View Full Version : Bending brake via Dan
Almost have all the pieces for the bending brake that Dan did such a great job explaining earlier in this forum. Only have to finish cuting to size the bending leaf and the handles. Its been very simple sofar, and will be posting pictures in a couple days when I have all the parts done.
Cant wait to complete it, should work real well.
Thanks again for the great details on the project Dan!!!!, also to Rocky, think I will use some of your details on this also.
Thought I would put a picture of the bending brake to the point Im at now, hope to have completed this weekend. It been a great project sofar. Thnaks agian for all the info. on this great project Dan!
Rocky D
11-08-2002, 06:23 PM
Originally posted by GWOL
Thought I would put a picture of the bending brake to the point Im at now, hope to have completed this weekend. It been a great project sofar. Thnaks agian for all the info. on this great project Dan!
Good show, Gary...I found that what makes it work, is that the corner of the bed has to be at dead-center of the hole...both side plates have to be exactly the same.
I'm toying with the idea of making a 12 footer for the guys at work, here. Mind you I said "toying". :rolleyes:
Originally posted by Rocky D
Good show, Gary...I found that what makes it work, is that the corner of the bed has to be at dead-center of the hole...both side plates have to be exactly the same.
I'm toying with the idea of making a 12 footer for the guys at work, here. Mind you I said "toying". :rolleyes:
I just put it against the 5 inch channel piece to give an idea of the layout of the pices. Iam going to try to take some better action shots of the welding and fabrication process this weekend.
Will also put some pictures of the welding table I completed last week. Well sorta completed, still coming up with things to add to it form all of the great ideas here.
P.S.- just so everyone knows, I am a true novice and will show in this project, but Iam having a blast learning how to make stuff, thanks for all the great ideas/help.
GWOL,
Looks great so far. I have hand drawn all the plans from Dan's original post. I think I would be doing it now but for lack of the right metal stock and time.
SPECIAL THANKS TO DAN FOR A GREAT LITTLE PROJECT.
Every time I see GWOL, I do a second take thinking it is a welding process "Gasless Wire On the Level" or something. You could become famous.
Bob
Originally posted by Bob
GWOL,
Looks great so far. I have hand drawn all the plans from Dan's original post. I think I would be doing it now but for lack of the right metal stock and time.
SPECIAL THANKS TO DAN FOR A GREAT LITTLE PROJECT.
Every time I see GWOL, I do a second take thinking it is a welding process "Gasless Wire On the Level" or something. You could become famous.
Bob
Bob,
Your right, it is a great little project, and since Iam just learning how to weld, and do metal fabrication stuff, it has been great practice for me. I have my welding table done now, and will get the brake done this weekend, and will be able to work on some more projects soon.
Im also going to be working on the welding talbe this weekend and put on the torch holder that Rocky D had a pic of in a previous thread. Will also use some of the ideas that AI T. used in his welding table. Hope to get some pic's of my welding table on Sat. also.
Not sure about the GWOL thing. I know my welding is definatly not "ON THE LEVE", but maybe I will use this anyway. And with the way I weld, I know I will never become famous :)
This is a pic of the bending brake project before any welding has been completed.
Another bending brake project picture.
Close up of the bending leaf supports.
This last picture is of my welding table that I completed last week, note the bending brake on top of it. I made this welding table to be portable, note the wheels on the back and is very easy to move. I have been adding things onto it.
Note the pencil/tape measure holder and yes those are horse shoes that I just tack welded onto the legs. They work great for holding welders cables.
Originally posted by russell
GWOL,bender looks good to me. I`ve got your name figured out.Great Welder On Line.
Seen where Rocky is considering a 12 footer,can`t imagine the dimensions of the metal on that one! I would like to have a 3 footer though. Keep up the good work,enjoyed your pics.
russell
Russel,
Thanks for the comments on the Bender, Its been a blast working on it. Cant wait to start welding it together on Sunday. I like the way you figured out my name: Great Welder On Line(GWOL) hehe, I think I will stick with that if anyone ever ask!
Rocky D
11-09-2002, 10:27 PM
Originally posted by GWOL
Close up of the bending leaf supports.
Gary, this is the part I had to later cut down...with it this width, 1 1/2", dimension wouldn't let me bend two bends close together, so I cut it down.
Originally posted by Rocky D
Gary, this is the part I had to later cut down...with it this width, 1 1/2", dimension wouldn't let me bend two bends close together, so I cut it down.
I noticed that in your project postings. I was thinking about doing this also, but wanted to see how the 1 1/2" worked to begin with. I may decide to make another bending leaf that is cut down also, wanted to play around with the current demensions first. I still have enought scrape parts for another bending leaf if I want to make it shorter that the 1 1/2" lenght that Dan used.
I liked the t-handles on your design Rocky, and will be doing this also, that was a great idea.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Gary,
I have most of the metal to start my version of this bender. A few variations I am thinking of:
1. Elongate the hold in the clamp leaf so it can move closer to the front edge. Then match drill the clamp and bed on each side for alignment pins (probably 1/4" drill blank) at three settings of for 1/8", .060, 0.30. Pean the underside of the bed so the alignment pins will stop in the bed holes and not fall through.
2. Center the bed bolts (front to back) on the clamp leaf so it can be reversed. Keep one side near dead square for 90 bends.
3. Looking into some form of bushing/spacer for the pivot to either reduce wear or make the wear surface replaceable.
4. Rocky D cut down the bending leaf (1/2" ?). Thinking of just using 1/4 plate for the leaf and adding a bold-on second layer of 1/4" strap. Add for strength, remove for close back to back "Z" bends.
5. Flame harden the clamp edge.
All this might make the one bender do more variations ... not as much fun as building several of them!
Bob
Completed bending brake, thanks for the neat project Dan.
Another view of the completed bending brake
jniolon
11-11-2002, 12:07 PM
Gary,
back up and give us a full shot of the whole thing... do you have a stand fabricated also ???
thanks
john
I got to make one of these !!!!! I love bending stuff :D
Gary
GOOD JOB! Glad to see that I gave you, as a self professed beginner, enough information to complete the project. How are you going to secure the machine to your welding table for bending peices? Reason I ask is because I didn t see the flat bar ears the Rocky D and I welded on for clamping it to the table. Have you tried using it yet? If so how well did it perform?
Im adding the picture of your machine, along with a picture of Rocky D's ,and mine to a little memory book that Im putting together for myself on this project. I had so much fun doing this project this way that later on I want to have something to look back at to remember the fun time that we all had doing this project. So this is why, if possible I would like for the people who make this machine to post a picture of there version.
Gary, One thing I have to bring up for your personal safety. I would hope that I can convince you to take a sanding disc or file and remove all the sharp corners that I see in the picture. I ve seen quite few people get a good BOO BOO because someone forgot to remove a sharp edge or corner. Matter of fact I m one of those people who ended getting one of those good BOO BOO's. No, it wasn t from something I build. Anyway, I have a scar that is about 4" long and about a 1/4" wide on my left arm because someone left a sharp corner on a peice of angle iron and my arm found it. OUCH!
Well that is enough lecturing for now.
I see that Rocky D is going to possibly take on a 12' version of this little machine. That is way to large of a beast for me. I m going to start putting a material list together for a 49" version for my own personal home use. I want it to at least have a maximum capacity of 16 ga at 4 ft. If Im lucky maybe it will do 14 ga. I ve made a 39" version at work that handles 16 ga SS at 3'. So I guess I ll just have to wait and see.
Well Im glad to see that I designed something that was fun and educational for you to take on as a project.
Dan, thanks for the advice, and yes I was planning on grinding down the edges, I have a cutt on my finger from the bending leaf to prove it. I was so excited to get the pictures on here, that I did not complete the whole thing. I wanted to put the caps on the bending arms like Rocky D did. That was way cool.
Support for it!
Right now, I have it c-clamped to the welding table from the back c-chanel this works great, and is a good fix for it right now. Plan on welding on tabs like Dan, and Rocky did on theirs.
I have made several bends that I was working on, just took a couple seconds to bend, even made scowl with about 3 turns in it that was about 2 1/2 " in diamiter. I was not expecting it to be this versital. Thanks again Dan, what a fun and useful project. I will post some pictures of it this week.
Things I like about this project:
1. As a beginner it was fun working with some different material that I have sofar, and having to cut down to exact measurments was fun.
2. Following the plans and learning about the fabrication process that Dan put together made it easy to follow. Also like have to make the radius cuts on the bending leaf supports.
3. Actually being my 1st project that will allow me to build allot of other things. Can already think of things to make: handles, pot holders, water bucket holders, book shelfs, etc.....
Thanks again for a great project Dan, it was very much fun to put together, and was very simple to follow based on the great explaination you put into this project. Thanks for you effort, and where can I send a check for the plans! :)
P.S. - Rocky D, love the t-handles on the bolts, this works great!
Originally posted by jniolon
Gary,
back up and give us a full shot of the whole thing... do you have a stand fabricated also ???
thanks
john
I got to make one of these !!!!! I love bending stuff :D
John, do not have a stand yet, I have it c-clamped to the back support arm on my welding table. This works great for now, but will be putting on some leafs on the sides like Dan, and Rocky D did. Will try to get some pictures of the whole thing later this week.
Of course I will grind down the rough edges before I realy start to use it.
Originally posted by Bob
Gary,
I have most of the metal to start my version of this bender. A few variations I am thinking of:
1. Elongate the hold in the clamp leaf so it can move closer to the front edge. Then match drill the clamp and bed on each side for alignment pins (probably 1/4" drill blank) at three settings of for 1/8", .060, 0.30. Pean the underside of the bed so the alignment pins will stop in the bed holes and not fall through.
2. Center the bed bolts (front to back) on the clamp leaf so it can be reversed. Keep one side near dead square for 90 bends.
3. Looking into some form of bushing/spacer for the pivot to either reduce wear or make the wear surface replaceable.
4. Rocky D cut down the bending leaf (1/2" ?). Thinking of just using 1/4 plate for the leaf and adding a bold-on second layer of 1/4" strap. Add for strength, remove for close back to back "Z" bends.
5. Flame harden the clamp edge.
All this might make the one bender do more variations ... not as much fun as building several of them!
Bob
Bob, those all sound like great ideas, would love to see some examples when you start building it. I will also put in some bushings to reduce the wear on the pivot point. Let us know how your comes along.
Gary, Dan, Rocky D,
Dan's bending brake:
I got most of the parts cut and drilled. Tacked up the bed and bending leaf to handles. Action looks OK. Steel "spacers" span the box tubes; a bronze insert in the side plate pivots.
Rather than elongating the clamp holes I think I am leaning to using 3/8 bolts. I used 1/4 plate for the bed, bending leaf, and sides. Botched the first layout of the 3/8 clamp leaf ... so that one will become a floating nut plate and stiffener under the bed. This gives 0 to 1/4" range of adjustment of clamp face to bend axis.
When I have a working bender, I can make stops for the clamp plate to easily align the set back. Also, extended one handle above the pivot so I can pin it at 90 deg to adjust the set back.
Tune in after next weekend.
Bob
Mowjunk
11-17-2002, 08:38 PM
Gary, it looks great to me. But in the first picture I saw something that scared me. You must have built it very heavy because look how it broke the sidewalk! Very heavy machine! :p
I want to build one, too! I have just about all of the material for it except the channel. When I got my Tig machine, I sorta put the bender on the back burner. I plan to start on it pretty soon and I hope it turns out as good as yours did. Thanks for posting the pics. It always helps to have the pics and the more the better.
Have fun with it! And I'd like to thank everybody that had a hand in it, expecially Dan and I think Jack had combined all of the text and drawings, which was nice.
Mowjunk,
It is very heavy! its amazing whant that Little HH135 can weld. Iam still trying to get it completed with some final grinding of edges and of the welds. Will also add some clamping plats like dan and rocky d have put on theirs. I loved working on this little project.
Be sure to post pic's of yours when you do start on it, and stop playing with your new toy, and put it to work! :) Have fun with your 180, cant wait to see how it does on this project.