Northern Industrial Sheet Metal Shear - 8in. Throat Depth
4
5
3
3
Good tool
I chose the 8" over the 12" as the latter was out of stock and I didn't really need the depth for shearing circuit boards. The limited manual stated that the tool was properly adjusted and tested at the factory. This seemed true while shearing my first boards,however I soon doubted that statement when shearing mild steel, the "jaws" varied from the needed closeness. Investigation found that the main bolt needed a lot of adjustment to bring the jaws into proper alignment. This bolt has two "lock nut" jam nuts which were tight, an indication that the final test did not cut maximum stock. It will now cut bond paper as well as any properly adjusted bed shear.
This evening I cut a SS piano hinge with little effort and the tool worked flawlessly, just be aware to check the adjustment before taking it to maximum stated usage. Since I am using it on a very light, unancored bench, I am considering a backup modified (not modified original, same mechanical advantage) handle that requires a downward motion motion for my light to medium needs. I will use the original handle and mount the shear to the floor for anything from moderate to rated capacity cutting.
I gave it short of 5 stars only because of the adjustment issue. Had the adjustment been correct, I would have given 5.
December 23, 2011
Works for PCB cutting!
I bought this to cut small printed circuit boards from larger panels.
It works pretty good for that. I definitely got my money's worth in the savings of cutting them myself.
The shear is not quite sharp enough to do a great job, and causes crazing along the cut.
I wish that the shear opened farther. The material tends to slip out of the blades very easily.
Recommend bolting it to a stand!
March 21, 2011
shoptools
i puchased this for our shop to cut thin material that was too thick for tin shears but too thin for the band saw.
we mouted it to a heavy duty steel wagon and use it all over our shop.
it has worked very well.
all of the workers are very happy with the ease of use!
May 24, 2010