Subject: Building a brake - need advice

From: [email-masked] (ja)
Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 00:47:37 GMT

Greetings.  After looking for a used sheet metal brake for some time I 
have decided to attempt fabricating one.

Here's what I'm planning:  an upper leaf and bending leaf of 1/4" x 2" 
angle iron - a bed of the same, arranged as follows:
        	                 _
 	                        | |
				| |
                        	| |
     				| |
                	        | |
                       _________| |
             	      |___________|
          ___________  ___________ 
         |_________  ||  _________|
      	           | || |
             	   | || |
          	   | || |
         	   | || |
        	   |_||_|
         	       
The top angle iron clamps down to the lower right one, and the the bottom 
left angle hinges up to bend the sheet metal clamped in between.

Is there anything wrong with this picture?  I have used and looked at a 
variety of brakes, and they seem to be similar to this concept.  For the 
hinge I am planning on using some 5/8" rod inside some 3/4" pipe (seems 
to be a good fit with little play).  I planned on welding a small frame 
for this device, and adding some handles for leverage.

Any thoughts or advice much appreciated.

  -John
    Austin, TX

--

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From: [email-masked] (ja)
Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 01:17:21 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,

>The only problem with your plan is that it is a straight brake, not a box and
>pan brake, which is a lot more versatile.  If you make it as you plan, I 
>think you will regret it.  I have already bought my angle, too, but I 
>plan to use the upper (clamp) angle to support another angle piece, which
>will be cut into pieces, ie. 1", 2", 4", 8" etc, and clamped under the upper
>solid angle.  Like so:
>
>                   -
>                  | |
>                  | |
>                  | |
>                  | |            This is the upper (solid) clamp angle
>                  | |
>                  | |
>                  | -----------
>                I |            |I
>                I ------------- I
>                I               I
>                I ------------- I
>                I |            |I
>                I | ----------- ^ weld here    
>                ^ | |             These are the cut-up angle pieces
>    weld here  /  | |
>                  | |
>                  | |
>                  |-

Not sure I follow you here... how can the cut-up pieces move if welded to 
the upper clamp?  I'm also not sure how those pieces would lay flat on 
the bed angled down as you have drawn them.

>For simplicity, the cut angle pieces could be held in place by c-clamps,
>and be anchored from shifting by having bars welded to the front and back
>to grip the solid piece above.  The separate clamp pieces could be moved
>around easily to accomodate lips already bent on boxes getting the second
>or third folds.  Good luck.

I think a box and pan brake is SUPERIOR to a flat one.  But most of them 
I've seen have VERY heavy duty fingers for even 22 gauge capacity at 28 
inches.  Please elaborate on your design.

And thanks to you others for the advice on the books - I sent off for the 
Lindsay catalog today.

     -John
        Austin, TX

--

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From: [email-masked] (Chris Youngson)
Date: 26 May 1995 02:44:30 GMT

I
>Any thoughts or advice much appreciated.

Lindsay Technical Pups. has a very good book on making you own brake.
It is written by well known HSM Dave Gingery. 73

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan M. Elson)
Date: 26 May 1995 05:31:01 GMT

ja ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Greetings.  After looking for a used sheet metal brake for some time I 
: have decided to attempt fabricating one.

                   -
                  | |
                  | |
                  | |

---

From: [email-masked] (TonyowensO)
Date: 27 May 1995 10:18:29 -0400

Why not spend about 400 bucks and get a 4' brake that you know is a good
design.

---

From: [email-masked] (Ken Marquess)
Date: 26 May 1995 16:43:11 GMT

>It is written by well known HSM Dave Gingery. 73

I've read Lindsay's book; IMHO a better design is available in one of the
'Projects in Arc Welding' books available from Lincoln (see the FAQ section
on books).

I made one more or less following the Lincoln design. Their design was for
36 inches, if I recall. I shortened it to 24 inches, and it bends 16 gauge
full width. If I had it to do over, I might adapt Lindsay's lever clamping
mechanism instead of the screw clamps on the Lincoln design.

I (having only a plain brake :-( ) second the idea that having a box-n-pan
would be real nice, but I think also a fair amount harder to build.

I'm glad to discuss further via email.....

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Greg Lewis)
Date: Fri, 26 May 1995 09:28:18 GMT

>have decided to attempt fabricating one.
[picture deleted]

>Any thoughts or advice much appreciated.

You might invest six bucks or so in the book "Designing and Building
the Sheet Metal Brake" by Dave Gingery. Available from Lindsay
Publications, Box 12, Bradley, IL 60915-0012. Write for catalog first.
___________________________________________________________________
[email-masked]      	   	     They don't
Photojournalism sequence      	   	     Call this place
Department of Mass Communication   	     An institution
     and Journalism 	      	   	     For nothing

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From: [email-masked] (ja)
Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 18:45:51 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>Why not spend about 400 bucks and get a 4' brake that you know is a good

Because:

    1.  I can buy the materials new for under 30 bucks (even less if I 
        scrounge thru my scrap).

    2.  I don't have 400 bucks to spend on a brake.

    3.  Fabricating my own tools is fun and educational.

--

---

From: Mike Rehmus <[email-masked]>
Date: 26 May 1995 16:05:45 GMT

Your angle will quickly distort unless you provide some triangular bracing like the 
that on decent commercial brakes.  The more the merrier.  You also need to provide 
an adjustment to move the top piece relative to the fold line so you can accomodate 
different material thickness.

Best choice is to buy the book on this subject by Gingery.

Best,

Mike Rehmus

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From: [email-masked] (Ken Christianson)
Date: 27 May 1995 22:52:00 GMT

>    3.  Fabricating my own tools is fun and educational.

->  YEA!  Anyone can just spend money, thats simple. It takes brains
incentive and the desire to put those two things together in order to
construct something that you want to have.
    Thats why there are so many creative people in this newsgroup.  If
they string beads, fix turbines, make armor or blades, or jewelry - its
the working link between mind and hands that is used, not just the one
between the brain and the wallet.

---

From: [email-masked] (Gale Carlisle)
Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 23:04:11 GMT

>    3.  Fabricating my own tools is fun and educational.
	You said it  -  Building your own tools is half the FUN, the other
	half is using them and building something on them. Steve Carlisle

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From: [email-masked] (TonyowensO)
Date: 29 May 1995 15:49:48 -0400

Excuse me, fellas.  I didn't mean to insinuate that anyone in this forum
wasn't intelligent or creative.  I am a "Sheetmetal Mechanic" by trade,
and I have used a lot of "home made" brakes.  In my experience there
hasn't been any of the homemade brakes that came close to the capabilites
of a "Chicago" or "Pexto" brake.  The homemade brakes might be OK for the
hobbiest, but I'm a professional.  I use a 10ft. brake.  All of the
homemade brakes I've used had to be adjusted after every brake.

---

From: [email-masked] (Barry Workman)
Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 16:55:01 GMT

Send Lindsay Publications $8.95 and get the Gingery book on building
a sheet metal break.  The design is sound, works, has several years
behind the design, and can be scaled up or down to suit your needs.
The address is in the FAQ
-- 
    - Barry Workman

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From: [email-masked] (Steve Rayner)
Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 08:39:04 GMT

In a previous article, [email-masked] (TonyowensO) says:

>ol.com!not-for-mail
>From: [email-masked] (TonyowensO)
>Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
>Subject: Re: Building a brake - need advice
>Date: 29 May 1995 15:49:48 -0400
>Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364)
>Lines: 8
>Sender: [email-masked]
>Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
>References: <[email-masked]>
>Reply-To: [email-masked] (TonyowensO)
>NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com
>
Just for the record, way back in the '50s the school board here was hard
pressed for money, with several new schools being built.  Those of us in
machine shop classes built brakes for the new schools. They had heavy 
aluminum frames, cast in the school foundry.  Gears were cut on a large
Crane milling machine, with a universal dividing head.  They gave good
service for years in junior high school shops.  They could have been
constructed in most model engineers' workshops.  A home made brake, or any
other piece of shop equiptment doesn't have to be junk.
-- 
************************************************************************
     MY SECRET IS OIL OF HARLEY DAVIDSON !      Steve Rayner
************************************************************************

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From: "D.E.Hockin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 12:09:22 GMT

>>have decided to attempt fabricating one.

Could somone please tell me what is meant by "brake", in this context?
 I know of vehicles called "brakes", and most vehicles have "brakes"(!), 
 but what is this version of the word? In "English" english, I don't
 know of any other meaning, which makes trying to understand the post
 more than a little difficult! Americans speaking their own particular
(I didn't say peculiar!) brand of english often don't realise that
 local or national variations of speech can make for interesting or
 frustrating reading. 

Many thanks!

Dave.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[email-masked]     | "my thoughts are mine alone, and not
			   |  those of the University"
G4UGT                      |
                           | But I wouldn't mind betting they've
                           | someone working on that already!
------------------------------------------------------------------

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From: William Kaukler <[email-masked]>
Date: 5 Jun 1995 14:11:32 GMT

A sheet metal brake is a common metalshop device to precisely bend sheet   
metal, usually into boxes or corners.  It may also be called a finger   
brake from the adjustable clamping fingers that hold the stationary piece   
while the moving part is folded to the proper angle. 
Simple ones are merely hinged clamps where one edge of the sheet is   
clamped while the hinged portion permits folding the sheet onto the   
clamped piece.  This is inexpensive and may cost $50-80.  Cuts can be   
made into the clamped part and substirute for the finger brake action. 
I know J.C. Whitney has them and probably Harbor Freight.  
 
--  
William F. Kaukler, PhD., Met. & Mat. Sci.          phone 205-544-0693 
The University of Alabama in Huntsville 
Center for Microgravity and Materials Research; Huntsville, AL 35899 
and at NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812

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From: "D.E.Hockin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 14:33:26 GMT

>Dav.Hockin asked:

Thanks for the info! (We don't have a name for this device - its
 just called a bending machine!)(To distinguish it from ones for pipes,
 they're called pipe-benders!!!)

They "are" expensive, but it used to be a treat to use a real good one.
 In the workshop in our department we also had a foot-treadle guillotine
 - and was THAT useful too! Its so much harder doing these things in a
 home workshop with limited gear. The automatic bandsaw-blade-welder on
 the side of the saw was so handy - I've still to finish the brazing
 jig for my home bandsaw......

Dave.

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan M. Elson)
Date: 6 Jun 1995 18:09:36 GMT

ja ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]>,

: Not sure I follow you here... how can the cut-up pieces move if welded to 
: the upper clamp?  I'm also not sure how those pieces would lay flat on 
: the bed angled down as you have drawn them.

The idea is to weld the bar at the BOTTOM ONLY, to the fingers, so that
they can be removed or slid around on the upper angle.  The bar can be
fairly lightweight 1/8" x 1" bar stock, which just keeps the finger from
slipping out of place (front-back or twisting) when the sheet is bent.

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From: [email-masked] (Peter Wiley)
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 04:16:25 GMT

>have decided to attempt fabricating one.

[lots snipped]

>Any thoughts or advice much appreciated.

Get Dave Gingery's book on building one. Looks good to me. I'm at work
now, but if you want the ISBN, email me. I got mine from Lindsay Books
(address in the FAQ) some years ago but I believe they're still available.

Regards,  Peter

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From: "D.E.Hockin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 12:09:22 GMT

Many thanks!

Dave.

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From: William Kaukler <[email-masked]>
Date: 5 Jun 1995 14:11:32 GMT