FE Power Forums
FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: AlanCasida on December 03, 2020, 07:49:38 PM
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I'm doing a project out in the shop where I needed a sheet metal brake. Normally I just clamp the sheet metal between two pieces of angle iron and bend it over with a mallet which does ok but this will be some .080" aluminum and I want it to look a little nicer. Anyway I started pricing sheet metal brakes and I just couldn't see paying $300-$500 for a Chinese clunker that I might not use again for a really long time sooooo.....I built one! :) Total cost about $35. It actually didn't turn out too bad and it works too, which is always a bonus. It doesn't bend quite as sharp as a factory brake but it's close enough. I can just clamp it my work bench and when I am done, stick it in the corner somewhere. The handles are removable so it won't take up too much space.
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Very nice, Alan.
I'm not seeing how you adjust for metal thickness. I assume it's what looks like pins on the end but, i can't see how they adjust.
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I like it! Frank - Looks like he clamps down on the stock using those nuts at the top center of the truss. Simple and effective :)
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Very nice, Alan.
I'm not seeing how you adjust for metal thickness. I assume it's what looks like pins on the end but, i can't see how they adjust.
The "pins" are actually threaded rod with coupler nuts on them. The center bolt is to kind of pre-load it so it won't flex. I am not sure I needed it but put i ton anyway. On the end bolts I have springs underneath the clamping bar to pull it up off the part when I release it. I may have to make the upper clamping bar adjustable horizontally for different thicknesses or to get it to bend tighter but for right now I am just wanting to bend one thickness then it will set in the corner a collect dust.
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Nice Alan, looks like it works BETTER than my cheap Chinese version ???
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When will these be available, and what would shipping be to Ohio? ;)
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Alan, for thicker material and depending on the alloy of "lum" you're using, a larger radius is a good thing. I like your design, and the way you clamp the material.
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Nice job, Alan. Cheated the tool companies again! I love the fact that is was only $35 in materials and very functional.
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NOT made in china , love it
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Alan: I already have a Pextco 48" sheetmetal brake but it's not a finger type so I need to build one.
Would you please take a picture of the end pivot assembly so I can see if I can duplicate it?
Somewhere I got a couple of lengths of 4" X 3/4" stock with a 30 degree taper on one side. Not sure what the intention was but I'd like to make a set of fingers for a pan brake.
Thanks
Richard >>> FERoadster
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Alan: I already have a Pextco 48" sheetmetal brake but it's not a finger type so I need to build one.
Would you please take a picture of the end pivot assembly so I can see if I can duplicate it?
Somewhere I got a couple of lengths of 4" X 3/4" stock with a 30 degree taper on one side. Not sure what the intention was but I'd like to make a set of fingers for a pan brake.
Thanks
Richard >>> FERoadster
Here are a few pictures of my pivot point. The pivot was the hardest thing to figure out. Getting it to pivot without moving away from the brake took some heavy duty head scratching. I did look at some videos on Youtube of DIY metal brakes and got some cues from them. I ended up cutting notches in the angle iron half the diameter of the pin and bushing to get it to pivot like I wanted. The pins are actually some pieces of steering column shaft I had laying around and the bushing just some tubing I had that fit. I did see where some guys used door hinges for the pivots. There is a video on the Youtube of a guy building his own finger brake that might interest you. Another vid I looked at the guy building it just cut some slots in the clamping device for a kind of finger brake but they would be fixed. I apologize for the lousy welds but it was late when I did that and as I get older I find that I have a harder time seeing where i am at when I weld. Here is a link to the finger brake vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zvR4haVN7k
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Really nicely done. I'm impressed!
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Thank you, Alan. In the first pictures, I couldn't see the flats on the nuts and that was why I asked, my question.
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Alan: Thanks for the pictures and the link to the video. I'll look at that this evening.
Since I've got a few, would 1" pillow block bearings suffice for a pivot or would that just be overkill (I've got around 10 1"pillow blocks and many lengths of 1" solid rod).
Thanks again for doing this thread.
Richard
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Alan: Thanks for the pictures and the link to the video. I'll look at that this evening.
Since I've got a few, would 1" pillow block bearings suffice for a pivot or would that just be overkill (I've got around 10 1"pillow blocks and many lengths of 1" solid rod).
Thanks again for doing this thread.
Richard
I imagine the pillow block bearings would work fine. It might be nice to have something you could unbolt too. When I welded mine together the bushings(tubes) shifted a little so it is a little stiff. If I had had some pillow block bearings lying around I would probably have tried them too.
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Building one off your pics, thanks for the post.
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I got to try out my sheet metal brake. I am making some changes to my '65 Mustang which made it necessary to move the radiator cooling fans so I made a new fan shroud. It actually worked pretty decent. That .080" aluminum was harder to bend than I thought it would be but the brake handled it ok. The really scary part was my shroud actually fit the first time! Overall I am pretty happy with the results. It was all really close but it fit.
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I got to try out my sheet metal brake. I am making some changes to my '65 Mustang....
Did you forget to mention that you switched to a Lima engine? Are you giving up on the FE in the Mustang, Alan?
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I got to try out my sheet metal brake. I am making some changes to my '65 Mustang....
Did you forget to mention that you switched to a Lima engine? Are you giving up on the FE in the Mustang, Alan?
Yeah I am putting the 520 I had in my Galaxie in it. Sorry to say it became an economic reality for me to make the swap. After damaging my 427 again I was faced with having to at the least get another new crankshaft and maybe two rods or a new rotating assembly. Plus I still hadn't found anything inside my FE C6 that would have caused it to push the crankshaft forward with enough force to ruin the thrust surface of the crank so I no longer trusted any of it and was looking at having to replace all that too. All the while there was my 520 all freshened up sitting on the floor along with a proven C6. Since I decided to retire the Galaxie from race duty so I really had no where to put it so economically it just made sense. I have found that this hobby is expensive enough without trying to maintain multiple engine platforms.
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in these trying times , we have to do what we have to do . just keep going and don't give up .
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That's a bummer, but I certainly understand your reasoning. Your 520 has certainly proven itself!
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Nice job on the bender and shroud Alan
Are the square black pieces flaps to let air through ??
.... ( send me the 427 block, will put it to good use ) ^_^
Ricky.
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Nice job on the bender and shroud Alan
Are the square black pieces flaps to let air through ??
.... ( send me the 427 block, will put it to good use ) ^_^
Ricky.
Yes they are for air flow. I guess they are there for going down the highway if the air flow becomes too great to pass through the fans. The other one I had had them so I just put them in to be on the safe side.