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Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 4:31 pm
by nikkinutshop
dean466 wrote:That's a great find! My last employer had one, though smaller. It's one of those tools that's hard to do without, once you're used to using it.

Dean

My new to me finger brake is a 36 inch PEXTO. I did a litle Google time and I discovered a 24 inch model was made. This machine was in the shop of one of my first employers. That would be in about 1964 and the machine was new, if I remember. Bending wire in the brake and damaging the fingers was a fireable event. My last employeer had a 60 inch Brown Boggs box and pan brake in the body shop. I used the company brake to make 27 toolbox end cabinets on my coffee breaks and lunch breaks. The person wanting the end cabinet had to suppy the material and I did the build for $20 contribution to the coffee fund. While managment was OK with what I was doing, I did ask the foreman to change the rule and stop what I was doing. It was the cheap bastxxds who "could not bring themselves to pay" that killed my generosity. I I did build two end cabinets for my toolbox and a fitted tool tote and then I was done.
The larger end cabinet had Dutch style double doors and a roller drawer in the top section. I built a retractable cord system in the cabinet to power an espresso machine and a radio. A few of the entitled jerks were making coffee for themselves without asking or offering to pay for supplies. I took the espresso machine home and coffee time was over.

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 6:02 pm
by nikkinutshop
I have had these very big scissors since 1965+/- They are made by Peck, Stow & Wilcox Co. These were used in some sheetmetal shops for cutting something we called 10 and 3/4 ounce tinplate. These shears were more often seen in book binding shops where they were used for cutting/squaring mill-board for hard cover books.
It is time to let them go, so I posted them on Craigslist. If someone want to hang them on the wall of a man-cave, strong screws into studs must be considered. the shears weigh about 40 pounds each.
Another long time shop resident was posted to Craigslist is a NOS Walker Turner sawblade welder/grinder. I have had the WT for a very long time and used it two times for a demonstrations.

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 11:31 am
by waltesefalcon
Nikki, if I'm lucky someday I'll have the space and the time to work on an restore old tools like you do. I always enjoy seeing your projects, even the weird stuff like that blade welder/grinder.

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 12:05 pm
by dean466
nikkinutshop wrote:
dean466 wrote:That's a great find! My last employer had one, though smaller. It's one of those tools that's hard to do without, once you're used to using it.

Dean

My new to me finger brake is a 36 inch PEXTO. I did a litle Google time and I discovered a 24 inch model was made. This machine was in the shop of one of my first employers. That would be in about 1964 and the machine was new, if I remember. Bending wire in the brake and damaging the fingers was a fireable event. My last employeer had a 60 inch Brown Boggs box and pan brake in the body shop. I used the company brake to make 27 toolbox end cabinets on my coffee breaks and lunch breaks. The person wanting the end cabinet had to suppy the material and I did the build for $20 contribution to the coffee fund. While managment was OK with what I was doing, I did ask the foreman to change the rule and stop what I was doing. It was the cheap bastxxds who "could not bring themselves to pay" that killed my generosity. I I did build two end cabinets for my toolbox and a fitted tool tote and then I was done.
The larger end cabinet had Dutch style double doors and a roller drawer in the top section. I built a retractable cord system in the cabinet to power an espresso machine and a radio. A few of the entitled jerks were making coffee for themselves without asking or offering to pay for supplies. I took the espresso machine home and coffee time was over.


Excellent work on the cabinets! I believe the one my ex-employer has is a 24" Pexto.

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:37 pm
by cornbinder89
When I worked at Chicago Motor Coach we had problems with theft of the coffee supplies. The work area was un heated and coffee was the only thing keeping us warm in the winter.
thieves were rats however, not the human kind, but almost as big! The night guy befriended some stray cats, but they wisely wouldn't tangle with a Chicago rat either!

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:24 pm
by nikkinutshop
This brake was built by my Dad.
It is time to let the brake go to a new home. With some hesitation, I posted it on Craigslist this afternoon.

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 3:45 pm
by harvester60
I wish i lived closer, thats looks a cracking brake. For the 1st 14 years of my working life, i was a welder/fabricator. We had a very similar brake to that one. I would love one now. I have been thinking about making a much smaller version, but not a lot of room at the moment. I can understand the hesitation. Luke

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 7:59 pm
by nikkinutshop
The guy I bought the PEXTO box and pan brake from and I guessed at the weight of the machine at 450 pounds (205kg) . My daughter and I struggled with moving the brake out of the back of my truck. SAFETY FIRST. The weight of the brake was making the shop crane groan. The certification tag on the shop crane says 1000# (455kg) , so we pressed on.
In about 30 minutes the brake was safely on the shop floor. My daughter put our crane scale on the cherry-picker/shop crane and hooked the other end to the lifting eye on the brake. I started to raise the hydraulic ram. In a few strokes the display went past 205kg and finally stopped at 846# (384kg).
I know I got a very good deal. This brake is a keeper. I called the seller and thanked him and shared the true weight. He was as surprised as I.
There are a few minor things that I need to change. The two 5/8" bars for the back gauge are bent to 45* and they should be straight. I found more than enough new cold-rolled 5/8" round bar in stock. Any other "restoration" will have to wait for a later date.
I am being encouraged to put casters under this brake.

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Sat Sep 22, 2018 9:08 pm
by nikkinutshop
My helper was not available today. So...……. I did some heavy machinery moving with a smallish cherry picker. I do most of my shop time in a wheeled chair because my knees are screwed. I cannot make thing happen as quickly as I used to. Today I moved my shop built brake closer to the back door and then picked up the PEXTO with the woosie smallish cherry picker set it where the other brake was. The smallish cherry picker was groaning under the weight. The test and certification tag says, tested to 1500#, working weight is 1000#. The brake is 845# and that is not a lot of humph left.

Re: WHATS IN YOUR TOOL BOX?

PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 8:29 am
by cornbinder89
I have a 2 ton American made engine hoist, that for all that can barely pick a loaded 855 Cummins (which according to the lit, should weigh 3300 lbs). But is unstable at that weight so mostly use by '47 gin pole truck to move heavy stuff.