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Thread: Sheetmetal Brake

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Default Sheetmetal Brake

    Am looking at purchasing a brake to initially use on my build (kit due March 2021). Have seen many examples of its use on various build logs but am trying to decide whether to purchase a 12" brake (light, relatively portable, takes up small space) or a 24" (not that much heaver, accommodates longer bends). Any inputs based on user experience would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks ahead of time

    Gary

  2. #2
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    Just about every time I have used a brake the bend was longer than 12".
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  3. #3
    patrick.hvac's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    I have a 6ft brake and sometimes I wish it was longer lol. If you have a brake you might as well get a shear.. and if you're going that far a plasma table might be a good idea too!
    Sorry.. I have a tool collection problem.
    Realistically, if you had a 24" brake you couldn't even bend the 90 on the bottom of your panel. You would be limited to avionics angles and small brackets.
    If you need a small brake and budget is tight, just make one out of angle iron and a bullet hinge (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB9ASQBc9V4). I've made one for 30$ in about 2 hours before.
    I would also bet the guys at your local sheet metal shop could be bribed with beer..
    🇨🇦CANADA
    Flying | SS7 | G3X | Edge 912

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    I love tools but hate storing them if they are not used much. I am sorry to admit, but I went the disposable tool route. For building my carbon fiber flapperon tips I bought a jig saw and drum sander from harbor freight. Literally threw them in the garbage when finished. I also bought the 30" brake from harbor freight to do the avionics aluminum plates for remote mounting. Not really much other places you need it imo. The panel already comes bent and only need something for odd and ends.
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
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    N33TF......FLYING!
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  5. #5
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    So what I got was 12" isn't going to buy me anything. 24" will let me bend simple avionics brackets and such. 6 ft will make me a god among mortal men in tool collecting (I too am a collector and a 6 footer would be hard to hide from she who will be obeyed). Rather than buy one now I think the best idea is to wait and assess the requirements when I get to them.

    I do appreciate all the inputs. Just what I was looking for.

    Gary

  6. #6
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    I have a 4ft. "finger/pan" brake. Like Patrick, I have sometimes wished it was longer (there's a joke in there somewhere ). If you were building an all metal airplane you would definitely appreciate having one, but for the little bit of bending needed with this project, probably not so important. I'm in the "tool-collector" camp also. I've found many other non-aircraft uses for my brake over the years, and it's nice to have.
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    I'm probably in the category of tool snob when it comes to sheet metal equipment. I started my career in the precision sheet metal field (computer chassis and then aerospace) and it was around equipment that could hold +/- .003 all day long on flat patterns and +/-.015 across multiple bends on a formed part.

    I too have looked at simple press brakes and the short version is: They are all crap. A small 24" brake will fold very thin metal only. A longer brake would have to be VERY beefy to make a straight bend and the low cost ones are not built strong enough. The reason is simple physics. A long bend will not be straight when the machine flexes. High end brakes like the Amada equipment I used to be around used a hydraulic ram to crown the bed of the machine to compensate. With those a 6-8' bend of 1/4" material is possible.

    I'm not out of the woods yet but so far the Kitfox has almost no need for the builder to own a brake. As Shadowrider pointed out, if a builder wanted to fabricate their own instrument panel the bend along the bottom would be the most daunting task. Either a case of beer to the local welder/fabricator or (as I'll probably do) have the flat part of the panel cut with a laser or water jet and use an angle flush riveted along the bottom. I have stood at Harbor Freight and looked at both the spindle sander and jig saw he's referring to and could not justify the expense/storage burden for so few projects.

    If you just want to be able to make simple brackets and shelves for avionics, ELT etc that chinese brake might be sufficient.

    As snobby as I am, I've had a couple of projects where I muddled through at home.
    IMG_20190720_172428.jpg
    Shown above is a panel filler blank I made for my Citabria when I removed the Narco Mk 12 and installed a Val 2000, leaving a gaping hole. This piece is made of 0.016" aluminum and I made it the hard way: Layout, scribe, rough cut and then sand to the line. Then I used pieces of wood, my vise, fingers and a rubber hammer to form the shape. It took me three tries to get it right but I nailed it in the end. It's very light and would be worthless if I didn't include those low return flanges in my design. It is surprisingly rigid with the flanges. It may be difficult to visualize until you've bent some metal, but that HF brake would likely not have worked on the part above because the part would hit the machine when bending the end flanges.
    IMG_20170712_162244.jpg
    And shown here is one of my more elaborate projects. Way too thick for me to form at home, and I certainly could not have held it square across four bends no matter how many attempts I made. I designed these in Solidworks and found local vendors to cut my flat patterns (Metal Supermarkets provided the material and cut the flat patterns on their waterjet), and I had to find another place to do the brakeform work and the welding.

    The only metal forming I've done so far on my Kitfox was just this weekend when I was cutting/trimming/fitting my door angles. Where the pieces overlap I needed to bend them slightly to lay flat with each other. All I did was take two old heavy metal rulers (scales) and clamp them in a sandwich over the parts and then used my fingers to form the straight bends. Easy.
    Kitfox 5 (under construction)
    Commercial SE/ME, CFII

  8. #8
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    For bending up to about 3", a pair of sheet metal hand bending tongs (I think that is what they are called) works great for things like door and window angles, etc.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  9. #9
    Senior Member Eric Page's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    Quote Originally Posted by jiott View Post
    For bending up to about 3", a pair of sheet metal hand bending tongs...
    Hand seamer. Spruce has them too, but they're vastly more expensive.
    Eric Page
    Building: Kitfox 5 Safari | Rotax 912iS | Dynon HDX
    Member: EAA Lifetime, AOPA, ALPA
    ATP: AMEL | Comm: ASEL, Glider | ATCS: CTO
    Map of Landings

  10. #10
    patrick.hvac's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sheetmetal Brake

    You can have all the tools, you just need a bigger shop!
    HJHgYdf.jpghepiwZb.jpg
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    Last edited by patrick.hvac; 11-19-2020 at 06:08 PM.
    🇨🇦CANADA
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