I find that as I get more and more sheet metal tools, the space they
take up is becoming excessive in regards to other machines in the shop.

How do you organize and store your sheet metal tools (shears, brakes,
rollers, punches, notchers, stake plates, etc.) so they are convenient
but still take up the minimum amount of floor space?

Links to pictures would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance.

TMT

Too_Many_Tools wrote:

I find that as I get more and more sheet metal tools, the space they
take up is becoming excessive in regards to other machines in the shop.

How do you organize and store your sheet metal tools (shears, brakes,
rollers, punches, notchers, stake plates, etc.) so they are convenient
but still take up the minimum amount of floor space?

Links to pictures would be especially helpful.

You aren't going to like my answer.

I have resisted buying any sheet metal tools at all other than tinsnips for the
exact reason you mention. I don't see the return on usefulness vis-a-vis the
floor space. So I just don't have any.

I assume everything's on casters, etc? You could conceivably consider buying a
container (the kind that goes on a semi truck) and putting all your SM machines
in there and wheeling them out when you need them. In my neighborhood I can't do
this. Sometimes I'm grateful for this. :-)

GWE

In the shop I ran at MITRE the shear, brake and notcher were on the
central bench, one to a side, and the freestanding tools were lined up
along the walls. The tables of the notcher and shear served as bench
space for the mill and bandsaw opposite them.

I bought the 3-in-1 combo sheetmetal machine for home partly because it
is more space-efficient even though it doesn't work as well as the
separate ones.

Jim Wilkins

Grant, your opinion is one of those that I look forward to...never
hesitate to offer it. ;)

I would agree with you that "less is more"....one of the reasons for my
name of "Too_Many_Tools". While some may doubt it, I never bring home a
tool that doesn't earn its keep since my shop space is always at a
premium.

The reason why I have a number of sheet metal tools is that in the past
when I was able to use tools like Diacro and Pexto, I found my quality
of workmanship improved. Good tools do make a difference since they
allow one to concentrate on your work so the tools will be staying for
the time being.

Good idea about separate storage but I always try to maintain a fixed
shop floorage so if I need to move my shop I can and will know what my
space requirements are.

TMT

TMT

Too_Many_Tools writes:

How do you organize and store your sheet metal tools (shears, brakes,
rollers, punches, notchers, stake plates, etc.) so they are convenient
but still take up the minimum amount of floor space?

I put the import 30-inch 3-in-1 on a shop-made "furniture dolly" of crossed
2x10 lumber with very heavy casters. I roll it under the workbench to
stow it. Not as easy to use near the floor vs having on a workbench, but
for occasional use it is OK.

Sheet metal may not be as "cool" as lathe or milling machine work, but I
really enjoy making the occasional sheet parts from the shear and brake.

Casters are the only answer. I have all of my SM equipment on wheels. It
takes a little time to move them around, but it is worth it. I would not
limit myself to a pair of tinsnips... It just means that you won't be doing
much sheet metal work.

Mark



"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
ups.com...
I find that as I get more and more sheet metal tools, the space they
take up is becoming excessive in regards to other machines in the shop.

How do you organize and store your sheet metal tools (shears, brakes,
rollers, punches, notchers, stake plates, etc.) so they are convenient
but still take up the minimum amount of floor space?

Links to pictures would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance.

TMT

On 1 Jul 2005 19:45:48 -0700, "Too_Many_Tools"
wrote:

Grant, your opinion is one of those that I look forward to...never
hesitate to offer it. ;)

I would agree with you that "less is more"....one of the reasons for my
name of "Too_Many_Tools". While some may doubt it, I never bring home a
tool that doesn't earn its keep since my shop space is always at a
premium.

The reason why I have a number of sheet metal tools is that in the past
when I was able to use tools like Diacro and Pexto, I found my quality
of workmanship improved. Good tools do make a difference since they
allow one to concentrate on your work so the tools will be staying for
the time being.

Good idea about separate storage but I always try to maintain a fixed
shop floorage so if I need to move my shop I can and will know what my
space requirements are.

TMT

TMT


I cringe when I say this....but there is some advantage to combination
tools...cringe..such as the obiqitous Harbor Freight
roller/sheer/brake as it takes up less than a third of the space
needed for all three seperate tools.

I have one..cringe..and I also have a Pexto 52" shear (in storage), a
DiAcro 36" finger brake (in storage), a DiAcro 6" power notcher (for
sale) and so forth. They are in storage because I dont have the room
for em, and the HF gizmo kinda sorta mostly does what I want it to do,
on the rare occasions I need sheet metal tools.

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years,
the world has a long way to go to regain
its credibility and reputation with the US."
unknown

On Sat, 02 Jul 2005 02:24:45 -0500, Richard J Kinch
wrote:

Too_Many_Tools writes:

How do you organize and store your sheet metal tools (shears, brakes,
rollers, punches, notchers, stake plates, etc.) so they are convenient
but still take up the minimum amount of floor space?

I put the import 30-inch 3-in-1 on a shop-made "furniture dolly" of crossed
2x10 lumber with very heavy casters. I roll it under the workbench to
stow it. Not as easy to use near the floor vs having on a workbench, but
for occasional use it is OK.

Sheet metal may not be as "cool" as lathe or milling machine work, but I
really enjoy making the occasional sheet parts from the shear and brake.
What a lot of us need, is a 10,000 sf warehouse and a 500 sf workshop!
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Let the record show that Gunner wrote back on Sat,
02 Jul 2005 20:28:53 GMT in rec.crafts.metalworking :

I cringe when I say this....but there is some advantage to combination
tools...cringe..such as the obiqitous Harbor Freight
roller/sheer/brake as it takes up less than a third of the space
needed for all three seperate tools.

I have one..cringe..and I also have a Pexto 52" shear (in storage), a
DiAcro 36" finger brake (in storage), a DiAcro 6" power notcher (for
sale) and so forth. They are in storage because I dont have the room
for em, and the HF gizmo kinda sorta mostly does what I want it to do,
on the rare occasions I need sheet metal tools.

It does what you need to do "on the rare occasions I need sheet metal
tools."
If you were doing sheet metal work on a regular basis, getting
dedicated machines might be worth it.

Much as, years ago, I did lots of woodworking on a Shopsmith, because
it was a Shopsmith or nothing.

--
pyotr filipivich.
as an explaination for the decline in the US's tech edge, James
Niccol wrote "It used to be that the USA was pretty good at
producing stuff teenaged boys could lose a finger or two playing with."

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 03:21:39 GMT, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

Let the record show that Gunner wrote back on Sat,
02 Jul 2005 20:28:53 GMT in rec.crafts.metalworking :

I cringe when I say this....but there is some advantage to combination
tools...cringe..such as the obiqitous Harbor Freight
roller/sheer/brake as it takes up less than a third of the space
needed for all three seperate tools.

I have one..cringe..and I also have a Pexto 52" shear (in storage), a
DiAcro 36" finger brake (in storage), a DiAcro 6" power notcher (for
sale) and so forth. They are in storage because I dont have the room
for em, and the HF gizmo kinda sorta mostly does what I want it to do,
on the rare occasions I need sheet metal tools.

It does what you need to do "on the rare occasions I need sheet metal
tools."
If you were doing sheet metal work on a regular basis, getting
dedicated machines might be worth it.


Yes of course. And one would be paying the space penalty.

Much as, years ago, I did lots of woodworking on a Shopsmith, because
it was a Shopsmith or nothing.

Of course.

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years,
the world has a long way to go to regain
its credibility and reputation with the US."
unknown

Let the record show that Gunner wrote back on Sun,
03 Jul 2005 10:53:01 GMT in rec.crafts.metalworking :
On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 03:21:39 GMT, pyotr filipivich
wrote:

Let the record show that Gunner wrote back on Sat,
02 Jul 2005 20:28:53 GMT in rec.crafts.metalworking :

I cringe when I say this....but there is some advantage to combination
tools...cringe..such as the obiqitous Harbor Freight
roller/sheer/brake as it takes up less than a third of the space
needed for all three seperate tools.

I have one..cringe..and I also have a Pexto 52" shear (in storage), a
DiAcro 36" finger brake (in storage), a DiAcro 6" power notcher (for
sale) and so forth. They are in storage because I dont have the room
for em, and the HF gizmo kinda sorta mostly does what I want it to do,
on the rare occasions I need sheet metal tools.

It does what you need to do "on the rare occasions I need sheet metal
tools."
If you were doing sheet metal work on a regular basis, getting
dedicated machines might be worth it.


Yes of course. And one would be paying the space penalty.

Note I said "might." As we all know, "everything" is a trade off,
dedicated machines take up space, tie up cash, but they do allow you to do
the job in 'less time'. Which is fine, if you do the job "often enough".
How often is "often enough"? what ever is "often enough" to justify
the expense of getting it, getting it set up and then occupying space when
you aren't using it, vs the problems of 'outsourceing' or making do with
something else. (I'm reminded of the scene in "Back to the Future" when Doc
Brown starts up a massive machine to produce two ice cubes. I'm not sure
that's an "efficient" use of resources, but Doc certainly did.) Hmmm,
maybe we can define "rich" as having enough shop space so we can set up and
leave out all the "specialized" machinery we only need occasionally.
(OTOH, friend was contemplating the purchase of a yard shredder, vs renting
one. I asked, "Well, how often have you used one?" And he responded "If I
had one, I'd have used it more often.")
What the hey, we're "all" doing metal working of one sort or another,
and we've probably all discovered that there is a difference between making
'one', vs making a couple, vs setting up to produce them in 'large' lots.
As I've said a couple times, "If you're going to cut to the same dimension,
set up stops." when trying to trim full sheets of steel/plywood to size.


Much as, years ago, I did lots of woodworking on a Shopsmith, because
it was a Shopsmith or nothing.

Of course.

As you no doubt know very well: when the dust settles, and the smoke
clears, if you are able to join with your SO and rut like lust crazed
adolescent ferrets, you had the right equipment, the right skills and
experience, and the right implementation. Goes for machine shops,
woodshops, shoot outs, making repairs, making love or getting chewing gum
out of the ear of the dog ... whatever.
--
pyotr filipivich.
as an explaination for the decline in the US's tech edge, James
Niccol wrote "It used to be that the USA was pretty good at
producing stuff teenaged boys could lose a finger or two playing with."