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  1. #1
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    Default Press brake attachment

    I'm looking at buying one these Press Brake attachments in a couple of months https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/P455 as an addition to the 50 ton hydraulic press that I recently bought for my business. I was wondering if anybody here had used one of them and what they are like ?. They also have this one https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/P450 which is 450mm long the first link is for the 600mm long one. I'm opting for the P455 to get the extra length. My intention is whether straight away or later on to make a new upper punch up as a set of fingers (like this SWAG 20 TON Finger Brake Heavy Duty DIY Builder Kit ) so it allows me to make up some trays etc.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  2. #2
    jatt's Avatar
    jatt is offline Always within 10 paces from nearest stubby holder
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    Yep, once you start using it wont be long before you start making those various size top tools.

    Of course if you wanna do 90 deg bends, an 85 deg V is the best way to go.
    Frisky wife, happy life. ​Then I woke up. Oh well it was fun while it lasted.
    From an early age my father taught me to wear welding gloves . "Its not to protect your hands son, its to put out the fire when u set yourself alight".

  3. #3
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    Default

    When you get around to making the removable fingers, have a look for some Gooseneck Tooling, they'll allow you to put return folds on the panels. It'll be a handy item to have.
    Gooseneck Tooling.jpg
    Gooseneck Tooling2.jpg
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  4. #4
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    Default

    Not to rain on your parade, but have a good look at what you are buying. The bottom V is 80mm wide which is less than ideal for sheet metal work (42mm minimum return unless you narrow the V). If you narrow the V, then they become very sensitive to travel. Brake presses adjust in 1/100ths of a mm for a reason. I used a bending attachment on a punch and shear and I hated it with a passion. If you want to bend 5 or 10mm plate, then it's an option, but for sheet metal work forget it IMHO.

  5. #5
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    Glad someone brought it up, I've been thinking about buying one since they become available
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  6. #6
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    Default press brake

    Hi, I've been using one of these for about a year now mainly for making angles in sheet metal 1mm up to about 5mm for my 5" gauge locomotive, its so much easier to make your own instead of going to the model supply shops who don't always have the size or style you want, attached is the press I have and some of the angles
    I've made,
    Leroy.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  7. #7
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    Thanks for the replies. I understand what your saying Karl. I doubt that I would be using it for sheet metal. I've got my own business (outboard, small engine, trailer service and repair). Probably the minium I would be bending would be 2mm thick. It would get used for bending steel and aluminium for customer jobs and my own projects. Bending thinner material might be a bit fiddly and the hand pump rather than the air/hydraulic would need to be used. A stop might be able to be set up to prevent overbending, but thats only going to be necessary if i was doing a lot repetive bends in the same material. Here's a link to a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9cS...g&index=5&t=0s I was planning on doing this (6:15) stacking angle iron in the bottom die to reduce the 'V' width of course this can only be done to a certain point in regards to the upper die size.
    I believe the bigger 'V' dies come with an 85 degree punch. I don't know what 'V' these have attachments on them, but this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4nf1Gm5eAY with the Asset Plant one (same size as the one I'm looking at buying) shows it actually over bending light gauge material. The gooseneck dies are a good idea although I don't know that I would use them very often.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by steran50 View Post
    The gooseneck dies are a good idea although I don't know that I would use them very often.
    I'm not saying you will use them, but if you happen to see them at a salvage yard etc, grab them. You could use it for replacing/repair a seat mount in a boat, extra folds on an auxilary outboard mount, are just a couple that came to the top of my mind.
    If you haven't got them then you'll need one but cant find em.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  9. #9
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    Stacking angle iron does work to a point and I have done it myself. It does have certain limitations that need to be factored in/overcome, these being the internal radius of angle iron and the fact that angle is 90 degrees meaning true 90 degree bends are difficult to achieve. All can be overcome in varying ways. Have you considered a pan brake? A pan brake will be a better fit for sub 3mm material, but of course won't do 5 or 6mm.

  10. #10
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    Default

    You make a good point Kryn in regards to the Gooseneck dies. A Pan-brake would be handy at times, but space is a bit restricted. Les that has the welding shop just a few doors down from me has a Pan-brake I've used it at times or got him to do the job for me. I have got a universal bar bender (UB70) so I can bend some stuff with that. I have it mounted on my welding table, but if I try and bend anything to heavy though I drag the table around coz it's not bolted down yet. So the angle iron is only really going to work if it's radius is suitable to the material being bent. I suppose one could use a piece of really heavy angle iron and "MAYBE' (if it's possible - just a theory) machine a different radius into it with a ball nose end mill. Am I right in thinking that if the top punch is 85 degree and the bottom die is 90 degree that you can make 90deg bends ?.

    Leroy it looks like your Press brake which looks like the 450mm wide one does a good job. How does it handle a 90 degree bend in the material that you've been bending ?.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  11. #11
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    Default

    Leroy it looks like your Press brake which looks like the 450mm wide one does a good job. How does it handle a 90 degree bend in the material that you've been bending ?.[/QUOTE]

    yes its 450mm, it will go past 90 degree if I take it to the bottom and then put about 5 ton on the gauge
    in the lighter metal so have to be careful not to take it too far on wide sections, on narrower strips its easy to
    bend back to 90 degrees,
    Leroy.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by steran50 View Post
    So the angle iron is only really going to work if it's radius is suitable to the material being bent. I suppose one could use a piece of really heavy angle iron and "MAYBE' (if it's possible - just a theory) machine a different radius into it with a ball nose end mill. Am I right in thinking that if the top punch is 85 degree and the bottom die is 90 degree that you can make 90deg bends ?.
    Unfortunately not. The bottom die must have an included angle less than 90 degrees so that you can take the material past 90 degrees to allow for spring back. The radius in the angle iron means that you probably have in effect a 95 degree bottom die as you cannot take the material right into the root of the die.
    There are various solutions that can be applied and will give varying degrees of success and also varying undesired side effects. One that can be used is to stitch weld round bar (preferably stainless as it is more durable) along the two top edges of the angle iron insert. This has the effect of narrowing the die and decreasing the internal angle. You could also use some flat bar and insert it in the original die to narrow the die, however you would most probably need to get the flat bar milled to the correct angles unless you are lucky enough to find just the right size to fit in the existing die. Beware if you are bending Aluminium sheet as it is quite soft and you will easily gouge it if your die inserts are not good and smooth.
    You can do a great many things to adapt that tool for various tasks, but it will always be a compromise solution. I do not mean that to be seen a derogatory at all, just as a statement that you cannot expect the same results out of a tool of this type as you would from a brake press or pan brake, however it beats bending in a vice or over your knee.

  13. #13
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    Thanks for the info Karl which is much appreciated. I understand what you saying. I will most likely do a lot of experimental bends in different materials - stainless, aluminium & steel as I go to work out what works best in regards to different dies, material thickness and bend radius's. I had even thought about making the unit myself as I both a milling machine and a lathe, I would just have to source some material to make the punch and die with.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  14. #14
    jatt's Avatar
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    You will be surprised what you can do with just ms.

    For bottom die perhaps pop into a machinery seller. That's what I did. There was a short leftover 4 sided V die. Only prob is its a 60 deg, but for me its good enough, just have to watch it when bending.
    Frisky wife, happy life. ​Then I woke up. Oh well it was fun while it lasted.
    From an early age my father taught me to wear welding gloves . "Its not to protect your hands son, its to put out the fire when u set yourself alight".

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by leroy View Post
    Hi, I've been using one of these for about a year now mainly for making angles in sheet metal 1mm up to about 5mm for my 5" gauge locomotive, its so much easier to make your own instead of going to the model supply shops who don't always have the size or style you want, attached is the press I have and some of the angles
    I've made,
    Leroy.
    A lot of detail in there!..if it wasnt for the other small items in the first pic it could've looked full sized to me

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