Shrinker Stretchers ????

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kstones63
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Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by kstones63 »

Does anybody have any experience with the Eastwood or Woodward Fab shrinker stretcher?
http://www.eastwood.com/shrinker-stretc ... -jaws.html
http://www.woodwardfab.com/product/wfss10-2/
I am looking to get a set and I am not sure which one.
The Eastwood doesn't have to change jaws to go from one to the other but is the Woodward Fab a better unit?

Kevin
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foodstick
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Re: Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by foodstick »

I have the Eastwood ones. Seemed to work pretty well for me.
LM14
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Re: Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by LM14 »

I have a cheapo china made one and a high dollar us made that I've had for 25 years. There is virtually no difference in the machines themselves but the quality of the working dies is very different.

The cheaper shrinkers work fine but the stretching die is awful on the Chinese one. It will usually tear/break the metal instead of shrinking it. In all fairness most of my work was with .040 to .060 aluminum. I have used it on 20ga steel and it worked better.

I have used a Woordward Fab unit and it worked fine. After looking at several different ones when I bought my second one so I didn't have to change dies, I wish I had gone with the Eastwood setup from the start but the didn't offer them when I got my first one.

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Re: Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by kstones63 »

James had suggested these to me.
https://www.tinmantech.com/html/lancast ... etcher.php

This one is a little more expensive but it is made in the USA but I will have to change the jaws to use the shrinker or stretcher.

Any thoughts on this one.

Kevin
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Re: Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by LM14 »

My better one is a Vic Irvin https://www.irvansmith.com/scart/tools- ... 3_101.html

My cheapo doesn't have a name of any kind on it.

There are supposedly only 2 grades of the off-shore stuff. When I got my cheapo, they said the gray, blue or silver were the "good" ones and the red or yellow ones were the junky ones. I've seen a red one and it was broken where the jaw pivots from the handle.

SPark
1932 Ford 5 window coupe. 302/C4
1962 8V-390/C6 Unibody Short Bed Soon to be Big Window - The Lincoln that never was
2013 F150 Super Crew Eco Boost 4x4
2015 Ford Edge for the little lady, because she said so!
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JOSHF100
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Re: Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by JOSHF100 »

I picked up a pair at Harbor Freight... I've never used any others to compare.. but i did make this patch with them.

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Re: Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by castruck_1964 »

Mine are Mittler brothers and have had no problems with them. Personally I would not go for single body and swapping Jaws.
sometimes we go a little to far one way and need to bring it back or depending one what you are making it may require both shrinking and stretching and it would be a PITA to keep switching them back and forth.
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Re: Shrinker Stretchers ????

Post by kstones63 »

I finally ordered a set and they arrived this week. Now I can go out and make the new chain guard for my Grandson's bicycle. Kind of an expensive way to make a chain guard but he is worth it. :lol:

https://www.tinmantech.com/html/lancast ... etcher.php

This is what I bought. I decided to go with the USA made tool.

Kevin
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