Small benchtop metal shears?

[Mike_Henry]

I'd like to be have the capability of cutting out small pieces of thin brass or plastic (a few aquare inches) from larger sheet. I'm thinking of somthing along the lines of this Grizzly unit:

Grizzly Shear/Brake

but would prefer something in a used domestic tool and with a bit larger capacity. A benchtop model would be nice as there isn't enough floor space in the shop for a larger unit. The primary use would be for cutting blanks for name plates to be engraved with an old New Hermes engraver. The cheap plate shears don't appeal to me as it looks like it would be difficult to hold thin stock and cut it to reasonably accurate dimensions.

I'd appreciate any recommendations or advice.

[ttok]

Mike - Try a sheet metal supply house in the Chicago area for a used shear. Di-Acro, Pexto, Niagara and Roper Whitney are good brands.

I prefer the Di-Acro brand. They have a work "table" which can be used to set material stops on. Duplicate parts can be made very accurately. However, Di-Acro shears are very heavy, even in the bench configuration. They really last and, unless abused, can easily outlast the lifespan of an HSM. The blades can be turned over and used twice before resharpening. Ebay is, in my opinion, the best place to buy them, but you have to pay the freight which can cost as much as the shear! Di-Acro is still in business (diacro.com) and makes the 12" and 24" shears. They REALLY like them!!!

The 12" shear weighs 168 lbs! They no longer make the 6" shear, but these show up on Ebay all the time and cost about $300 + freight. My 12" shear (no stand) in great shape cost $450 + freight (it was almost new and it was GREEN). My 24" shear with stand cost about $250 + freight. I also have a Di-Acro 36" bench shear (429 lbs - need a GOOD bench) only cost $200 and I picked it up. Although it is no longer made, several shops make new blades for the 6" and 36" shears, but you have to add that to the cost! Moral: smaller shears may cost proportionally more than larger ones, everything else being the same.

Guys really like the GREEN colored Di-Acro equipment - made in the USA. Present production is made in Taiwan and painted a brown color. You may pay more for the same shear in green than in brown, although the brown ones are newer.

I live in a vast wasteland as far as used equipment dealers is concerned - I have never seen a shear at one, although I'm told used shears are common in other parts of the country. I would never have been able to afford ANY Di-Acro equipment if it were'nt for Ebay!!

Good luck!!

[Mike_Henry]

Thanks - those name brands are a great help.

Now that you mention them they all sound familiar - probably from sheet metal tool posts that were of no interest when first read.

The Diacro does look like a nice one and just what I'll be looking for.

[D_R]

Mike,

Yikes, Diacro made in Taiwan??? How do you know this?

That's my first reaction. But on further thought it may not be so bad a situation. Most of the world's high precision machine tools are now made there and in China, Korea, etc. They have the capability to build equipment to any degree of precision, unfortunately what we mostly think of is their low end junk like Grizzzly, etc.

Regarding colors...at one time the Diacro line was brown and cream (yellow?). This was long before the onset of low cost third-world equpment. Time wise I have no idea when that was.

My factory colors are: 12" shear, green and cream; 36" shear, green and cream; #2 bender, grey; #3 bender, green; quick lock clamp on #3, brown .

Diacro blades.....somewhere I read that the blades on my 36" bench shear could be rotated and used on four edges. Is that correct? I've used it so little the blades are still new-ish.

thanks

[Steve_in_Mich]

D_R, I think you will probably wake up a few Bears [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/shocked.gif"%20alt="[/img]

Attached is my TensilKut 12" Shear in gray and cream - I believe it is a rebrand DiAcro.

BTW, Speaking of Bears! .........Weekly Chuckle.........

A 90 year old man was having his annual checkup and the doctor asked him how he was feeling.

"I've never been better!" he boasted. "I've got an eighteen year old bride who's pregnant and having my child! What do you think about that?"

The doctor considered this for a moment, then said, "Let me tell you a story. I knew a guy who was an avid hunter. He never missed a season.

But one day went out in a bit of a hurry and he accidentally grabbed his umbrella instead of his gun."

The doctor continued, "So he was in the woods and suddenly a grizzly bear appeared in front of him! He raised up his umbrella, pointed it at the bear and squeezed the handle." "And do you know what happened?" the doctor queried.

Dumbfounded, the old man replied "No".

The doctor continued, "The bear dropped dead in front of him!"

"That's impossible!" exclaimed the old man. "Someone else must have shot that bear."

"That's kind of what I'm getting at..." replied the doctor.

[David]

cute

[ttok]

I need to correct something in my post of 2/2/03. I called Di-Acro yesterday and after discussing business, I asked whether their machines were still made in Taiwan. The lady was very helpful and said they are ALL made in the USA now. Some were made in Mexico, but when the present owners took over about 2-1/2 years ago, they slowly moved all production back to the USA.

I had seen a photo of the Di-Acro label on a new brown 24" finger brake for sale by Boulevard Bikes in Hurst, Texas (a great guy, by the way) - the photos were on Ebay. The label clearly said "Taiwan" on it! That is why I posted that I thought they were now made in Taiwan. Di-Acro confirmed they were also made in Mexico for a while. I have since noticed that some Ebay sellers of the new brown machines do not show photos of the Di-Acro tag. May mean made outside the USA???

Di-Acro machines are now painted gray again, and apparently have been for about 2 years by the new owners.

I think (but am not SURE) that the old gray machines, the green and yellow (cream) machines, and now the new gray machines were made in the USA. A possible exception may be some of the more recent gray machines which were made in Mexico before the new owners moved all production back to the USA.

Until I talked to them yesterday, I did not realize that their newest machines were again painted in the traditional gray color - I have never seen a new one because I cannot begin to afford one!!!

They have apparently lost track of serial numbers as the company passed through several owners, so calling them with a serial number to estimate the age of a machine is unproductive.

Anyone want to start a thread on estimating machine age with color and serial number for Di-Acro hand-operated machines?

[Steve_in_Mich]

A couple of weeks ago I bought a like new 24" shear (a BROWN one) on a stand complete with straightedge, angle guide and micrometer backgage. It was shipped from Portland, Or with a great deal of credit owed to Don Kinzer (a poster to this forum from Portland) for his help in preparing and delivering it to ForwardAir so I could pick it up in Detroit 4 days later.

I don't have all the answers but this much I can relay. The tag reads Strippit - DiAcro model HS24, serial no. blank, Made in Taiwan. If you go to the Strippit site you will find under Strippit Time Line;
"1983 Merger with Di-Acro expands product line to include press brakes, power benders and manually operated machinery"

Probably about 2.5 to 3 years ago I was looking for tooling for my #2 DiAcro bender and was in contact with a company (Porth?? somewhere I have the info) in PawPaw. Fellow said DiAcro had bought back their former product line and he was a rep for them. This guy has since gone on to market the DiAcro clones last I heard. If you e-mail me I'll look further for his info/website. If you watch eBay you will see other names come up associated with DiAcro, like;
Diacro Precision Machines
DIE-LESS DUPLICATING
Brake # 4 L2744
O'NEIL-IRWIN MFG. CO.
Lake City, Minnesota
and I have seen another one or two plus the 12" shear I own (mentioned above with a photo) bearing a TensilKut Engineering tag.
It can be a challange tracking down such information. I'd like to date this 24" shear but regardless of how old it is it is pretty obvious that it wasn't used. My only chance (without a serial no.) is if the folks I bought it from can find an original PO or the number tag they installed is coded to a date. Paint was chipped some but the machine still had cosmoline on much of it.

[Jacin]

Have you considered the use of a Beverly Shear (throatless shear). They aren't real cheap BUT they HOLD their value - are rugged and far more versatile. Here's a site that shows a pic of one.
www.tinmantech.com/html/beverly_shear_b1.htm

Note they make 3 different models (capacity differences) and I USED to have their website but couldn't find it real quick [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/frown.gif"%20alt="[/img]

I have one and I will say they are NEAT and allow you to cut curves as well as straights.
Admittedly NEW they are pricey, but if you're willing to shake the tree branches you might find a deal.
I paid $200 for a B3 (biggest) with a factory stand - sharp blades ready to go. My buddy just paid $65 for a B1 -No stand Dull blades (they're sharpenable so no big deal)
Just might be worth considering all dsepending on what you "other" needs may be.

[Mike_Henry]

I've seen the Beverly shear on eBay and probably Beverly's site as well whilst researching the web. It looks like the Beverly is limited to a 4-1/2" cut and I'd like a 12" capacity. As I understand it, the Diacro has a hold down for the sheet and a backstop with micrometer adjustment dials, at least in the fully tricked out version, and those features are attractive to me and lacking on the Beverly. A 12" Diacro with bench was up on eBay in my neck of the woods a few weeks ago but failed to meet the opening bid of $600 - I was tempted, though it probably wouldn't have fit in my Honda Prelude.

One will turn up sooner or later.

[Jacin]

HI Mike,
I think you are mising the point with the beverly shear (or I am missing your point) - what I mean to suggest is that the Beverly shear ISN'T restricted to a 4-1/2" cut. That's the cut length per stroke of the handle. Since it is a throatless design it's cut length is infinite. Much like a pair of tin snips you cut to whatever length you want - just keep advancing the metal and pull the handle.

AS far as the Diacro - I'm SURE one could squeeze it in a Prelude with the proper motivation <grin>

[Scott]

Jacin,I was thinking along those lines yesterday while walking in to a store.One of these day I am going to get run over,because my head is thinking about how I would like to have a #3 beverly shear.The thing I was thinking about was on a Diacro type you do not mess the other side of the cut up like a beverly shear.That was about the only negative about one I could come up with.It probally isn't worth worring about.Seems like the cost would be about the same for quality ether way.I do like the idea of being able to cut different shapes.It's a tough call.I need both,but a beverly will come first.If I was smart I would of bought a #3 beverly shear over my first plasma cutter.Oh well live,and learn.