Question: Question about sheet metal shears

Ray Cover

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Hey everyone, This question is probably more for the jewelry makers here but anyone with experience with these is welcome to chime in. Rachel has been getting into making jewelry on her wood lathe so we tried a local craft show to sell some. I took a few sterling, bronze and copper bracelets that I made and sold a few. Enough to encourage me to do it again.

That first batch of bracelets I cut out with a hack saw and jewelers saw. I plan to take some of the money from that first batch and buy myself a shear to make cutting out basic bracelet blanks faster.

I have found two main types of bench shear on the market. The first type is open on on end and look like it works like a heavy duty paper cutter. These tend to be a little less expensive. the other type is closed on both ends and looks like it works more like the old fashioned stomp shears. Bench-Metal-Shear-HS-10-HS-12-.jpg 16GA-sheet-metal-shear-diacro-3-picture.jpg

My question is, for my purposes is one of these going to be better than the other or will they both work for cutting out my bracelet blanks?
 

JJ Roberts

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Ray,If you have a Harbor Freight near your home try them,they have odd tools.J.J.
 

DakotaDocMartin

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A good friend of mine has been in the trophy making business for a lot of years. He uses a shear similar to the second one shown here. The way it cuts and the way it supports the sheet metal the cut pieces tend to stay flat without taking on a curl. I think that's the way I'd go with it.
 

mrthe

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When i was studing etching we use a similar one to the second one to cut the plates and work very well expecially if you think go up to 1,5 or 2 mm
 

Ray Cover

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Thanks guys.

Brian, I made them out of Silicone Bronze (sculptors bronze). I have a bit of it around here from when I was doing my graduate work in sculpture at Fontbonne University. Its been laying here for years I figured time to put it to work. Bronze is still considered an "Art Metal" whereas brass is considered by most to be cheap.
 

bronc

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I agree with Brian Marshall--go for the Diacro if you can. I looked for a couple years and finally came across a used one in great shape. They are a fine tool.

Stewart
 

Ray Cover

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I'm sure they are great but I can't justify that expense for the occasional use I plan to give it. I'll probably go with an off brand in that style unless I am just lucky enough to run across a good used diacro or pexto on craigslist.
 
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Ray,

The first shear is a plate shear. Not really made for sheet metal.

Look for a "Beverly" or throatless shear.

Ebay has them.

The blades can be sharpened if they are dull or have small nicks, big chunks knocked out of the blade are a different matter.

The Beverly will cut straight or curves.

I would try to get the real Beverly if you can swing it. Maybe a B2 if i remember the number right.

Harbor Freight sells a copy but I don't know if it's any good.

Regards,

Matt
 
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delder

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I went through this a while ago. I decided to forgo the shear and just buy the strips already cut to the desired width.I use a jeweler's saw to round off the ends . I takes a lot of bracelets to offset the expense of a shear. I've heard that the Harbor freight shear is not so good. ( problems with the alignment on the cutters ) .
 

DakotaDocMartin

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Grizzly has a nice one

This one from Grizzly looks interesting: T23109 8" Mini Shear-Brake
 

rod

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Ray, the first shear is heavy duty, and I often used this model to cut through 1/4 thick steel plate, it will not keep your plate stock flat, and is overkill. The second shear will keep the plate sharp.

I would use a small bandsaw, as I have done for decades, with an 18 tpi blade it will cut non ferrous metals very well, and I have used it for years to cut silver, brass, bronze, aluminum, with ease. You can even go though as much as 1/2 plate.

There is even a variable speed band saw model I have from MicroMark, I believe, it has a diamond blade option, and will go through 1/2 inch steel, or glass.

http://www.micromark.com/variable-speed-mini-bandsaw,7913.html

Rod
 
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monk

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i have a beverly, as well as the 2nd one you show. the beverly is throatless and allows cutting curves. harbor freight has a clone of the beverly for well under 200 bucks. the blue one leaves rolled over edges more often than not. it's only use is for rough, straight cuts. not worth the powder to blow it up. if you decide on the 2nd one shown, i'd first do a test cut to see if the thing cuts clean. some shears like that are great, some not so. my straight shear will easily do jewelry in pieces smaller than 12"
 

Brian Marshall

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If you can still find the "old" heavy duty paper cutters, there was a time when I used to cut up to 16 gauge silver on one. Wouldn't cut nickel though.

Took a little strength, and it had to be bolted down - but it worked for me for the first ten years of silversmithing. The student who wound up with it still uses it to this day. (30 years later)


B.
 

rod

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Ray,

Other thoughts about using a band saw, rather than a shear:

Yes, there is a small kerf loss to silver filings, but if you do a lot these, the cuttings can be vacuumed into your recycling.

You may cut a bracelet in about one or two minutes from a sheet of non ferrous, and immediately saw your rounded ends. All this can me done at the normal fast wood sawing speed.

A tip with small bandsaws, especially with fine tooth of about 18-24 tpi. The bandsaw doubles as a good filing machine, in this manner:

Hold the rough sawn edge of your roughed-out plate, at about 30 degrees to the band say, but on the horizontal plane. Now pull it forward away from the band saw blade while it is running but gently rubbing the teeth. This allows the blade to gently 'file' the edge, and true the shape in a much less aggressive way than in the normal forward sawing direction, it is effect on curves as well as straight cuts.

Rod
 

griff silver

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iagree completely with brian, ive used and old paper cutter for a shear quite a bit. I think it would be ideal to test the water so to speak youll end up cutting wire, transfer paper etc. i did a search for vintage paper cutters on ebay and there were many made in the 50s rangeing from $15 to$50 bucks! the way most are made you can sharpen and tighten the cut as needed.
 
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