WRH51 Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Does any one have info on a Henry Pels & Co Ironworker? I got a deal on a mechanical ironwoker awhile back and am getting it up and running. Shears angle, round and square bar and plate fine. Also has a notching shear and area for punching which looks like it could be uses for other applications. Appears to be adjustable. Any info would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevan Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 No info unfortunately, but quite a bit of envy! Kevan;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-hr Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Could you post some pictures of it? I can't really help you with information, but I bought a big mechanical ironworker a few years ago, and don't know what brand it is. I haven't set it up, I'm kind of scared of it. I was told it would shear 1 inch plate, but don't know if I want to be in the same county when the lever trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aametalmaster Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I would like to see some pics also...Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRH51 Posted April 16, 2008 Author Share Posted April 16, 2008 Took some pics last night. There are several areas to make adjustments on the punch area of the iron worker. I want to make sure everything is aligned before I start using the punch. I'm not a fan of shrapnel. I does have a lever to move the punch by hand to check this alignment but it appears that the stroke is adjustable also. Anyway, capacity is 1" round and Square stock. 3/8" plate on the shear and nother. 3/8 3x3 angle. I can't remember the punch capacities. I hope someone has some info on this machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseRidge Posted April 16, 2008 Share Posted April 16, 2008 THAT is some serious metal.... Be interesting to see what it (and you) can do.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 Sounds like about 40 tons, should be able to punch .75" hole in .5" mild steel. Looks to be fairly complete, exept drive motor, switch, drive belts and guards. Requires 2 hp at 1725 rpm. To line up punch and die, manualy roll the larger flywheel towards you while depressing foot petal, slowly. Adjust for even clearance all around. Heart shaped guard should cover both fly-wheels and drive belts. Also VERY IMPORTANT, the cover over the notcher at the oposite end from the punch Must always be down, not up as in picture. Realize that when you engage the clutch, all three work stations engage. This is certainly a machine to be respected, but not feared. A very productive machine, in some ways better than a modern hydraulic version. Some where on the large flywheel, there should state rpms, you can use this to determine pully size for drive motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRH51 Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share Posted May 5, 2008 Plate list punch capacity as 3/4 in 3/8 plate and 11/16 in 1/2 plate. I have the motor, leather drive belt and guard. I think this was made to run off a line shaft as the motor mount plate and guard do not appear to be original. The notcher will act independently of the notcher and shear on the other end, two seperate engagements. The punch also has a hand lever to move the punch up and down to check the clearence without engaging the pedal. I was wondering if the punch attachment could be removed and replaced with other attachment such as a brake. I have some punch/die set ups that came off of a punch press. Don't know the technical name but they have the sleeve bearings that ride on guide posts for precise movement. Would be neat if I could use them on the ironworker. Thanks for the info arftist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Yes you could remove the punch holder and the die holder and replace them with a die stock, BUT, set up for a brake would require such presice adjustment, that It would probably be faster to put your brake attachment in an h-frame press, unless you were planning to do huge amounts of the exact same bend. before you mount other tooling, I recomend buying a die maker's text so you can determine the force required for the job you want to do, thereby not overloading and crashing your press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rigger Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 The little bit of info I have is: Pels and Company, Henry 90 West St. New York, NY 10006 I show machines were manufactured between 1919 and 1935. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryPels Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 We have just found your posting re an old Pels Ironworker and we are the original manufacturers. If you still have the machine we may be able to help you identify the model number and also quote you for the missing spare parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted September 19, 2008 Share Posted September 19, 2008 HenryPels What information do you need in order to identify this machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HenryPels Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Hello Glen, Only just joined the I Forge site, and found your letter. If it is a Pels steelworker we may be able to help, as we serviced Pels steelworkers up to 1939, and then built our own from then on. We do have some records to support our machines. Please contact us via this site, or email us at henrypels@btconnect.com, with as many details/photos etc as you have. Our address is Henry Pels Ltd, 34, Montague Close, Walton-on-Thames Surrey KT12 2NQ. UK Tel: 0044 (0)1932 240707 Fax: 0044 (0) 1932 247638 Best wishes Chris Tauchert Managing Director sent 29/9/2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratel10mm Posted September 30, 2008 Share Posted September 30, 2008 Good grief! That's just down the road from where I used to live! Wish I'd kown that back then. I don't have one of your machines, but I have seen them or similar & was very impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRH51 Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 The model on the machine is MK 10. If you have an operation and maintenance manual for this machine that would be extremely helpful. Any info would be helpful. Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Thompson Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 I had a Pels ironworker. It was hugely impressive, I even bought a bar of 1.75'' square to see if the machine would do what the plate said it would...it did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Parramore Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 I just came across this thread, I recently bought a Pels Nibbler and was going to post this; Henry Pels Ltd but saw they have posted now but this seems an easier link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARNWRKR Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 I too just bought a manual Pels Ironworker (or as we spell here in KS Arnwrkr) I also have pictures post on a website www.myweldingshop.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olek Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 We just bought a Henry Pels Ironworker, and are setting it up. The seller said he bought it new when he first went into business, and although he was pretty old, that doesn't seem so plausible. It has been motorized, and cuts well from what we tried. We cleaned off the decades of grease it was covered with, reversed the bronze bearings for the flywheel shaft which we had to remove to get it in the elevator to our shop, and that appears to be about all it needs. We have a box of punches and dies. I have attached some photos of it partially cleaned up. Henry Pels- if you have a manual that would be greatly appreciated. What sort of parts are available? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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