New Edwards Ironworker

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Got my new Edwards Ironworker two weeks ago. Wow what a great machine. It is well built and cuts like a dream. It's the 60 ton model. I ordered it with a single phase 5 HP motor. I also ordered the back gauge, 1" table,punching kit and a 4 way break on it as well. I've used this thing every day since it arrived and it's fantastic. It's quiet as well and easy to move if need be with the forklift.

I made a couple of changes to make the machine more user friendly and one of them was to add two magnetic lights to it so I could see the punching and shearing stations better.

Where the safety guard is located on the plate shears it makes it hard to see where to line up the piece to the cut line with out using a flash light so I installed a few rows of LED lighting and Wow what a difference.

The next item I needed to address was the waste that would drop off the machine during it's use. I decided to fabricate two self contained aluminum containers that would be easy to lift off and on in a second so I did that and now I don't need to be picking pieces of metal off the floor all the time. Yes I could have just placed a couple of buckets on the floor but I like taking the long way around doing this kind of thing. I also milled out a couple of fence guides so I would have to be changed the ones that with the unit from one table to the next all the time.

The last item I changed was the way you would lock down the safety clamps for the metal shear and angle iron shear. I removed the thumb knobs and machined and installed two new wheel type hand cranks. Now it is faster and more comfortable to use.

If I knew then what I know now I would have one of these machines a looooong time ago. Here's a few pics of the machine.

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Some more pics.

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A few more pics.

[jsfab]

An ironworker is probably the best timesaving piece of equipment one can put into a shop.

[duaneb55]

Nice Paul! Quite the compliment to an already well decked out shop. Nice additions with the drop shoots, guides and speed handles. First class as expected.

[DSW]

Very nice, but it lacks the polished diamond plate bling of your Yota.

[socoj2]

As someone who writes code all day long, it still impresses me. Even though i have no clue wtf this thing does... =)

[4shorts]

Originally Posted by jsfab

An ironworker is probably the best timesaving piece of equipment one can put into a shop.

I'll agree with that statement. they sure are handy.

Originally Posted by duaneb55

Nice Paul! Quite the compliment to an already well decked out shop. Nice additions with the drop shoots, guides and speed handles. First class as expected.

Thanks duane. Much appreciated as always. sure nice to see your still around the site

Originally Posted by DSW

Very nice, but it lacks the polished diamond plate bling of your Yota.

Hum. Diamond plate. Now there's a thought Thanks!

Originally Posted by socoj2

As someone who writes code all day long, it still impresses me. Even though i have no clue wtf this thing does... =)

Glad you enjoyed seeing it. The video basically shows what it does. Thanks for your comment.

You Tube

You Tube

[Sandy]

I don't know how a guy could not fall in love with a machine like that. Kinda like the swiss army knife of the shop.

If I had one of those I'd be cuttin and punching just to watch it work. Scraps and pieces all over the floor and no usable iron left in the shop.

Nice modifications.

[4shorts]

Originally Posted by Sandy

I don't know how a guy could not fall in love with a machine like that. Kinda like the swiss army knife of the shop.

If I had one of those I'd be cuttin and punching just to watch it work. Scraps and pieces all over the floor and no usable iron left in the shop.

Nice modifications.

Your going to have to get one! Everyone comes in the shop wants to know what the heck it is so I give them a demo. There's not much scrap left around here now. There's more sightings of Elvis here now that flat bar Thanks!

[Matt_Maguire]

Outstanding mods to the ironworker, and I imagine the extra light helps a bunch.

Matt

[ed mac]

thats nice
you only get that from work hard
good job

[socoj2]

Wow thats awesome. how much was it?

[4shorts]

Originally Posted by Matt_Maguire

Outstanding mods to the ironworker, and I imagine the extra light helps a bunch.

Matt

Thanks Matt. Ya the lights made a Hugh difference especially the LED's up under the plate shearing knives. Nice to be able to see what your cutting.

Originally Posted by ed mac

thats nice
you only get that from work hard
good job

Thank you sir. Your right about that. There's only two of us that work here in our shop and they are my wife and I. She does the office stuff and I do the grunt work. Last week I put in a 77 hour shift and it's been consistent like that since last December.

With the Canadian dollar higher than usual and the work coming into the shop like it is it presented us with a good opportunity to buy some new tools such as a new milling machine with an indexing rotary table and tail stock. We purchased a new welding positioner and a company came down from up North and purchased our old Miller plasma and MM251 so we replaced those units with a Miller 875 plasma, MM 252 and a new MM350P.

With the new tooling work can get done more efficiently and to be honest it is even better quality. With the old forklift I restored last year we can take on larger work as well so it's all a win win situation. All of this and we're supposed to be an automotive repair shop

Thanks for your comments sir.

Originally Posted by socoj2

Wow thats awesome. how much was it?

Thanks. There a nice machine. I'm more than pleased with the machine. I know Edwards made improvements to there hydraulic system due to the noise a few years ago and this one is whisper quiet.
It does it's work effortless and just a great well built American built unit. The mods I've been doing are just to make it more user friendly and suit my needs better. I have not and will not change any of the engineered operational items of the machine.

Extra lighting and waist catchers are just an added touch. As for the price. I added a link for you. Edwards have a number of different units. Mine is the 60 ton model. I also ordered mine with a number of options such as a pedestal punch station,rear back gauge and a 1" thick punch station table. A starter set of punches and a few other items and shipping put the price over $10.000

Compaired to other units with similar tonnage and built in the US I felt this was the best deal around. I checked locally on a 50 ton Piranha Ironworker and was quoted $30.000 for a bare bones unit

That's just to high for a small business like mine to pay. It was a very nice machine as well though.

What I also like about the Edwards is the fact they made the legs so you can run your forklift forks through them and move the unit easily. Yep very happy with this unit.

Thanks. Here's the link: http://www.edwardsironworkers.com/60ton.html

[Fat Bastard]

Could you show us some details on the lights and how they are mounted?

[Broccoli1]

Originally Posted by Fat Bastard

Could you show us some details on the lights and how they are mounted?

They're just magnetic mounts.

[4shorts]

Originally Posted by Fat Bastard

Could you show us some details on the lights and how they are mounted?

The lights are LED's. Got them at wally world for about $25. for the set of two. They are 12 volt so I used a 120/12 volt adapter to power them up. I removed the guard/hold down clamp in front of the blade and peeled the two way tape off that came with the lights and stuck the two lights side by side each other on a steel ledge just up from the cutting blade. Nutt'en to it Here's a few pics. Hope this helps.

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Those who know me will tell you I'm not much good at relaxing so last evening I decided to remove the table that's by the plate shears on the Ironworker. Edwards had only one slot machined in the front center of the table so If I wanted to place a guide in that area I would only be able to use one clamp so I cut another slot just up from there's so I can use two hold down clamps to keep the guide bar from moving. The plate was 15" so I had to move the jaws out on the mill vise. While I was at it I milled the other slots out as well so I can now get my 1/2" T nuts in the slots no problem at all.

I think I'll get some 1/2" plate this week and make a table for the notcher side of the machine and mill a few slots on it as well to use as a hold down If I ever need something held in place.

[4shorts]

Originally Posted by Fat Bastard

Could you show us some details on the lights and how they are mounted?

Sorry FB. I thought you were asking about the shear lights. I must have gotten a brain fart thinking that. The other lights are magnetic mounted with a flexible shaft that can easily be moved or adjusted

[4shorts]

Here's a pic of the magnetic lights.

[Fat Bastard]

I was talking LED's I did not know that they were so widely available and sticky back tape is great stuff.

I'll have to add this to my Edwards 65 this week.

[4shorts]

This past weekend I decided to machine a table for the notching table. Couldn't purchase one from Edwards. Here's a few pics.

[Black Wolf]

Right off the Hop, I'm gonna warn you Paul that this is gonna sound FRUITY, but I missed you...

I missed seeing your craftsmanship.

I missed seeing your resourcefulness, and creativity.

I missed seeing the way you take what you have in front of you, and then change, and improve it, to the way it "Should have come from the factory" and make it look Effortless...

I missed seeing how you mold and shape materials to your vision, and then blend them back into the original product, and make them "Disappear"...

Good to see you back on here my friend... I always enjoy the creations that you choose to share with us.

[bigb]

Is it 3 phase? How many amps?

[ZTFab]

Originally Posted by Black Wolf

Right off the Hop, I'm gonna warn you Paul that this is gonna sound FRUITY, but I missed you...

I missed seeing your craftsmanship.

I missed seeing your resourcefulness, and creativity.

I missed seeing the way you take what you have in front of you, and then change, and improve it, to the way it "Should have come from the factory" and make it look Effortless...

I missed seeing how you mold and shape materials to your vision, and then blend them back into the original product, and make them "Disappear"...

Good to see you back on here my friend... I always enjoy the creations that you choose to share with us.

I call "NO HOMO".

but X2.