Sanderson Iron Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Has anyone seen an antique bender like--or better yet not like--a Hossfeld? Are there any old quality versions that are made stiffer and better and make their users smile instead of cuss? Old machinery makes smiles happen in my world. I cannot stand a Hossfeld, but I have to have the darn thing because there're some things only it can do. But dagonne, that's a poorly made, boingy, annoying thing! Mine's a No. 2, and I bought it new, so it's in as good a shape as ever was intended (as if "good" can apply to one at all). Ugh. This is why I bend with a shaper or under a hammer as much as possible. Gee, this is sounding like one of my air hammer rants. No offense to you loyal Hossfeld people, if any exist. Joel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Never seen a Hossfeld style that was heavy-duty and "non-aggravating". Gary Huston showcased his "Miracle Bender" in one of his videos. It was only good for sharp bends up to 90º, but it was definitely a sweet piece of kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Greetings Joel, An antique cold metal do all shopsmith ? I too wish there was such a thing.. When you stopped by for a visit you walked right by mine that I made.. Next time I will give you a demo.. By the way the Whitney angle cutter / bender has a bender device just like the video. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Just a few things I can do with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Greetings Again, The best tool for square bends is my famous old wrench tool. Once you use it it will be the go to tool. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Doubles as a twisting wrench! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmbobnick Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Wow Jim...this is eye candy for someone expanding their tooling by re-purposing stuff. I just got a whole bunch of ideas. Thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Jim Coke - I'm guessing it is a manual machine? Maybe on of the nicest benders I had the opportunity to use was a " Scrolling pin bender".. The 1 is used had a square corner bend attached.. I don't know the name or make.. 30+ years ago is when I had a chance to try it.. By chance what is it that you are trying to bend and up to what size? The pin bender in the shop came in 3 different sizes.. There was maybe a 9 or 10" one, a 15" and a 30" one.. It had the options for round dies or square.. The pins grew in size and the 30" model the pins were 1" tool steel.. It also had bridging dies so it would use more than 1 hole for the pins.. the 30" one have a handle that must have been better than 6ft when fully extended.. maybe went 500lbs or better as well.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Greetings JLP, Yep it’s armstrong... You only see just a few things that I do with it . Notice the rails and staggered pins . Great for straightening. Many other fixtures fit in the hardy with a wedge.. I’m surprised nobody ask what STS means. Bigger stuff I do on the acorn table with pins and forms. And yes I also have a Hossfield. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 What does STS mean? Also, that set up looks like a gate makers wonderland! Very cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Greetings Twisted, All the smiths that see me use it named it ,,. Now that’s slicker than Sh- - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Shinola? I wonder if anyone here remembers that brand of shoe polish. Either way I can see how your work station got it's name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Do you get extra points if you still have a can of Shinola on hand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Definitely Glenn! I haven't seen a can since the early 70s and even then it may have been in my Grandpas shoe shine box for twenty years. Growing up in the American South felt like being frozen in time in some ways. I remember men were still using Pomade in their hair as late as the early eighties here. We had regular and unleaded at the gas pumps and most of the cars on the road had no catalytic converter so no one paid extra for the unleaded. We hot patched tires until they were more patch than tire and stores were closed on Sunday! Not sure whether things are better or worse now but it's cool to see that old can of shoe wax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanderson Iron Posted August 8, 2018 Author Share Posted August 8, 2018 Now Jim, that STS of yours is something to think about! It bends on the vertical, which I'd bet has some advantages keeping things in line. I like it. It looks nice and rigid too, and by bending vertically, it has the floor to back it up. Hmmmm... I thought I'd be back up in your woods long before this. Seems like I get busier in the spring than I remember in the winter, and then I'm behind all summer. 8 hours ago, jlpservicesinc said: By chance what is it that you are trying to bend and up to what size? I use the bender for general bending and straightening cold up to, oh, 1/2" by 2" and hot on up to 2" round. I'd much rather straighten under the hammer, of course, especially taking a lateral curve out of a bend which is supposed to be on a planarity. The thing that bothers me about the Hossfeld is all the flex in it. It's pretty much impossible to form a nice slow curve in flat stock and not have it become a slow spiral. On my tables' frames, that's a problem, of course. I'm making a demilune frame now for a console. I make a template, carefully bend the iron to the line with the Hossfeld, then I have to go over to the vise, take the twist out of it, which ruins the bend of course; so it's back and forth, back and forth. If the Hossfeld were made of more meat (like Jim's bender!) its frame wouldn't twist, and it'd do better work. I'd like to see a "scrolling pin bender" which you mention. Sounds interesting. For repeated bends I use the shaper. That's consistency, but it doesn't allow free-forming and general bending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 On 8/7/2018 at 9:19 AM, Jim Coke said: The best tool for square bends is my famous old wrench tool. Once you use it it will be the go to tool. Jim, i agree, manual forks and wrenches are the best, least expensive and most versatile. ive always had trouble with the adjustable kind opening or closing when doing more than a few bends, so i make mine non adjustable. my set goes from 1\4",3\8",1\2",5\8",3|4",1", 1-1\4",1-1\2",3" they include the wrench and matching fork that fits in my post vice. the forks have a different size on each end, the wrenchs are single sized. i use them for scrolling and most straightening. i do not use them for twisting. lol, simple tools for simple folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judson Yaggy Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 I've never seen a commercially produced antique bender better than the Hossfelds, but there arent many. The Diarcos are stiffer than the Hossfelds in my experiance but less versatile and have smaller capacity. Seems to me that Hossfelds are a pretty simple design. A pro smith disappointed with one could pretty easily bend one up out of say 1x4" 4140, machine some precice holes, and be good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 But, wait a minute.. Making to much sense just removes the ability to complain about something.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Gripe, gripe, gripe. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanderson Iron Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Judson Yaggy said: Seems to me that Hossfelds are a pretty simple design. A pro smith disappointed with one could pretty easily bend one up out of say 1x4" 4140, machine some precise holes, and be good to go. Well, that is true, but I really like old machines and was wondering what else is out there from the old school that would be less annoying. 1 hour ago, jlpservicesinc said: But, wait a minute.. Making too much sense just removes the ability to complain about something.. You have a good point, but there's no way for me to make an old machine--just can't be done. That's my good point. 1 hour ago, Frosty said: Gripe, gripe, gripe. Okay guys! So I had a frustrating day with a machine that annoyed me. Anyone else ever have a day like that? All in fun, fellas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 9 hours ago, Sanderson Iron said: Okay guys! So I had a frustrating day with a machine that annoyed me. Anyone else ever have a day like that? I think that describes my every day! I keep saying I'm going to fab up a bender that mimics the Goliath. It's certainly robust and won't flex like the Hossfeld even if it won't turn a circle. You can find the antique versions (or at least "vintage"), but they're rare as hen's teeth. New ones will set you back more than a grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 On 8/8/2018 at 12:00 AM, Sanderson Iron said: The thing that bothers me about the Hossfeld is all the flex in it. It's pretty much impossible to form a nice slow curve in flat stock and not have it become a slow spiral. Joel, if you are getting spirals you are not inserting the stock "planarally". If the stock is inserted at right angles to the frame it cannot twist...I often run a hossfeld with a helper. My hossfeld, which I built myself, is one of the most used tools in my shop. I had formal training on it, which took the mystery out of it initially, BUT, on the rare occasion (very rare) that I have a problem, I call Hossfeld and they will spend however long needed, however many phone calls to set me straight. Please, before bad mouthing one of the most elegant, beautifully engineered systems available, learn to use it properly. If you find your #2 to be " bendy and twisty" the problem is you, not the hossfeld. Sorry to be so direct but that is just the truth. When used properly there is no twisting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arftist Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 On 8/10/2018 at 8:53 AM, VaughnT said: I keep saying I'm going to fab up a bender that mimics the Goliath. It's certainly robust and won't flex like the Hossfeld even if it won't turn a circle. That does one(1) of hundreds of bends the hossfeld will do. I make most of my own dies (some are so cheap from hossfeld and so hard to make that they are not worth making) I have made dies for 1" OD thin wall stainless tubing up to 2" pipe and 1)2" by 3" edgewise (hard way). My tube and pipe dies will bend to a tighter radius than factory dies without flattening, because of a very simple modification I figured out. Anyone can figure it out if they think on it enough, since there is very little room for change in a pipe die I have made scroll and c-scroll dies when I need a bunch and want them perfect. The hossfeld is the most versatile bender available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.