Photo Index - Peck, Stow & Wilcox Co. (PEXTO) - Model #G172C 16g Metal Shear

Machinery Photo Index

Manufactured/Badged by:
Peck, Stow & Wilcox Co. (PEXTO)
Southington, CT, Cleveland, OH

Machine Specifications
Machine Class:	Metal Working Machinery
Machine Type:	Other
Machine Size:	6'
Submitted By:	Randy Sauder

Machine Specifications
Description/Model:	Model #G172C 16g Metal Shear
Date of Manufacturer:	1943
Serial Number:	F3354
Last Updated	3/18/2025 3:47:59 AM

Comments:

This six foot 16g Shear was built by the Peck Stow & Wilcox Company. Its rich history began on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor bringing the United States into WWII. Weeks later on January 23, 1942, Bell Aircraft Corporation announced plans to build a 40,000 employee plant in Marietta, Georgia. It was next to Rickenbacker Field, named after WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Over the next 15 months Bell built the plant known as Air Force Plant #6, a mammoth 4.2 million-square-foot facility. One of the tools Bell purchased for Plant #6 was this shear built in 1943 by the Peck Stow & Wilcox Company. Pexto dates back to 1797 and was a major American tool manufacturer in the 18th and early 19th centuries. From 1943-1945 this shear helped build 663 Boeing B-29 Superfortress long range bombers to face the Axis enemies. It was a B-29 (from a different plant) that dropped the atomic bombs ending the war with Japan.

Bell closed its Marietta operation at wars end and the government used the Marietta facility to store surplus items like this shear. However, in 1950 when the Korean war erupted the facility was purchased by The Lockheed Corporation (later Lockheed Martin) and the shear was once again put in service for the country. It continued cutting sheet metal for Hercules C-130’s (first built in 1956), the C5 Galaxy (largest production aircraft built in the United States), P-3 Orion (sub hunter), and other Lockheed aircraft used in Vietnam and later. Sometime around the 1990’s (?) the shear was sold as surplus and ended up at the Dalton Display & Wire Co., Dalton, Georgia, where it continued in metal fabrication service.

In 2018 the company no longer needed the shear and I became its proud owner. Being so heavy, it took two fork lifts to load on the moving truck that would bring it the half hour trip to my home. The 3-phase motor, bearings and cutting blade were changed more than once over the years. However, not much is otherwise different from when it first came off the production line over 80 years ago. Most of the 2024-2025 restoration time was spent cleaning, scraping, sanding, wiping, painting and re-greasing bearings. Electrolysis was required to remove rust from certain parts like the back stop. A new ON/OFF switch holder and two table extensions to replace missing originals were also built.

After cutting countless 1000’s of square feet of sheet metal in support of WWII, Korea and Vietnam aircraft production followed by peacetime use it only seemed fitting that the girl got a makeover. And now, thanks to her original built quality, she is working as good as new.

Photo 1:

Comments: The shear after 2024 restoration
Source: Personal photo taken by Randy Sauder

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Photo 2:

Comments: The shear when purchased in 2018
Source: Personal photo by Randy Sauder

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Photo 3:

Comments: Restoration 90% done
Source: Personal photo by Randy Sauder

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Photo 4:

Comments: The Shear ID Plate
Source: Personal photo by Randy Sauder

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Photo 5:

Comments: Back view showing the adjustable back stop.
Source: Personal photo by Randy Sauder

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Photo 6:

Comments: Left side of the back stop.
Source: Personal photo by Randy Sauder

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