Author Archives: Larry Siegal

  1. Make a Budget Ornamental Fence

    Comments Off on Make a Budget Ornamental Fence

    Want a new way to offer a metal ornamental fence – instead of fabricating from square metal tubing, what about angle iron?

    What you see is angle iron notched with a Vogel Arc-Fit custom notching tool. The same type of housing used for our pipe notchers can be used to notch off the end of angle iron making an attractive radius top.  Weld flat bar perhaps even round bar across the two legs to make the horizontal.

    If using 1/8″ or thinner angle iron, you can even power your custom angle iron notching tool with our Vogel hand press. For those with our power press and turntable, it will fit into one of the three housings.

    As of February 2026, this custom notching assembly is prices at $1,425.00 (US orders).

  2. Vogel Industry Associations

    Comments Off on Vogel Industry Associations

    Vogel Tool & Die is proud to partner with many industry and trade associations.  These include:

    • The American Fence Association [AFA]
    • The North American Fence Contractors Association [NAFCA]
    • National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association [NOMMA]
    • Technology & Manufacturing Association [TMA]
    • Made in Illinois [IMEC]
    • Fabricators and Manufacturers Association [FMA]

  3. Vogel Receives Safety Award

    Comments Off on Vogel Receives Safety Award

    Vogel Receives Safety Award

    In May of 2019, Vogel Tool & Die was proud to once again receive an award issued by WCTI in recognition of No Lost Time Accidents.

    Awards were also received for 2017, 2016, 2015 & 2014.  Vogel puts a priority on safety. We have designated team members who conduct frequent audits, monitor safe practices and attend training to insure we are following the best practices to insure worker safety.

  4. Vogel Parent Receives Supplier of the Month Nomination

    Comments Off on Vogel Parent Receives Supplier of the Month Nomination

    Vogel Parent Receives Supplier of the Month Nomination

    Manor Tool and Manufacturing Company, the parent of Vogel Tool & Die, was nominated for the Gallis Award, issued by the Menasha Corporation, every month to suppliers and individuals who go above and beyond expectations.  Manor Tool was one of 4 nominees, out of 4,000 suppliers to this large manufacturing company.

  5. WTMA Grant Awarded to Anne Lesko!

    Comments Off on WTMA Grant Awarded to Anne Lesko!

    WTMA Grant Awarded to Anne Lesko!

    TMA President Steve Rauschenberger, in conjunction with the Women in Technology & Manufacturing Association (WTMA), has awarded Vogel Tool & Manor Tool’s, Anne Lesko with a grant. Anne will be honored for her achievements at the upcoming WTMA Fall Luncheon on October 25th, 2019.

    According to the TMA website, the WTMA grant seeks to “assist women in addressing the barriers they face in advancing their manufacturing technology education and their pursuit of careers in the industry”.

    About Anne Lesko

    Anne’s road to this accomplishment was paved with hard work, ambition, and focus, and we couldn’t be prouder. Upon struggling with a series of dead-end jobs that stunted her finances, Anne decided to enroll at the workNet DuPage Career Center in July of 2018. While there, she discovered her love of creativity and a proclivity for craftsmanship translated to a pursuit in the Welding Certificate program at College of DuPage.

    An apprenticeship led to her hiring at Vogel Tool & Manor Tool, where she has taken over welding procedures, but she is also working towards tool & die certification. In addition, she has set her sights on fabrication and machining.

    No challenge seems too big for Anne! As a woman in the field, she is being acknowledged by the WTMA to continue her education and expand upon her experience. Anne ignores the notions that careers in welding and related operations are typically a male-dominated industry. Update: Anne has moved on from Vogel Tool, however we remain so proud of Anne and her achievements as a woman in the manufacturing industry!

  6. The secret to long tool life

    Comments Off on The secret to long tool life

    When we hear about dull notchers, chipped blades and similar, the cause tends to be the same – not properly lubricating the tool and parts.

    (more…)

  7. Vogel’s Tools – Building Schools

    Comments Off on Vogel’s Tools – Building Schools

    School Construction

     

    What you are looking at is East Prairie, a grammar school located in a suburb of Chicago.

    This is where I attended 1st through 8th grade. The school is now being completely rebuilt and like many construction sites around the country, is using temporary fence panels around the site. National Rent-A-Fence is a Vogel customer I have had the pleasure of assisting for over 20 years with Vogel tools used in their panel manufacture. To see a long time customer as part of project with such a personal connection is a real kick.

    What you may not realize is that YOU encounter products produced with Vogel tools every day. Bike racks, car carriers, mounts for truck mirrors and flat screen TV’s, and so much more. If it’s made with metal tubing, odds are high that Vogel helped provide tools for the manufacturing process.

  8. Vogel Tool & Die Receives the Illinois 2018 Governor’s Export Award

    Comments Off on Vogel Tool & Die Receives the Illinois 2018 Governor’s Export Award

    Vogel Tool & Die Receives the Illinois 2018 Governor’s Export Award

    Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) presented The Governor’s Export Award for Continuing Excellence to Vogel Tool & Die. This award is in recognition for Vogel’s ongoing growth in exporting their tools to customer’s world-wide.

  9. How to Understand Pipe Sizes

    Comments Off on How to Understand Pipe Sizes

    [A version of this article was originally published in the NOMMA Fabricator]

    Pipe Sizing

    Is it pipe or is it tube? Understanding the differences can make sure you get the material you want in the size you need.

    Do you remember being surprised when you learned that a “2 by 4″ doesn’t actually measure 2 inches by 4 inches? Have you ever been told that 1-1/8” pipe doesn’t exist? Using the correct terminology when ordering material (or fittings, tools, or other items that must be used with these materials) can save a lot of time, headaches and money!

    Many products have a name that for convenience only approximates the material’s size. These are sometimes referred to as nominal dimensions. Webster’s describes nominal as “in name only.” In other words, you can’t trust the “name” dimensions in actual measurements or calculations. Differences and difficulties in correctly describing a tube and pipe are common in the metalworking industry.

    Pipe is a commonly used material in the fencing industry, most commonly for chain link fences and gates. However pipe and tubing are not the same materials! Pipe was originally used for the movement of water, and therefore the ID (inside diameter) was the critical dimension. The nominal dimension for pipe is the ID. So, 1½ inch pipe is NOT 1½ inch outside diameter, but instead is nominally, (approximately) 1½ inch inside diameter. Pipe is typically manufactured to looser tolerances and less expensive to purchase. However in the fence and construction industry, where pipe is commonly used, it will often be referred to by its outside dimension, since fittings, caps and other parts most commonly mate the the outside of the pipe.

    The wall thickness of pipe is designated by various “schedules,” most commonly schedule 5, 10, and 40. The exact wall thickness of anyone schedule changes with the pipe size. A 1 inch Sched. 40 pipe has a .133 inch wall, but a 2 inch Sched. 40 pipe has a wall thickness of .154 inches.

    Tubing, on the other hand, is typically produced to tighter tolerances and designed for consistent mechanical and structural properties. Because it is typically more costly to produce it is seldom used for chain link fencing, scaffolding, etc.  To further complicate matters, some companies market pipe to the fence industry as “fence tubing.” The thickness of a tube’s wall is normally described as a gauge. While a specific pipe schedule will mean different wall thicknesses depending on the pipe size, a specific gauge is consistent regardless of tube OD (outside diameter).

    Let’s look at a typical example…

    A purchasing agent is told to buy a “2 inch pipe notcher,” there are actually many different sizes that could possibly fit this description, as shown below.

    Name Outer Dim. Wall Thickness
    1 ½” x schedule 5 pipe 1.90″ .065″
    1 ½” x schedule 40 pipe 1.90″ .145″
    2” x schedule 10 pipe 2.375″ .065″
    2” x schedule 40 pipe 2.375″ .154″
    1-7/8″ OD x 18 gauge tube 1.88″ .049″
    2” OD x 16 gauge tube 2.00″ .065″

    This is only a partial list! You can see that all of the materials listed are about 2 inches, but depending on the tolerance and precision of the tool or mating part, describing all of them as 2-inch pipe is bound to cause problems.

    So, given all the possible tube and pipe sizes and all the various names used to describe them, how is the average person supposed to keep it all straight? Whether you think your material is tube or pipe, when describing it, remember these key points:

    • Is a dimension OD (outside diameter) or ID (inside diameter)?
    • Is the dimension precise, (taken with a micrometer or calipers)?
    • Is the dimension approximate, (taken with a tape measure, eyeballed, etc.)?
    • What is the wall thickness/schedule/gauge?

    If the purchasing agent had been told to order a pipe notcher for  “a pipe just about 2 inch outside by about 1/16-inch wall,” then he would have narrowed down the possibilities. Most likely, he is using 1-½ inch by Sched. 5 pipe.

    You probably work with the same few sizes over and over. Look and see what your material supplier calls your material. You may wish to obtain and make a permanent file of “material spec sheets” for each size of pipe or tube you commonly use. This document should show precise dimensions, tolerance range, manufacturing method, coatings, or treatments, etc. These documents can be valuable and even serve as a sales tool. Your customers who scrutinize every detail may want to see why the same chain link fence job can cost so much more, based on the quality of the material ordered.

    You probably have reference charts in your office for fractions to decimals, inches to millimeters, etc. If tube and pipe are a routine material for your business, post a chart showing pipe sizes by OD, various schedules, and gauges for tubing. Make sure the employees who do purchasing understand these distinctions and are comfortable in correctly describing the various materials.

    The link below is a handy printable chart of common pipe sizes and schedules.

    ANSI Pipe Schedules Chart

  10. President of Vogel Accepts Award

    Comments Off on President of Vogel Accepts Award

    Thomas J. Simeone, President of Vogel Tool & Die accepts the Illinois 2018 Governor’s Export Award.

    Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) presented the award May 24 in Chicago. Illinois. The award was presented to companies who have exported $65 billion worth of products last year, according to a news release.