Beverly Shears/whitney punch

RictherBelmont · Post by **RictherBelmont** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:46 am

after about six or seven years of on again off again armouring, I've finally decided to make the big leap to beverly shears, and a whitney punch.

I am fairly well educated about beverly shears, am shooting for a new B2. I can not seem to find a place to buy a new pair online. Most things are through phone or some convoluted -order and we will deliever to a store.

I have never had much luck with telephone ordering and really do not have access to any large distributors like harbour frieght. (i live at the END of no where).

Any one happen to have a link to a place I could pick up a pair online and pay for it through paypal or such?

Also, going to be getting a roper whitney punch. Drills really just have not been cutting it for me the last few years. Bounching around, drill bits breaking, bah!

Sort of having a similar problem with the info on the punch selection. Alot of websites are seem big on trying to sell the junior no. 5. I do not know. that just seems a little small and underpowered.

I am a big aficiando of rasing, and have been raising most of my projects the last four years. I love working in 12 gauge for helm bowls, and cops, and this junior no. 5 seems a little weak for that. I can't find an actual ratings for the various punches, and advice, and links to a place where i could pick one up?

Ric B.

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:28 am

You are right, a 5jr would not be much fun on 12g. A #7 or 8 would be a better choice for that gage. http://roperwhitney.com/punching/punching.cfm

http://www.irvansmith.com/catalog2/part ... hear.shtml
http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?item ... e=CATEGORY

You can often find these tools on ebay.

Robert P. Norwalt · Post by **Robert P. Norwalt** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 5:13 am

And here:

http://www.pexto.com/

and a great overall Metalworking/Smithing supply link.

http://www.artmetal.com/project/TOC/supplier.html

Looks like the Irvan Smith guy's have the best price.

e-Bay sometimes have them up, but you'll end up paying near new price for something you don't have the ability to check out first.

Konstantin the Red · Post by **Konstantin the Red** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:24 am

Ricther, the No. 5 Jr will easily -- easily -- handle anything 16 gauge mild on down, and will tackle 14 gauge mild with only somewhat more difficulty. Since most holes punched in armor components are within two inches of some edge of the plate, and thus within the throat depth of the No. 5, and since you get clean, finished holes in seconds, you'll wonder how you ever got along without one.

A punch generally has less trouble getting through thicker metal if the punch itself is of small diameter.

The Whitney No. 7 and No. 8 are for jobs that are more humungous than armourers usually encounter. They can take larger punches and dies, including a slot-shaped punch and die, and they are because of their bigger dies better adapted to punching solid mail links out than the No. 5, but the 5 has handy portability which makes it enormously useful.

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 2:27 pm

Mc Master part NO. 3796A3
Universal Bench-Mount Shear 3-1/8" Max Cut L, 10 Ga Mild Stl/14 Ga Ss Cut Cap
In stock at $801.92 Each

3450A11 Mc master Carr punch.
___________________________________________________
Eastwood Co.
Beverly Shear Throatless Model B2
This is the famous Beverly Shear that top custom car builders use. Throatless design lets you turn your work at any angle for straight, curved, even irregular cuts with ease and accuracy. Powerful leverage through rack and pinion gearing. Easily cuts 10 gauge mild steel and 14 gauge stainless.Tool steel ...
$849.99
Item No. 28009
Related Searches: beverly shear | beverly

I had mine shipped from Eastwood Co.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Hal

Jurgen · Post by **Jurgen** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:16 pm

I believe Centuar Forge also sells Beverl Shears.

Jurgen

schreiber · Post by **schreiber** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:06 am

B2:

http://www.metalcrafttools.com/tools.html

This is actually a link from this site - check the other armory supplies sites.

Also fish on the classifieds page. I got mine from a fellow archiver.

Note that while it goes through 16g mild like butter, cutting 12g mild on the B2 is NOT FUN. Cutting 16g stainless on the B2 is NOT FUN. If you're doing thicker stuff as a rule, and you don't turn green and rip your shirt while making armor, then I'd suggest going with a B3 if possible.

Whitney punch:

I own a #8, and I am never, ever getting rid of it. However, once you swap dies about twice you're going to want more than one. A 4-minute tool change to make one hole is really aggrivating. I have a #8 and a #5jr, so I can load two different dies at a time, but I'll probably end up getting a couple more of each as soon as I can afford it.

Personally, the solid link thing turned out to be ineffective for me. But I don't regret having a 1/2" die for the #8, because it makes for great inside edges between a poleyn and its fan.

You could go with the roper-whitney site to get one; they pass you on to a local distributor who only works over the phone and charges you waaaaay too much. If you want specialty dies (like the aforementioned oblong dies) or regular dies for a #7 or #8, and you can't make 'em, you have to do this.

ebay is ebay, you'll end up spending $50 more than you should.

I would email Iron Monger, as he usually has stuff around that's not on his website.

Kilkenny · Post by **Kilkenny** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:19 am

Konstantin the Red wrote:Ricther, the No. 5 Jr will easily -- easily -- handle anything 16 gauge mild on down, and will tackle 14 gauge mild with only somewhat more difficulty.
<snip>
The Whitney No. 7 and No. 8 are for jobs that are more humungous than armourers usually encounter. They can take larger punches and dies, including a slot-shaped punch and die, and they are because of their bigger dies better adapted to punching solid mail links out than the No. 5, but the 5 has handy portability which makes it enormously useful.

Guess it depends on how many 16 gauge helms one is making.

I blew up a couple of no. 5's before getting an 8 from Ironmonger.

Gavin

MacGowan Metals · Post by **MacGowan Metals** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:57 am

schreiber wrote:Note that while it goes through 16g mild like butter, cutting 12g mild on the B2 is NOT FUN. Cutting 16g stainless on the B2 is NOT FUN. If you're doing thicker stuff as a rule, and you don't turn green and rip your shirt while making armor, then I'd suggest going with a B3 if possible.

I have the B3. It isnt as good as the B2 at making inside curve cuts. I wouldn't recommend it as the only shear in your arsenal.

Jason

Sasuke · Post by **Sasuke** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:21 pm

I work mostly in stainless so that probably affects my choice. I would not buy a no. 5 jr. for production. I have a couple of the jr.s for travel use but I much prefer the ease and sturdiness of the larger ones.

Chris

Konstantin the Red · Post by **Konstantin the Red** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:45 am

I do hope we come up with more details on this topic; I'm learning stuff here. :shock:

<--happy scholar face, not wanting to miss a thing...

Now I'd like to float another shop notion: drill presses break fewer bits than handheld power drills, and a decent freestanding drill press costs less than a new Beverly -- you could find a pretty talented one for about a third of a new B2's 850-ish price. Boring a hole in sheet metal isn't as fast as punching it, true, but the reason people buy drill presses is for both their good precision and their pretty fair working speed. So, what about pairing a No. 5 Jr. punch with a mid-price drill press <s>if the budget is only going to allow so much</s>? Oh, wait, you're looking for a shear too...

Halberds · Post by **Halberds** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:56 am

I can cut .090 6061-T6 aluminum on my B-2 just fine, however I tried some 10 ga. mild hot rolled and felt it was too much. I did not want to push my mistress. If she got sprung I would be devastated.

Keep her lubed up nice and feed her gently. :wink:

Hal

Ps: I love my floor standing drill press, the table rotates and tilts so I clamp a 2 x 4 on it and can drill all the holes in a spangen.

RictherBelmont · Post by **RictherBelmont** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:06 pm

Enormous help, thanks fella's

Especially some of the info regarding the various sizes of punches.

arty dave · Post by **arty dave** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:47 pm

Sasuke, how do you go punching stainless?, which punch do you use and how long do your dies last?

So I take it you cant buy direct from roper whitney?
If so, whos good to buy from?

Cheers, Dave
($aving, $aving...)

Raimond · Post by **Raimond** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:17 pm

Now for my two pence.

I recommend the B-2 Beverly Shear. Avoid the foreign made knock offs. You are investing in a tool you should only have to buy once. The Beverly Shear brand are very durable. Don't feel as though you need a new one. If you get a used one from a tool company or ebay, you can always get new blades.

As for the Whitney Punch, I recommend at least a #10. If you are going to buy a tool to make your life easier, do yourself a favor and invest in leverage. I picked up a #20 (a bit more power than the #10) on ebay a few years back and spent around $250. Mind you, I use mine for more industial applications, not just armour. It goes through steel up to 3/8" like butter. Again these heavier duty tools are bulletproof. Just get a new set of punches. The punches can be purchased direct from roperwhitney.com AKA pexto.com.

Good luck.

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:50 pm

arty dave wrote:Sasuke, how do you go punching stainless?, which punch do you use and how long do your dies last?

So I take it you cant buy direct from roper whitney?
If so, whos good to buy from?

Cheers, Dave
($aving, $aving...)

They make punches for SS, I think that the clearance is a few thousandths different. (mild might have 0.003" clearance, and ss might have 0.006" clearance, or something like that) I haven't checked the website to see if they still make them.

A B2 will cut 10g mild just fine.

Sasuke · Post by **Sasuke** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 9:29 pm

arty dave wrote:Sasuke, how do you go punching stainless?, which punch do you use and how long do your dies last?

So I take it you cant buy direct from roper whitney?
If so, whos good to buy from?

Cheers, Dave
($aving, $aving...)

I use the same punches as with mild. I have a no. 7 (or is it 7 1/2?), an 8, and a 6. I don't really like the 6 because of the way the head pivots. I love the other two.
I keep one up with a 7/32 punch and die and the other with a 1/8 punch and die since those two are what I use most often.
I have heard of using a slightly larger die but haven't tried that.
I have had punches and dies last for years.
I bought all of my punches from ebay or other auctions. I never paid more than $50 for one I don't think. You have to be patient and read the descriptions carefully though.

Chris