# Road Trip To Woodward Fab In Hartland, Mi



## BGHansen (Dec 4, 2016)

I do a fair amount of sheet metal work reproducing old Erector set parts.  Most of them are small (around 5/16" x 1") and require some fine trimming.  My Tennsmith 37" stomp shear works great, but I wanted something to do finer trimming.  I've been looking at a 4-ton 6" x 6" sheet metal notcher for years, just never pulled the trigger.  Fortunately for me, Woodward Fab is only about an hour away from me.  They specialize in sheet metal working equipment; shears, notchers, brakes, stretcher/shrinkers, English wheels, etc.  Took a vacation day Friday and went on a road trip.

I know, if you don't have photos it didn't happen . . . my phone battery died so no photos of their shop (yet).  I didn't do a head count, but they have a staff of roughly 25 people.  The shop has 4 or 5 Bridgeport or equivalent mills, a couple of CNC lathes, a Nardini 14 x 30 lathe and a Colchester 13" lathe.  Many welders too.

The scariest thing about the shop is the demonstration area.  You can play on an English wheel, work a shrinker/stretcher, use a throatless shear, etc.  Scary because my intent was to ONLY buy the 4-ton notcher.  Ended up buying an 8" metal shear also.  What sold me (Woodward Fab's John Jones is a fantastic salesman . . .) was trimming less than 1/16" off some 18-gauge stock without any roll over on the edge.

I'm "afraid" there'll be another trip in my future, looking really hard at one of their throatless shears.  The 8" one I bought works great, but it can only cut outside radii or straight lines.  I have some projects that need some inside radius cuts also.  I PROMISE next time to check the phone battery before I leave!

Bruce


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## hman (Dec 4, 2016)

How about some photos of the Erector Set parts you create?

Back when I was a kid, I had both an Erector set and a Märklin Metallbaukasten (sent from Germany by some relatives).  IIRC, the hole spacing and shaft diameters were compatible, so I was able to create some "international" gadgets.


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## BGHansen (Dec 4, 2016)

Hi John,

Here are a few.  Not all involve sheet metal work.  I've made rubber molds to cast polyester resin (screwdriver handles) and lead.  Lots of brass turned parts too.  Some gear cutting.

Not to bore you too much with my life, but I was really deep into collecting these sets starting around 16 years ago.  I started losing interest a few years ago and got over the "gotta have it, can't part with it" mentality.  I had a lot of almost impossible to find things, but they just set on a shelf since they should only be shown off.  I had one of the nicest 1919 Brik-tor (metal block set) anyone had seen.  I sold it a couple of years ago for $600 and bought a 4-axis DRO for my mill.  Best thing I ever did.  I had three 1919 No. 44 Master Engineer sets; most guys in the collecting club have never seen one, let alone the three I had.  I sold them for $1500, $1000 and $750 each.  Bought a TIG welder, Hobart MIG welder and who knows what else in my shop.

I've met a lot of great guys in the A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society (www.acghs.org) and will continue to go to shows.  Making parts lets me putter around in my shop and still b.s. with buddies who are still into the sets.  My "high" is finding better ways to make stuff.  My main competition and I made a brass part (DT for Erector collectors) that we could do around 4 or 5 per hour, sold them for $7 each.  I made up some fixtures and now can make 15-17 per hour and charge $3 or $4 each.

Bruce


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## 4GSR (Dec 4, 2016)

Bruce, quite a nice collection of "repro" parts you have there.  I still dab a little in the Erector sets, too.  Just sold my last five  8-1/2 sets I collected, inventoried, and organized.  I too made most of my cardboard inserts and a few parts like the NH light sockets.  I also found a source for the tractor tread clips used on the later treads. Not talking about the ones from Classic Tin Toys either.  Ken


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## hman (Dec 5, 2016)

Wowsers!  Don't recognize some of the parts, but others were _very_ familiar, and brought back some memories.  Thank you very much for the photos!!!


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## BGHansen (Dec 5, 2016)

4gsr said:


> Bruce, quite a nice collection of "repro" parts you have there.  I still dab a little in the Erector sets, too.  Just sold my last five  8-1/2 sets I collected, inventoried, and organized.  I too made most of my cardboard inserts and a few parts like the NH light sockets.  I also found a source for the tractor tread clips used on the later treads. Not talking about the ones from Classic Tin Toys either.  Ken


Hi Ken,

Thanks for the compliments!  I've made up dozens of the NH's also, get the lamp sockets from Radio Shack, turn the brass bottom and solder them together.  Made/repaired lots of other stuff too.  Made many metal trays for the red wooden boxed sets (love punching the ~200 holes), parts for the #C airplane sets, #B Ferris wheel, etc.  Always nice to get out in the shop and turn a raw piece of metal into something "useful".

Bruce


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## 4GSR (Dec 5, 2016)

Yeah, good old Radio Shack.  I don't know where to find them now since our Rat Shack closed out that part of the business.  Used to go in and clean them out of the light sockets on hand.  I didn't like their light bulbs, they wouldn't engage the light socket very good.  Found another source for the light bulbs, some old NOS GE one's.  OF course this has been a few years ago.

I tried to make some of the screwdrivers like you do.  Mine didn't come out as good.  Had to pack it all away when we moved so I didn't get a chance to improve on my process.  I picked up a bunch of NOS Stanley cabinet screw drivers that had the correct shape blade for the"red" handle screwdrivers.  Prepared a bunch of shanks to cast the plastic handle and that is as far as it has progressed.  Have intentions of trying it again some day.  Ken


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