Sheet Metal Brake [$10]

Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
I have used the heck out of this Harbor Freight item. It is one of their items that is worth owning and is well built. Has magnets that secure it to the bench vice jaws and will easily bend 16 ga. I have overloaded it by brakeing 14 ga. and it has survived. Have made bends in sheet metal 18 or so inches long by advancing the part through the dies and progressively adding to the bend.
 
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Yellowhand

Yellowhand

#2
#2
Good deal...I've been looking for the one tool that Harbor Freight sells that actually works...guess this is the one.

BTW, I just found out my neighbor has a chopped, channeled and lowered Studebaker pickup...kinda sea foam green with gloss black flames...didn't get to look under the hood though...I'll try to get a pic...don't see many anymore...
 
Oldsalt

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
Ya. The post is sorta old and the picture is gone. Here's a couple of new ones that show the upper and lower dies installed in a vice. They have powerful magnets that ensure they stay positioned in the vice. As I recall the paper that came with them said the capacity is 16 ga. mild steel. I've formed a lot of things useing 14 ga. without a problem. Also approx. 1/8" aluminum without a problem. Aluminum tends to crack when bent on a tight radius so [commerically] a really wide opening is used on the bottom die and a big radius is used on the pointed die when making a 90 degree bend. This little guy will do the same work on aluminum by useing three bends about 3/16" apart to acheve the bigger bend radius so that crackling in the aluminum does not occur. The other day I made a 1" X 2" X 1" channel almost 24" long with the pictured tool. Just gotta do a little bending at a time and advance the part through the 6" wide dies. By progressively bending the metal the completed bend shows no signs that it was not done all at once. I believe I paid 7 or 8 bucks several years ago. Guessing that the current harbor Freight price is no more than $10. I rate this tool with an A+.
 
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