WoodCentral Forums

Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

Tinknockers equipment? & OT *LINK*

Posts

Tinknockers equipment? & OT *LINK*

#1

Tinknockers equipment? & OT *LINK*

Cooper Suter

>Not exactly the purview of this forum, but there seems to be a broad collective knowledge here.

I got a trailer load of sheetmetal equipment recently, most I already know about, bar folders, slip rolls, stake plates, box and pan brakes, etc.

One piece has me stuck.

It's a Pexto #969 stand for rotary machines.

Heavy cast iron, maybe 3' wide, 5'-6' tall.

Picture any of your basic Pexto rotary crimping, turning, etc. machines. Instead of mounting it on a universal bench clamping type stand, you mount it on a holder w/a pipe nipple type end that then slides into an arm on this #969 stand.

The stand has four arms on a turn table above, and space to store four more machines on their pipes below, in the center there is a holder/dispenser for a roll of coiled stock.

I've got an old Audels sheetmetal book that shows alot of this vintage machinery (easily pre-WWII), but of course it's not handy now.

My real question is how sexy of a piece is this? I'm going to be peddeling it.

I've handle a fair amount of sheetmetal stuff, and this is not a common item for me.

To me it looks like something a hobbiest w/cash (my favorite type of customer) would really think is cool, for looks alone, if not even for use.

On a totally different tack, and drifting dangerously off topic, at the same place, I picked-up a table saw.

Things were cheap, and there was competition, so I lept w/out looking.

At 1st glance, I figured I was buying one of those monster, all cast, 12", 3 to 5 HP, dinosaur type table saws by some defunct US maker of yesteryear.

You know the kind; SERIOUS workers, but big and obsolete.

Maybe worth a couple of hundred to an old power tool geek, or some pallet maker who needs to rip 4" oak all day.

Does the name Northfield ring any bells?

They were a maker of top of the line machinery going back to the 20's.

By all accounts their stuff made Oliver's look like a Ryobi.

Quality never comes cheap, even in the 60's, I gather their tablesaws were $5000+ at a time when Powermatic and Delta were making quality and priced around a fifth less.

I was surprised to find-out that there still is a world class maker of stationary equipment still manufacturing in the US.

It seems that this kind of quality still doesn't come cheap, take a look at their pricelist, but sit down 1st.

The table saws START in the five figures and with nothing more than extensions and sliding tables added go over $30,000!

I'm sure if you have the need, they're worth the $ though.

Coop


Northfield

Re: Tinknockers equipment? & OT *LINK*

#2

Re: Tinknockers equipment? & OT

Todd Hughes

>I knew a guy that has one of these ,another friend of mine that also does copper / tin working calls it a pexto "Christmas Tree" I don't know if that is the real name but that is what he always calls it.Apparently it is a very desirable piece of equipment and not common. The guy that has one paid a good bit for it and drove about 400 mi. to pick it up. My friend always talks about it with awe and usually ends up the conversation with "geeze it even still has the PEXTO sign on the top!" Tin stuff is pretty hot and getting hard to find unless you come across a good school sale I guess.....Todd

Re: Tinknockers equipment? & OT *LINK*

#3

"Apparently it is a very desirable piece....."

Cooper Suter

>Todd,

There isn't any Pexto sign on this one, hopefully we're talking about the same piece.

Care to look in your crystal ball (or whatever it is you use,... maybe the bottom of a gin bottle?), and translate "very desirable piece" into a dollar figure.

Initially, I figured an easy $500 based on the gizmo factor and the "gee, that'd look cool in a shop" factor.

Your saying they're desired adds to my confidence.

I'm trying to peddle it as part of a whole load of stuff, this sheetmetal stuff is to heavy to sell by the piece if you don't have to.

The first person I'm offering it to I sold a stake table and a LOAD of stakes once before. For that deal, I'd priced everything individually at E-bayish figures, we both did good when they took it all.

Thanks, Coop.

PS, Haven't really been digging to much the last year or so, trying to get some other things put to bed. Have been getting a slow trickle of stuff, nothing killer, Bedrocks, chisels, a rosewood plow over the summer, but enough to feed the jones now and then. Planning to get back after it this winter. Really gotta come up w/a permannent warehousing situaution; 18'x20' storage unit 12' high, neighbors garage, my garage, the basement......not enough room.

Re: Tinknockers equipment? & OT *LINK*

#4

Northfield customer service OT

Cooper Suter

>I'd registered the table saw w/Northfield because they offered free safety stickers, helps w/resale.

As part of that contact, I queried about possible dates of manufacture.

One day response! And from a VP to boot.

"MR SUTER:

THE SAW SHIPPED FROM OUR PLANT ON 4/20/1966

IT SHIPPED TO OUR DISTRIBUTOR FREEMAN SUPPLY IN TOLEDO, OH

YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTACT WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS SAW SINCE IT WAS BUILT IN 1966.

NO PARTS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED FOR IT THAT WE ARE AWARE OF.

JEFF MACHACEK – VP/TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE"

A friend had met the then owner of Northfield at a trade show in the 80's.

My friend had said it was a family business run by pleasant BUT particular old school Polish tradesmen/businessmen.

If your from any midwest former industrial town (Toledo, Detroit, Chicago, etal) you know the type.

Impressive record keeping and response after 40 years.

They must have some real pride in their product.

Coop

👍 This page answered my questions

Your vote helps other woodworkers quickly find the answers and techniques that actually work in the shop.