willy3486
Well-known member
I took a break from working around the house and made a metal brake to bend. I used 3 pieces of angle iron. They are widening the road in front of my house and got the BILs place. Although they are not getting mine I helped him out by clearing out what he didn't want. I got 3 really nice pieces of angle iron. The longest was 50 inches and the other two were a little shorter length but the same type of angle iron. The great thing of it was that when I put it on my bench top it was a perfect fit. My bench is about 50 as well and I didn't measure it . The metal angle iron pieces were perfect for the brake I wanted. I wanted one I could clamp on my main workbench but be able to take off.
Here is the brake on the ground. The largest piece is bolted to a board as long as it is. Then there is a nut I welded on the underside of the angle iron. I drilled a hole in the wood board where the nut and bolt would come through. I then have a top piece of angle iron that has two holes directly above where the nut is. I then put bolts in the hole and go through the angle iron with the nut. The piece to be bent is placed between these two and the bolts are tightened down to hold the metal. I have two hinges that I welded on each end of the shorter piece that you raise up. I made the handle out of 1 inch tubing.
Here you see it mounted to the workbench with C clamps. I have a piece of metal in it to be bent as a trial. It was a thick piece, probably the thickest as I will bend.
Here I have the arm raised up and the piece is bent. I made the arm about 12-16 inches long. I didn't measure I just cut one piece as long as a piece I had to use. With it that long it bends fairly easy. I am glad I made it that long.
Here is a up close of a corner. You can see the C clamp holding it to the bench. You can see the bolt and nut that holds the board and angle iron together. Further down you see the bolt that tightens down the top anglee iron piece to hold the bending piece. Below that is the hinge that is welded to the longer piece and the moving piece with the handle. They were welded flush.
The hinges were the biggest cost probably. I think they were about 2.79 each from tractor supply. The other cost was the welding rods and electricity. Then add around a buck or less for the bolts. I probably have 10 or less in it. I have wanted one of these for a while now. I bend stuff often and it gets old trying to bend a good bend in a vise. The bend is a really good bend on the piece I did. I took pictures of it but they were blurry. If you have questions let me know.
Here is the brake on the ground. The largest piece is bolted to a board as long as it is. Then there is a nut I welded on the underside of the angle iron. I drilled a hole in the wood board where the nut and bolt would come through. I then have a top piece of angle iron that has two holes directly above where the nut is. I then put bolts in the hole and go through the angle iron with the nut. The piece to be bent is placed between these two and the bolts are tightened down to hold the metal. I have two hinges that I welded on each end of the shorter piece that you raise up. I made the handle out of 1 inch tubing.
Here you see it mounted to the workbench with C clamps. I have a piece of metal in it to be bent as a trial. It was a thick piece, probably the thickest as I will bend.
Here I have the arm raised up and the piece is bent. I made the arm about 12-16 inches long. I didn't measure I just cut one piece as long as a piece I had to use. With it that long it bends fairly easy. I am glad I made it that long.
Here is a up close of a corner. You can see the C clamp holding it to the bench. You can see the bolt and nut that holds the board and angle iron together. Further down you see the bolt that tightens down the top anglee iron piece to hold the bending piece. Below that is the hinge that is welded to the longer piece and the moving piece with the handle. They were welded flush.
The hinges were the biggest cost probably. I think they were about 2.79 each from tractor supply. The other cost was the welding rods and electricity. Then add around a buck or less for the bolts. I probably have 10 or less in it. I have wanted one of these for a while now. I bend stuff often and it gets old trying to bend a good bend in a vise. The bend is a really good bend on the piece I did. I took pictures of it but they were blurry. If you have questions let me know.
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