Metal Bender

[cfellows]

This looks like a pretty useful (and nicely priced) tool. Not sure I believe their claims about capacity. Anybody have any experience with one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=250404426560

Chuck

 

[deere_x475guy]

This is the first I have seen a bender of this style. I know that bending anything over 1/8" on my HF bender takes a lot of leverage. Way more than I can do right now with my restrictions. I have the HF hydraulic press that I am going to build some dies for to bend on that. It would be interesting to see a video of this one doing it's thing.

 

[cfellows]

I'm also weighing just making some kind of dies or attachments for my 20 ton hydraulic press. Do you have any plans or ideas for what you are going to build?

Chuck

 

[Alan J. Richer]

I've done the 20-ton press bending dies - I use them to make outriggers for 1:1 scale modeling of antique cars...

Land-Rover outriggers and chassis parts, actually. I have an ancient Series I I am rebuilding that needed just about everything...

My jig consists of two pieces - the base die is a piece of 1" steel with a pair of heavy-gauge angles welded to it. I also cut a 45-degree groove in the 1" steel on the mill to give me a nice sharp corner to bend into.

The blade is exactly that - a piece of 1/2" steel cut with a 45-degree edge on one side. This is held on the press by a mount - slotted on one end to hold the blade (and the blade pinned to the slot) and a pocket on the other end to hold the blade to the pin of the press - held on by two Allen screws through the side of the pocket.

The base die also has 4 pins to hold the blade in alignment over the slot when the blade is retracted - this way no alignment issues at all.

It works VERY well - I never have to push the press to full capacity, even when bending nearly 18 inches of 1/8 hot-rolled plate.

ALan

 

[Kermit]

Ooooo!

That design got my "put a motor on it" circuit sparked up.

I'ma bettin' a 1/10 or 1/20 horsepower motor geared down to about 2 RPM could turn that puppy Real good! and going that slow you could just hit the power switch when it gets where you want it.

Here's some pics. ;D

Kermit

 

[BobWarfield]

So this thing is kind of like a tubing bender that has an extended roller to take stock up to 4" wide?

Hmmm.

I like a standard brake better myself. Eventually I'll build a press brake attachment for my 50 ton press. I've been pondering and collecting notes, but it's pretty far down the priority list so far:

http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCPressBrake.htm

Cheers,

BW

 

[cfellows]

Nice collection of pictures you have there Bob. I kind of agree about preferring a press brake, since I already have a 20 ton press.

Chuck

 

[putputman]

Chuck, this brake has gone up in price since I last looked at it.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21896_21896

I bet you could build one just like it fairly cheap.