by Jeff Stortz | Feb 3, 2023 | Projects, Uncategorized
A major thanks to Gillespie Contracting for the invitation to this copper and slate installation. Marcelino is an incredibly skilled slate worker blending a variety of sizes for look. The panels are 1″ mechanical lock roll formed in 16oz copper. Scroll...
by Jeff Stortz | Jan 27, 2023 | Uncategorized
Mechanical lock panels are a tried and true part of the metal roofing industry. Long before snap lock profiles existed, metal workers were hand seaming panels together to achieve watertight roof surfaces. Rather than physically hammering seams into panels, now the...
by Tom Stortz | Oct 19, 2022 | Uncategorized
Stortz Tools exhibited at Metalcon in Indianapolis during October 12th through the 14th. Metalcon is a tradeshow that focuses on sheet metal and includes over 200 exhibitors and thousands of attendees. There are many metal manufacturers, sheet metal roofing...
by Tom Stortz | Sep 27, 2022 | Uncategorized
The Evolution of Power Seamers The Portable Mechanical Lock Power Seamer Power seaming mechanical lock panels is typically done by 60 lb. tortoise-like machines running up panels with electrical cords. With enhancements in cordless drill batteries, the new way of...
by Jeff Stortz | Jun 22, 2022 | Uncategorized
#5 Jr. Hand Punch Kit Create round punches in multiple layers of sheet metal with ease Use for dimpling sheets together that you do not want to slide Simple exchange of punch/die sizes – No special tooling required Extremely durable design A “must...
by Jeff Stortz | Jun 3, 2022 | Uncategorized
Architectural Modulation Clamp For the purpose of pinning together a male and a female seam to ensure a tight fit. This clamp is designed to pin together two pieces of flat sheet metal. Superior strength and designed for the metal roofer. NOTE: The size of the jaws...
by Jeff Stortz | Apr 12, 2022 | Uncategorized
Soldering can get to be a dirty job. The dross buildup on the soldering tips and melting application of the torch lend the iron to start to wear over time. One positive feature of the Express soldering iron is how far a little iron maintenance can go to keep you up...
by Jeff Stortz | Jan 19, 2022 | Education, Uncategorized
Perfect Soldering Why? What? How? Long life tips have a ZINNLUX coating on their surface that enables them to be worked for 5-6 times that of a standard copper tip without “pitting” or losing shape. The special coating protects the copper core from...
by Jeff Stortz | Jan 10, 2022 | Education, History, Uncategorized
What Happened in 2022? The residential re-roofing sector for metal specifically rose from 12% to 15% in 2020. Homeowners are increasingly choosing to replace their old roofs (often asphalt shingle) with metal. Steel remains the most popular choice for metal roof...
by Jeff Stortz | Nov 23, 2021 | Education, Uncategorized
The Latest in Seaming Products Stortz Tools specializes in getting you the right seamer for your architectural (1″ or 1.5″) panels. Our store has a wide variety of seaming options from manufacturers around the globe. We can help you pick the seamer that...
by Jeff Stortz | Oct 5, 2021 | Education, Uncategorized
Alpine Snow Guards has introduced 2 new “hybrid” guards to their product offering. Complementing their popular products, the new guards aim to ease the disruptive supply chain that is the snow guard industry. If you are struggling to find your Berger...
by Jeff Stortz | Jul 21, 2021 | Uncategorized
Anyone Can Solder! VIDEOS TO HELP Soldering is the technique of joining two metals that would not easily fuse together using an alloy. In the sheet metal roofing trade, soldering copper is most commonly thought of. Other materials that are commonly soldered in the...
by Jeff Stortz | Jan 20, 2021 | Uncategorized
Featured Project – Little Tree Huggers Preschool Little Tree Huggers (LTH) Preschool is a bilingual nonprofit, nondenominational environmental educational initiative in Leesburg, Virginia. LTH is a farm based educational program that focuses on inspiring...
by Tom Stortz | Sep 26, 2017 | Uncategorized
Soldering terminology Activity – The measure of flux cleaning strength. The more active the flux, the more effectively it cleans. Alloy – A metal consisting of two or more materials. One of these materials must be a metal. Copper – A reddish metal that is very...
by Tom Stortz | Jul 20, 2016 | Uncategorized
If you’ve landed on this page there is a good chance you want to know more about the company you are buying from and not have it be just another website. Here are the reasons why you should trust us with your tool purchases. We pick up the phone – No...
by Tom Stortz | May 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
This was the video that was created to show how the winner was chosen as part of our “show us your work” contest.
by Tom Stortz | Aug 5, 2015 | Uncategorized
“We need to take this 125-year-old roof out of service and replace it with a new roof.” Kenoshanews.com reports a story about a slate roof of the historic Southport Beach House that needs repairs. The city council voted 12-4 against spending $316,000 on replacing...
by Tom Stortz | Jul 16, 2014 | Uncategorized
This link will take you to a page that contains a slate hammer survey of 9 questions. The questions ask about weight, cutting shank, nail puller, and other important information that is subjective to the user. We will use this information to re-design a hammer that...
