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Outstanding on your Roof

milk paint, member

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Outstanding On Your Roof

My favorite wall hanging tool is this hand forged, roofing tin, standing seam bender from the late 1800’s.
This tool was placed over the edge of a piece of roofing tin, tightened when the tin was showing in the sight holes revealing the proper depth of the bend.

The first bend could be made while on the ground, but the final crimp had to be made on the pitched roof using both hands.  This was a dangerous situation as one had to maintain balance on the steep roof.

This rare roofing bending tool bent both sides of one piece tin to a vertical angle of 4” high.  The piece of tin next to it was bent in a vertical angle of 2” on both sides.  Then the tool bent 2 inches of the 4” side down over the connecting tin making the seam look like an upside down “U”.  To become permanently fastened to the roof lathe, the tin was blind nailed to the lathe before the tool crimped the flattened “U”.  When a roof was crimped together with this tool, a standing seam roof lasts over 100 years.  The roof was then painted to keep from rusting.

This is my favorite as a practical and functional tool. 

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Comments (1)

kvfarrell writes: I used the complete set of these tools for twelve years in VT. We made single and double lock standing seam with a set of forged tools from NC. We had two edge brakes that could be set from 1" to 2 1/2" then we used an ingenious foot brake that made the cap bend for single or double lock. Most of our roof work was done standing on hook ladders and using hand seamer or later with a new fangled lever made in germany.

Check out the roof on the cathedral of Notre Dam in paris.
Posted: 11:40 am on February 15th

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