-
Re: Ideas for use of a 25 ton edwards ironworker
Originally Posted by
tapwelder
I have 2 others Ironworkers with shears.They each have a table and straight edge. A stop is set up a measures distance from the blade. Neiither is easy to see the material. Cannot even accurately judge the alignment of the material mark and the blade.
I have a angle iron notcher on a larger ironworker. It is nice to be able to trim.
I have a tube notcher. I never use it.
I also made a swagger for cable in cable rail. I think swagging cable may be obsolete practice with newer connectors?
Ultimately it would be nice to have 1 unit to combine all functions. I have a 18, 25, and 50 ton ironworker. The 18 ton does 90 percent of the work. The 50 maybe 1 percent work.
I used a really nice one where the blade was easy to see. Made cutting so nice. Mine sucks for that.
Plus, the one I put so much time on had the blade slightly cocked to one side so it sliced like a paper cutter table.
Mine has the blade level, it builds pressure and then the piece suddenly snaps and shoots out the other side...I don't like that.
Dave J.
Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~
Syncro 350
Invertec v250-s
Thermal Arc 161 and 300
MM210
Dialarc
Tried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
-
-
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Re: Ideas for use of a 25 ton edwards ironworker
Originally Posted by
Lis2323
Same here. Great for quick repetitive lopping to length with a stop though.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Putting a nick where your cut line is helps, and the paper cutter action will pull the cut line into place to some extent. Of course that's kind of moot with mechanical ones, as it's all or nothing.
-
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Re: Ideas for use of a 25 ton edwards ironworker
I think that Edwards really is missing the boat when it comes to accessories. The 25 ton only bends plate up to 6 inches.It really needs a longer die that could bend 18 inches of 14 gauge. Just add instructions as to length and gauge. So often, I need to bend sheet metal, not plate. Same with the shear. I added a backstop to mine so I can at least cut metal square and the right length. The shear is really blind without it. With 25 tons, it would be nice to have a shear that would cut wider 14 gauge or even 10 gauge. The tables on both ends should be much larger so bigger shears and brakes and guides could be fitted.
I bought the Edwards and used it to punch almost 1000 11/16" square holes for an iron fence. I bought that die from Edwards, but since I am now mostly working with thinner aluminum, I just CNC my own odd shape punches and dies, sometimes out of tool steel, but usually out of mild steel. Again, I press all sorts of fitting out of light gauge with various homemade dies, sometimes welded up from pieces of pipe, sometimes out of maple. There are a number of You-Tubes showing people pressing with 3D printer dies. Works great if you are careful to shim the die up to just the right height to bend the part, but not smash the die.
I just made a simple form to bend 90 degree 2 inch radius 3/4 inch 4130 thin wall tubing. It doesn't take much force.
I think that Edwards is passing up big opportunities by thinking that this machine is limited to heavy iron. I am sure that there are lots of people who would sooner have a press that would bend and cut 10 gauge 16 inch wide material than there are cutting little pieces of 1/4 inch plate.
Just my opinion.
-
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Re: Ideas for use of a 25 ton edwards ironworker
I agree. Most bandsaws will cut 5 inches. And you can gang cut walk away from the saw.
Thus, this thread. Looking for ways to make it useful.
I been considered eliminating the ironworker head and using just the hydraulic.
The only accessory I have is the oversize cutting set up.
It is convenient for punching holes in plate and 25 ton is a good capacity for what I do. The ability to punch tube would be nice.
-
Re: Ideas for use of a 25 ton edwards ironworker
Originally Posted by
tapwelder
I agree. Most bandsaws will cut 5 inches. And you can gang cut walk away from the saw.
It is convenient for punching holes in plate and 25 ton is a good capacity for what I do. The ability to punch tube would be nice.
I find that my Ellis horizontal bandsaw is used much more than the Ironworker. With plasma cutting and CNC machining, the Ironworker is a bit redundant. I do find it convenient for punching square holes and odd holes and I use it for bending plate stock for fittings.
To punch holes in tubing, one needs to fabricate a thick wall tube mandrel with a topside hole in it the size of the hole to be punched. I welded the mandrel to a plate that was the size of the notch in the bottom table of the punch station. (The top plate can be removed when you need extra clearance.) I started with a 2 inch diameter piece of 3/16" wall tubing and turned it to 1-7/8 inches. With an 11/16 inch hole on top about 1 inch back from the edge. I could then slide a piece of 0.063 2 inch muffler tubing over the mandrel and punch 5/8" holes in the muffler pipe with the Edwards 5/8 inch punch. The mandrel pointed to the right allowing long tubes to be punched near the ends. Of course, the tube has to be rotated for a through hole. If you are tricky, you can add something similar to a four or six sided collet holder around the pipe and then you can punch 2,3,4 or 6 holes around the pipe perimeter. Or 7,9, 13 with the correct mandrel. There are several You-tubes showing the use of a pipe mandrel.
Dennis
-
Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
-
Re: Ideas for use of a 25 ton edwards ironworker