Samson Angle Bender No1

[Dieselman 63]

Hello all,

It's thanks to someone on here that I'm writing this - they recommended I sell a little vice I quite liked but didn't really use anymore. There's a shop quite a way from me but a mecca for tools, and the other day I noticed they had a nice old bar bender, so I took my little vice in and asked if I could get some money off with it, and they did! Managed to whittle the price down from $140 to $80, then with $30 off for the vice I ended up at $50 (25 quid).

I can't express how heavy this thing is. It was a right pain to get home, even with a wheelie suitcase, but I managed and here it is sitting in the workshop, though I won't mount it to this bench

I am aware that the long handle is missing, and that's where I need some help. Someone must have one of these and know the length needed. Also, is the green paint original? It's bubbling in places and I can see red and grey underneath, could be primer but something jsut doesn't seem right about the application of the green, it's gotten into all the threads and the hex-nuts were just painted over, seems odd and not very factory-finish. Help and any pictures are most welcome!

Here it is after I worked out how to take it all apart, so that I can begin cleaning the rust off

The steel (assume the machined parts are steel) looks to be good quality, but the cast is a little off. Does anyone have any history of these things?

Thanks so much - if it's not supposed to be green I may have to do a full restoration to keep my ocd at bay!

 

[cumbriasteve]

That is a total bargain, rough and battered one's sell here for £100 and one as tidy as that could go for over £200 fairly easily and in the right place and the right time touch £300, simply because the buyer would know it will last forever and worth the premium price.

The market now has Chinese copies for around £240 but they are not a patch on the original quality.

They were very common in most fabrication shops and blacksmiths, you really have acquired a great bit of kit there...am jealous

 

[Dieselman 63]

Wow! Yeah I thought it looked pretty good but I had no idea they were worth that much!

 

[cumbriasteve]

The handle was just a lump of flat bar about 40mm x 10mm or around that size, probably close to a metre long with a rubber sleeve at the end for comfort.

 

[arther dailey]

victory !

 

[magnet]

Thats a cracker at a bargain price ................Well done

 

[Dieselman 63]

Thanks for all the comments Quite chuffed now. Is the green original does anyone know?

 

[cumbriasteve]

Fairly sure I have seen them in that colour before, this photo of a similar bender also suggests they were, although I suspect the shade is a bit off because the owner has done a restoration and not got it quite right.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Interesting - on that one I think the handle has been welded and my pet hate, milled surfaces painted.

On mine today I ground off the rivets holding the plaque on and revealed a dark sea grey, with red oxide primer under so I think that must be it. Pretty sure mine has been repainted as I discovered a tiny hex grub screw in the pivot axle, I love discovering things under caked paint! Soaked it in kerosene for a few hours, finally got it moving.

Does anyone know how to strip paint from metal? There's too many nooks to use wire brushing or chiselling. I want to put it back into original grey. Also, any old adverts of these around or any idea of age? Thanks!

 

[cumbriasteve]

Green ones did exist, grey was very common and if it was under the plate then that's it's correct colour by the looks of it.

Sometimes retailers had them finished in their own colours with their own brand name on, just the same as today when you can buy a mig and find it is identical to another brand apart from the name and colour.

Search for miracle bender which is one of the most common names for them.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=m...ved=0ahUKEwjBpaT2mtTNAhUBCsAKHRReC3sQ_AUIBygC

 

[Dieselman 63]

Hello,

I have been having fun taking this thing apart and putting it all back together again, as well as finding small bits of rod that deserve a 90 degree bend in them. Even without the handle it bends so easily, and I'm starting to like it even more than I did when I bought it. It's also becoming clear that the green paint is a later addition - I think the guy said it came out of a polytech clear out, which might explain the light wear, definitely not a daily user although they did manage to get paint in all the screw threads and even cover up some of the important Allen key slots. I had fun digging this one out (completely smothered), and bent a Chinese Allen key in the process. It's stupid that I've got 30 year old Vitrex ones better than brand new ones. Soaked it in kerosene to try and get the crap out from the oil hole and it came free after a few hours sitting in it.

I'm nearly done scraping paint off all the bits that are meant to be bare metal. Under some of the green is the original grey and red oxide primer, so I do a test on each bit I'm not sure of to see if it's meant to be painted or not. The bending iron (assume that's what it's called?) doesn't look to have been turned around much in its life. The whole thing is in really great condition.

Finally a shot of the proper colour. The paint is all wrinkly - is that a special type of paint or something that happens to old paint? I'm going to repaint it back into gloss dark grey and try to touch up the plaque.

Off to town tomorrow to see what I can get in terms of paint stripper, and also paint.

Thanks for looking

 

[Dieselman 63]

Paint stripping is underway. I found a nice range of metal paint here (if anyone else from NZ is interested):

http://www.whiteknightpaints.co.nz/specialty-paints/metal/rust-guard/topcoat/epoxy-enamel/

Available from Bunnings warehouse, and they'll tint it for free! Did a test swatch and it paints sooo much nicer than Hammerite. It's also cheaper and you get twice as much. Is it just me or is Hammerite different than it used to be? Finding it a bit gloopy, and the lid always gets caked up with gunk. I used it in the past and it used to be different, thinner. Wish I'd used this stuff on my vice now but you live and learn.

Anyway, I found this whilst stripping back the layers. Any ideas as to meaning?

Cheers

 

[Dieselman 63]

Some progress of late. Made one image on MS Paint to save repetitive posting. I worked the paint stripper into the underside of the bender and lifted all the green - it appeared to be machined on the edge and only red oxide primed in the middle, so I decided to follow the factory finish. The slider gets a coat of paint, but needs another which I'll give it once the entire thing has a first coat. Anyway, here's what I've done so far. Masking tape to protect crap getting into the holes.

Cheers

 

[Dieselman 63]

It's been a busy few days since I last posted, and I've finally managed to get all the paint off the base, which means I can start painting it all over again . The previous owner really did get that green paint everywhere and I've spent ages scraping, chiselling and brushing it off, but it's done. Only the arm to go now . Today was sunny which means the paint might actually dry in the time it's supposed to , so I set up a saw horse with it outside to catch some rays.

Obviously I'll clean up all the milled surfaces at the end. Think I'll give it one more coat of red oxide, then two of the gloss grey.

 

[zardoz]

looks nice. could do with one of them myself. I love the old school stuff, its so solid and substantial.

 

[Dieselman 63]

looks nice. could do with one of them myself. I love the old school stuff, its so solid and substantial.

Substantial it is. I've gone to gently push it a few times whilst painting and ended up being the one moving!

 

[nickk]

these are BUILT i've put thousands of bars thru mine -it was s/h when i got it & had been welded right thru the centre [pivot] & i've welded it again about 24 years ago ,again snapped in half thru the pivot pin ,yet it still performs day after day ,i use a soft jaw on it when doing hot bends. will measure & report handle length.

 

[Dieselman 63]

will measure & report handle length.

Thanks that'd be great. I'm on the final stage now, the first coat of grey has gone on the base and the arm is in primer. Hoping to get the second coat done tomorrow.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Some photos of the first coat for you to look at. The paint looks a bit weird under the lights, hopefully it's not rainy tomorrow so I can get some better pictures. It's my first time using PPG White Knight paint, and it takes 16 hours before you can re-coat. It feels so much nicer than the sticky Hammerite I used on the Record.

Bit of mucking about, showing where the plaque will go once it's all dry. I used a Humbrol tinlet to touch up the missing black areas.

One more coat on the base to go, then I need to clean those milled surfaces. The arm is still in primer, you can just see it poking into shot.

Cheers

 

[cumbriasteve]

Well I have liked all you have done but I am afraid I have to be honest and I don't like that colour at all, I would have went for grey myself to keep in age with it, probably just my OCD viewpoint