Another DIY shop press brake

[warezdog]

OK so a couple weeks ago I found this HotMax 300A stick welder on Amazon warehouse deals for $103 TMD and ordered it. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00440DVCG/?tag=ihco-20

So it shows up 2 days later weighing in at 120lbs but turns out being just the AC model.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00440DVBM/?tag=ihco-20

being the cheap a$$ Dutchman that I am I'm on the verge of sending it back since it's not the right one, you know the one that sells for $500, the one I got only goes for $335!

So I call Amazon and they offer me another $30 to keep it, I decide since I have a 160A AC/DC tig/stick already I can do without the DC and keep it, glad I did.

I went thru about 3lbs of 6018 rod over the weekend just torturing the thing trying to make it quit and I couldn't. During the welding frenzy I decided to make a press brake for my 12 ton HF shop press and here it is, all scrap and not pretty but fully functional and that's all I care about!

Used some aluminum flat bar for the initial test and hope to have it on the press over the weekend to try out some 1/4" flat steel bar.

I know SWAG off road makes a kit but again, I'm a cheap Dutchman!

 

[scrapdaddy]

Nice job! I have one of Swag's press brakes and it doesn't make any better of a bend. I remember someone saying how they made some modifications to it and was getting sharper corners, wish I knew what they were.

 

[warezdog]

Thanks, I would have liked to get the SWAG but with free metal laying around, new welder, and 5lbs of 6018 rod I had to DIY. If time permits I'll get the press and the hydro over air set up this weekend and post up a vid.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Nice, I have a 40" SWAG kit I need to weld up (this one will be a 50 ton) and then I have plans for a 100 ton 72" that I have modeled after the SWAG kit. Hope to have these finished by mid summer.. I have a lot of bumper builds to get going on..

Great work!

J

 

[warezdog]

Nice, I have a 40" SWAG kit I need to weld up (this one will be a 50 ton) and then I have plans for a 100 ton 72" that I have modeled after the SWAG kit. Hope to have these finished by mid summer.. I have a lot of bumper builds to get going on..

Great work!

J

HOLY COW, how the heck do you keep a 50 ton spreading force equally over 40"?!!

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

1" x 8" plate for my upper punch. But, also I designed it on a 3/1 safety factor.. Should easily bend a piece of 1/4" x 36".

I built a single ram 70 ton on a 52" span years ago for my old shop with a 1" x 10" upper punch and it never failed me once. Bent 1/4" x 48" plate with it, several times a week for about 5 years.

J

 

[warezdog]

Man you have to post up some pics or vids of that bad boy!

As promised here is my little Frankenstein in action. Wanted to do some 1/4" but couldn't find anything big enough to cover the span.

First some 3/8" Threaded rod

Then some 3/16" plate

 

[warezdog]

and for the heck of it some 3/4" conduit!

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

It'll be a month or so and I'll post it up when I build it. What did you use, 2" angle for die and 1" for punch?

J

 

[warezdog]

Actually the punch started out at 3" but I took the plasma too it and chopped off about an inch and a half and used those for the sides, the die is 2" if memory serves correctly. I didn't really plan it out much just took what scrap I had and made it work, that pretty much determined what size it became.

I'm waiting for a check to clear to see if I can get those spindle parts from you this week, if not next Friday for sure.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Actually the punch started out at 3" but I took the plasma too it and chopped off about an inch and a half and used those for the sides, the die is 2" if memory serves correctly. I didn't really plan it out much just took what scrap I had and made it work, that pretty much determined what size it became.

I'm waiting for a check to clear to see if I can get those spindle parts from you this week, if not next Friday for sure.

No problem, I have everything set aside for you, whenever.

J

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

W, as promised, I started my 42" brake today. More to come, just getting things positioned for now. This will come in handy around the shop for building bumpers and whatnot...

Cheers,

J

 

[warezdog]

Can't wait to see that in action. Definitely going to steal your idea with the square bar on my next build.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Can't wait to see that in action. Definitely going to steal your idea with the square bar on my next build.

Make sure its cold roll.. Sharper edge and a bit harder than HR.

J

 

[ozcrusier]

Wow impressive guys I will need to build one to suit my home made 20 ton press. Any recommendations on what size plate to use for the press blade my press is 23 1/2 inches wide so would 1/2 plate hold up.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

I like using 1" stock for my punch blades, less deflection (I like to OVER-BUILD TOO). You could try to make the blade punch deeper.. say 1/2" x 6"-8", that would help with the deflection. Or weld two (2)-1/2" plates together... I am using 1"x 4" plus a piece of 1" CR square bar stock welded to that.

Here is a link to a tonnage calculator. You can play with it to see what your 20 ton jack with the max width and depth of your die can accomodate. This calc has a built in safety factor as well.. about a 1.5 to 1 ratio.

http://dealersupport.accurpress.com/qry/ht_loadcalc.taf

Looks like with a 2" angle iron die and 20 tons you could brake a piece of 3/16" plate-20" wide.... according to this calculator. (or approx. 3" of 1/2")

J

 

[ozcrusier]

Thank you I will find some 1 inch plate.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

Thank you I will find some 1 inch plate.

No problem... If your are bending thinner material and never want or need to go to the extremes I've stated.. 1/2" should work just fine IMO.

Cheers,

J

 

[warezdog]

J
what do you use when you don't want a true 90 degree bend? I've read some guys will throw a solid metal rod of diff sizes in the channel to accomplish this but I have yet to see it with my own eyes being done.

 

[TRAIL TAILOR]

J
what do you use when you don't want a true 90 degree bend? I've read some guys will throw a solid metal rod of diff sizes in the channel to accomplish this but I have yet to see it with my own eyes being done.

W, You can use round cold roll as your punch (I'll be making one out of 1 1/4" stock in the near future) However, I "air" bend most of my plate with the set-up above. It takes less tonnage to brake the metal. Just use a digital angle finder and figure out what the "sprinback" is per plate thickness you are using.

J