jumping on the pedal is only going to bend things beyond recovery.

The best thing you could do as the new owner is get them professionally sharpened. At the same time that will clean up all of the rust on them.

 

[mm08822]

Call a few local sheet metal shops and ask who they use for sharpening.
BTW.....wear gloves so you don't get one of these for Father's Day.....

 

[RoninB4]

All right so I found a couple other PEX to a manuals and it doesn't really say anything about setting to 5 to 10% Like The I guess common trades knowledge says to.

-Shearing or perforating metal always requires a percentage of material thickness gap between cutting edges. It's often called "cut clearance" in some trades. The gap will also depend upon the type of material too. The gap determines how much the cutting edge will shear and/or break the material thickness (boring calculation). This affects the tonnage required, or in your case how much leg power you need. These are the same principles that apply to stamping dies.

It does say that you should be able to cut a heavy piece of paper all the way across it,

-That's merely an indicator of how sharp the cutting edges are and whether it has nicks in them or not. It's not what I would call a definitive test either. Paper is soft and will compress, metal isn't soft and doesn't compress.

now I don't know what heavy piece of paper means but I put some printer paper in there and the only way I was able to cut it is if I set the Gap to about .001.

-Setting a .001 gap is very small and also means your cutting edges have to be parallel to within .001. That's a rather ambitious test for a used shear and an unnecessary test unless you plan on cutting .003 shim stock.

I tried my 16 gauge after that and it was just as bad

-No surprise there if you left the cut clearance (gap) at .001 to cut 16 gauge. As others have posted, both top/bottom look bad and need to have sharp, continuous edges for shearing to work properly. Yes a regrind will be a bit expensive, welcome to metalworking. Touching up the edges with a hand grinder won't work well, too much variation along the length of the edges. You'll be happier and have better results with a proper re-sharpening IMO.

-A shear is a nice piece of equipment to have, wish I had one. But as with all equipment, it needs to be properly set up to work the way you want it to. This brand of shear should work nicely for you when it's ready for service, right now it isn't. Report back.

 

[tbirkey214]

Okay so I took both of the blades off and while one does feel kind of sharp the other one does feel a little dull and rounded. I'm extremely Tapped Out on cash right now, so I'm going to have to wait a little bit but I'll send these out to somebody to surface grind

 

[RoninB4]

Okay so I took both of the blades off and while one does feel kind of sharp the other one does feel a little dull and rounded.

-Even what might feel only "a little dull and rounded" can make a big difference in how it cuts. In stamping dies we often need to examine the cutting edge under magnifications to see if the cutting edge is immaculate or needs sharpening. I was a die maker for decades and I would have tried using it as is too so this isn't a knock/dig at what you're not familiar with either.

I'm extremely Tapped Out on cash right now,

-Re-locating will do that to you, been there too.

so I'm going to have to wait a little bit but I'll send these out to somebody to surface grind

-Be mindful about setting the cutting clearance (gap) after they're ground. The wrong clearance can chip the blades and that would hurt after spending the money. I'd offer to grind them for you but my surface grinder isn't big enough. Use a shop with a decent "wet" grinder, grinding them "dry" risks burning the blades and this can be hidden so that you'd never know it. Good luck.

 

[mm08822]

Go on to Tennsmith's website support page. Input your equipment nameplate details. They should be able to provide a manual or basic guidance for their adopted product.

You may also consider a hand stone to remove rust and nicks from the large faces.
I wouldn't do anything with powered tools as you could easily ruin what you have.


What you really need:

sheet metal shear blade sharpening - Search Videos

Watch videos instantly on Bing—enjoy direct playback, discover related clips, and dive into trending content all in one place.

www.bing.com

 

[tbirkey214]

-Even what might feel only "a little dull and rounded" can make a big difference in how it cuts. In stamping dies we often need to examine the cutting edge under magnifications to see if the cutting edge is immaculate or needs sharpening. I was a die maker for decades and I would have tried using it as is too so this isn't a knock/dig at what you're not familiar with either.

-Re-locating will do that to you, been there too.

-Be mindful about setting the cutting clearance (gap) after they're ground. The wrong clearance can chip the blades and that would hurt after spending the money. I'd offer to grind them for you but my surface grinder isn't big enough. Use a shop with a decent "wet" grinder, grinding them "dry" risks burning the blades and this can be hidden so that you'd never know it. Good luck.

Excellent reply. Much thanks

 

[RoninB4]

You may also consider a hand stone to remove rust and nicks from the large faces.

-I realize that you're trying to be helpful but attempting to remove nicks on a piece of hardened steel of that size with a hand stone is patently absurd advice. The only use for a hand stone on these is on the first surface to go down on the mag-chuck. Sharpening with a hand stone is only a last resort method to dig yourself out of a deadline hole. It will create an uneven edge and/or burr in the sheet metal, uneven wear in the blades, and will mean more material ground off to re-establish the edge when you do get it properly sharpened. Most people don't even have the knowledge or skill to attempt doing this last resort method. This isn't a personal attack on you. You're not familiar with the subject so you didn't know what works or why it doesn't.

 

[DaveAndStuff]

I would go 15% for mild steel, and I would oil the sheet and the shear and see what you have.

You should be able to turn the blades on a Pexto foot-shear

You likely cannot adjust the rake angle on a Pexto foot-shear

Were it me, I would remove the blades (do not drop them) and see if you have a new corner you can use.

With the blades out, I would thoroughly pressure wash the shear. Let it dry for a few days and look for cracks. Rust often seeps out of the cracks.

If no cracks, and no new corners on the blades, I'd bite the bullet and have the blades reground. Look for a shop with a Blanchard grinder.

I would check the hold-down springs as this likely need replaced. Poor hold-down often makes for a bad cut. Does the sheet pop-up when you engage the shear? If so, the springs are shot.

When gap and hold-down are correct, about half the sheared edge should be shiny, and half "broken", and minimum roll-over and burr.

 

[mm08822]

-I realize that you're trying to be helpful but attempting to remove nicks on a piece of hardened steel of that size with a hand stone is patently absurd advice. The only use for a hand stone on these is on the first surface to go down on the mag-chuck. Sharpening with a hand stone is only a last resort method to dig yourself out of a deadline hole. It will create an uneven edge and/or burr in the sheet metal, uneven wear in the blades, and will mean more material ground off to re-establish the edge when you do get it properly sharpened. Most people don't even have the knowledge or skill to attempt doing this last resort method. This isn't a personal attack on you. You're not familiar with the subject so you didn't know what works or why it doesn't.

I agree with you. There is zero control with a hand applied process. It was a looooow cost band-aide suggestion for someone who can't afford the cost at the moment to get the proper process performed. Likewise, removing the possible high-spot from a nick was the extent, not eliminating the entire crater. It was also aligned with no powered equipment as that could remove too much, too quick, and surely ruin the blades. My thinking was spend an hour max removing extreme surface rust (not 40 hours) from both faces and see if then, the required gap performed better. If the OP needs it to function now, then what else is left? (Note: I already provided the info for professional sharpening.)

Personally, if urgency were not an issue, I would start disassembly of the entire shear, remove all surface rust, note any wear points, clean it up, paint it/oil it, etc. and leave the professional blade re-sharpening til funds available.

 

[tbirkey214]

I would go 15% for mild steel, and I would oil the sheet and the shear and see what you have.

You should be able to turn the blades on a Pexto foot-shear

You likely cannot adjust the rake angle on a Pexto foot-shear

Were it me, I would remove the blades (do not drop them) and see if you have a new corner you can use.

With the blades out, I would thoroughly pressure wash the shear. Let it dry for a few days and look for cracks. Rust often seeps out of the cracks.

If no cracks, and no new corners on the blades, I'd bite the bullet and have the blades reground. Look for a shop with a Blanchard grinder.

I would check the hold-down springs as this likely need replaced. Poor hold-down often makes for a bad cut. Does the sheet pop-up when you engage the shear? If so, the springs are shot.

When gap and hold-down are correct, about half the sheared edge should be shiny, and half "broken", and minimum roll-over and burr.

Nice reply

 

[DaveAndStuff]

Nice reply

You're just saying that because it's true!

 

[DaveAndStuff]

It is worth noting that the Pexto shear was/is the standard of the industry, and it will provide a lifetime of service for you, your children, and your children's children, with a minimum of care, if set up correctly.

 

[Bodj Built]

I absolutely love my Pexto stomp shear. Most material takes me a few hops since I'm only 150# haha

 

[OccupantRJ]

I absolutely love my Pexto stomp shear. Most material takes me a few hops since I'm only 150# haha

You might have to call in a buddy! I am 185# and it was sometimes rather tough even before my knees gave issues. I eventually ended up with a power shear but it took more room in a home shop than I wanted to give up for no more often than it was used at my stage in life, so I sold it to a local friend and GJ member.

 

[tbirkey214]

It is worth noting that the Pexto shear was/is the standard of the industry, and it will provide a lifetime of service for you, your children, and your children's children, with a minimum of care, if set up correctly.

Minus the non reversible blades. That blows

 

[DaveAndStuff]

You might have to call in a buddy! I am 185# and it was sometimes rather tough even before my knees gave issues. I eventually ended up with a power shear but it took more room in a home shop than I wanted to give up for no more often than it was used at my stage in life, so I sold it to a local friend and GJ member.

They are not hard to powerize with a couple air cylinders. You can still use the foot-treadle to trip the cylinders and help push.

 

[DaveAndStuff]

Minus the non reversible blades. That blows

Your blades do not turn?

Pexto Shear Blades • Federal Knife

Pexto Shear Blades, Pexto & Wilcox foot shear, Pexto foot shear blades, Shear blade, Federal Knife Inc.,Pexto shear blade sharpening, Pexto foot shear.

federalknife.com

 

[strength_and_power]

So, I believe you are in the DFW area. Commerce Grinding is the place to go for your grinding needs from what I’ve heard from my metalworking friends

Commerce Grinding Co. – An Employee Owned & Operated Division of Lodor Enterprises, Inc.

commercegrinding.com

 

[RoninB4]

Minus the non reversible blades. That blows

-Non indexing? Just ONE edge instead of up to 4 edges per? A serious design omission by Pexto and I'd be rather disappointed too.

 

[OccupantRJ]

They are not hard to powerize with a couple air cylinders. You can still use the foot-treadle to trip the cylinders and help push.

I skipped the expense and fabrication work by buying two bottles of Crown Royal and trading them for a portable hydraulic punch unit, then traded that to a metalworker artist for the power shear, then sold the stomp shear for $350 profit.

 

[tbirkey214]

Your blades do not turn?

Pexto Shear Blades • Federal Knife

Pexto Shear Blades, Pexto & Wilcox foot shear, Pexto foot shear blades, Shear blade, Federal Knife Inc.,Pexto shear blade sharpening, Pexto foot shear.

federalknife.com

No. They're part of the casting, kind of hard to explain, but one side is flush and the other side is not so you can't even flip it around

 

[tbirkey214]

So, I believe you are in the DFW area. Commerce Grinding is the place to go for your grinding needs from what I’ve heard from my metalworking friends

Commerce Grinding Co. – An Employee Owned & Operated Division of Lodor Enterprises, Inc.

commercegrinding.com

Thanks!!!