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Shear Recommendation

CatMan

Hot Rolled
Joined
Apr 12, 2005
Location
Brandon, MS
I am looking for a manual shear that will cut 0.040" thick 3003 aluminum sheet at full 48" width.

We have an application in our plant where we unroll aluminum sheet and cut it into 27 ft long pieces. We currently cut this by having a guy get on his knees on the floor with a tee square and pair of electric metal shears. Not the most ergonomic or efficient task, but it is what it is.

I'd like to set up a shear that will cut the aluminum instead. The aluminum would come out of the coil, flow through the shear, and then be cut. At least that's the concept.

I'm looking for a shear that would cut the sheet. I'd rather the machine not be powered, but if it's just a 110V plug in, that might be OK. We would have to move the shear annually to reload the coil behind it. I figure I also need to be able to tweak it's location a little bit in order to square up the shear to the coil.

Cut length isn't that critical. If it was 27' -0, +1' that would be close enough.

Since the coil would flow through the shear, a stomp shear won't work. At least, I can't have a guy standing in front of the shear. I was hoping for something where an operator pulls a lever on the side. I'm aware of some steel roofing shears like this, but that roofing isn't as wide and not quite as thick.

Anybody got any good leads I could chase? Googling metal shear is about as good as googling metal bandsaw.
 
Thats basically 18 gage.
and any 48" shear is going to be hard work manually shearing 18 gage at full width.

There are a couple of "swing arm" european and chinese shears that cut from the side- but I dont know if any are a full 48" wide. The ones I have seen are 1 meter wide. And would still be pretty tough to cut full width 18 gage.

If it was me, I would buy one of these- A tennsmith 16 gage power shear.
There are a lot of em out there, should be pretty easy to find a used one, or just buy one new.
Foot pedal operated, so no clearance issues.
Will handle the cut.
And is relatively light- 1000lbs for the air model, 1300lbs for the hydraulic.
TENNSMITH: AIR & HYDRAULIC SHEARS
 
If I worked there I would buy a metal cutting circular saw, and some 2 x 4's.

Make a table 4' wide, 8' long, from a 3/4" sheet of plywood, braced underneath
much like a workbench.

2 x 4 along the back as a alignment fence.

A couple of the 2 x 4's for rails the saw to slide in a trough.

Whole thing on casters to easily wheel it in place and around for alignment

Should take all of 4 hours to build.

Siding contractors have a similar unit, just not 4' capable.
Van Mark Cutting Tables | Cutting Tables
 
Thats basically 18 gage.
and any 48" shear is going to be hard work manually shearing 18 gage at full width./QUOTE]

Reis, I have to respectfully disagree as I have Pexto 152 shear I bought new in 1997, It has been used mainly for 16 gauge Steel and will do .095 Aluminum like a knife through butter.
Granted I did add a stirrup on the left side of the treadle to catch my foot on so to do a "48x"120 sheet as I only weigh 155 lbs.

GuzsjKs.jpg
 
Thats basically 18 gage.
and any 48" shear is going to be hard work manually shearing 18 gage at full width./QUOTE]

Reis, I have to respectfully disagree as I have Pexto 152 shear I bought new in 1997, It has been used mainly for 16 gauge Steel and will do .095 Aluminum like a knife through butter.
Granted I did add a stirrup on the left side of the treadle to catch my foot on so to do a "48x"120 sheet as I only weigh 155 lbs.

GuzsjKs.jpg

the problem is that the 27 feet of aluminum will mean you cant stand in front of it and stomp on the foot treadle.

as the OP said- a stomp shear wont work, as the stomping action takes place in the same space as a large sheet of aluminum.

Without the stomping, the paper cutter style is the only manual shear that would work, and I have never seen a 4 footer- the chinese ones are all 1meter wide- plus a tiny bit, usually meaning you can only cut 41" or so of width.
 
Lol can't belive you have that problem, can you not just employ someone like this to do the stomping?

Picture+3.png


presumably if your only cutting 1 roll a year into lengths that long its not all that many cuts a day. Equally presuming you have a forklift to move such a roll a 4' hydraulic shear would be easily movable, there not that heavy, there easily lined up with little more than a 6' pry bar too on a smooth concrete floor.
 
People change stomp shears to air powered pretty cheaply. So that may be a better route

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
People change stomp shears to air powered pretty cheaply. So that may be a better route

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Go carefull with that in a industrial setting with emplyees you then have the far more stringent safety aspects of a power shear to then meet. The big air cylinders are the easy bit!
 
Reis, I have to respectfully disagree as I have Pexto 152 shear I bought new in 1997, It has been used mainly for 16 gauge Steel and will do .095 Aluminum like a knife through butter.
Granted I did add a stirrup on the left side of the treadle to catch my foot on so to do a "48x"120 sheet as I only weigh 155 lbs.

GuzsjKs.jpg
My 16ga Pexto cuts .040 aluminum like paper. I'd also think that a treadle extension (or 2) so you can stand to the side would be all you'd need to cut full width.
 
My 16ga Pexto cuts .040 aluminum like paper. I'd also think that a treadle extension (or 2) so you can stand to the side would be all you'd need to cut full width.

Or extend the treadle out both sides and have two guys do the cutting. That will keep the force on the treadle balanced.
From the sound of it you won't be tying the second guy up for very long...
 
Lol can't belive you have that problem, can you not just employ someone like this to do the stomping?

Picture+3.png


presumably if your only cutting 1 roll a year into lengths that long its not all that many cuts a day. Equally presuming you have a forklift to move such a roll a 4' hydraulic shear would be easily movable, there not that heavy, there easily lined up with little more than a 6' pry bar too on a smooth concrete floor.

Don't laugh at the pix.

I worked with a crazy woman once, she bragged to everyone how she got her
employer to pay for the stomach stapling surgery, and in the next breath
bragged of how she "blew the staples out" and is the same as before.....
 








 
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