My Bending Brake

[Bert]

hmmm...why does your table look like mine??
Good luck in figuring it out, as I have no clue!
Hope the others like aametalmaster helps you!!

[jackel440]

Good evening all.

I am looking for input / opinion / advice. I am not sure how I want to brace the moving portion of my brake. This is what I am thinking, I know its cardboard and it might catch on fire.



The angle and the braces are planned to be 1/4 inch, I'm just second guessing myself here on whether I have enough bracing.





I'm not sure of the proper name, but I would think this piece my be called the break plate. Does anyone have any thoughts if the angle iron is better over a piece if 1/2 in plate on edge, say 2 inch's tall. I want to go with the stronger of the two hoping to reduce the flex in the plate.

I just noticed in the preview, I have 1/4 and 1/2 inch plate stacked with the angle on top. To clarify I am trying to decide how I want to make the beveled edge. To bevel the 1/2 and go with it or drill and plug weld the 1/4 to the 1/2 and bevel the 1/4. In my dreams tonight I'll decide how to make the plate rise when I loosen the lockdown bolts. I would like to have the plate rise on its own so I dont have to hold it up while inserting the work piece.
Thanks
Tom

I would just bevel the 1/2".All the big brakes at work have thick shoes.

[tom37]

Evening,

Due to the snow and the lack of work today, I was able to have a little time to work on my project.

I would like to ask. Is it better to post my pics as I have in the past of should I post them as a direct to the picture?

I got my support cut and welded in for the most part. Then I just couldn't wait any longer, I had to try to bend a piece. Now I realize that my distance will be much longer then what I tried. But I clamped it down with complete and total junk clamps and it held. Some would say why have junk clamps, I have them so if i need to sacrifice it I can. the piece that I bent is 1/4 inch. I only extended the handles by 10 inchs and was able to bend the strap with little effort.







I have thought that I may box the center portion of the angle between the cross support, just to make sure that there is no deflection. Most likely over-kill but oh well.

Tom

[Bert]

I vote you post them the way you HAVE been

[Geezer]

I am a dial up guy but have had no problem downloading. Have been following your project closely and enjoyed it. If you have some rough plans I would be very interested, been wanting to fab a bender for some time stout enough to handle heavier pieces. Thanks

[MANTOOL]

I Did One A Few Years Back. Your's Looks Great. Just A Thought...i Inverted A 48" Piece Of Angle (the Under Side Was Relief Cut At 30 Degrees) And Angled That Piece At 30 Degrees Also. Using 2 Pieces Of 1" All Thread Rod I Fabricated A Cross-bar Ond Managed To Bend In Excess Of 90 Degrees. Sned More Pics As You Progress!

[tom37]

Sorry guys with the holidays I haven't been spending much time playing.
Today I had a chance to progress a little bit. I finished welding up the joints that I will not be able to get to later. Now I am not lucky enough to have a mill, so I did the best I could to get the angle on the plate that clamps the work piece. At this point I am not sure about the large piece of angle to beef up the plate. I know its rather large but its left-overs. I also noticed that the plate has a tiny bit of bow up wards in the middle, hopefully I can draw this down flat when I weld the angle to the top. Man this thing is growing like crazy, it just keeps getting heavier and heavier. At this point in time I am pretty sure its going to bend 3/16, I'm just not sure about the 1/4 full width.

Here is the pics guys, I hope I am not taking to long and boring everyone.







Please if anyone sees something that doesn't look right, I would greatly appreciate it to hear about it.
Tom

[Bert]

No, you're not boring anyone!! Crazy time of year, everyone is so busy with work and family we can all understand...since you don't have a mill, how did you do the bevel? hand grinder? Looks good!!!
bert

[tom37]

Yes Sir you guessed it right! I tried to use my O/A torch, since I SUCK really bad with the O/A, that was a total flop. It did manage to make a place to start with the grinder. I clamped a straight edge to the bottom of the 1/2" plate and ground an edge until it was close to the straight edge. I was near wore out at this point. I am not sure what kind of plate this is but I cant drill it with anything but a cobalt bit. I didn't think the knife edge would hold up so I clamped a straight edge again and ground a small flat edge off of the sharp edge. Its harder then it seems to hold the grinder at the same angle over a 22" piece.

Tom

P.S. 15 minutes till I have to go to X mas dinner with one side of the family. Yippee for me!

[Bert]

Yes Sir you guessed it right! I tried to use my O/A torch, since I SUCK really bad with the O/A, that was a total flop. It did manage to make a place to start with the grinder. I clamped a straight edge to the bottom of the 1/2" plate and ground an edge until it was close to the straight edge. I was near wore out at this point. I am not sure what kind of plate this is but I cant drill it with anything but a cobalt bit. I didn't think the knife edge would hold up so I clamped a straight edge again and ground a small flat edge off of the sharp edge. Its harder then it seems to hold the grinder at the same angle over a 22" piece.

Tom

P.S. 15 minutes till I have to go to X mas dinner with one side of the family. Yippee for me!

lol....I take that as sarcasm You ever have to do that much grinder again, invest in a 7" grinder!!!!!!!!!!!