bending 1/4 steel

[fj40forlife]

I have some flat plate of 1/4 and i want to bend it to a 90 degress for my bumper to frame. How do you guys do it? I have a 15 ton press cut i use it some how? How do you like shop do it for like spring mounts and stuff?


Eric

[oldjeep]

I usually grind a line where I want to bend it about 1/2 way through the metal, bend it against a bench and then weld up the inside corner. Or if you do a search, there's a couple guys who have made press brakes out of cheap shop presses.

[Todd W]

I have some flat plate of 1/4 and i want to bend it to a 90 degress for my bumper to frame. How do you guys do it? I have a 15 ton press cut i use it some how? How do you like shop do it for like spring mounts and stuff?


Eric

How does a shop do it? 8' or 12' press brake... 100 TON or so :flipoff2:

Can you do it with 15 TONs yes but probably only 10" or so.

[big giant head]

Heaten it with a oxy/fuel torch maybe?

[Todd W]

Heaten it with a oxy/fuel torch maybe?

I've bent 3/8" doing that and a BFH.. it won't bend a perfect 90* like a press brake but it does work... again it depends how many inches or feet you need to bend.

I've bent 3/8" over frame rales on a jeep by heating it welding it heating other side and hammering the hell out of it. Worked great.

[jmhinescj]

I usually grind a line where I want to bend it about 1/2 way through the metal, bend it against a bench and then weld up the inside corner. Or if you do a search, there's a couple guys who have made press brakes out of cheap shop presses.

yup...if it's only a couple of inches wide you could make a couple of dies and do it in your press but honestly I'd do like oldjeep says above...grind a line and clamp it in a vice so te line is flush with the top of the jaws and beat on it

[big giant head]

Its amazing what you can do with a torch and a BFH :smokin:

[TLCObsession]

Go to the local steel shop and have them make the bend. Last time i bought plate, I bought a sheet, they cut it in 3 pieces, made 2 bends in each of the 2 pieces and loaded it in my truck: added cost $20. Time saved: 2 hours and the bends are perfect.

[Backncardr]

I have bent 1/4" steel plate in a motorized wood splitter. Bent like butter no preheating.

[Brad]

Ive seen guys make press brake dies out of thick angle iron. If you only need this one peice done. Get it done at the steel shop if they have a brake.

[Todd W]

Ive seen guys make press brake dies out of thick angle iron. If you only need this one peice done. Get it done at the steel shop if they have a brake.

Your attachment is kinda itty bitty :homer:

[Brad]

Bigger?

http://beer.thisdysfunctional.org/TDOGallery/d/44870-1/tonnage_chart.jpg

[Wicked_S10]

here is a link to my very ghetto set of dies I made out of shop scrap to bend bumper brackets in my "used to be useless" HF kink-o-matic.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=625579

Later,
Jason

[jmhinescj]

Bigger?

http://beer.thisdysfunctional.org/TDOGallery/d/44870-1/tonnage_chart.jpg

that's a cool chart to have around

[Mike C2]

I've got one of these;
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/145531_lg.gif

Here is a link to the page:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21896_21896?cm_ven=Aggregates&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Metal%20Fabrication%2C%20Shop%20Presses&cm_ite=145531&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=145531

[1TON73K5]

I've got one of these;
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/145531_lg.gif

Here is a link to the page:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21896_21896?cm_ven=Aggregates&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Metal%20Fabrication%2C%20Shop%20Presses&cm_ite=145531&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=145531



With that pic you can copy fab one up. Looks very simple. Instead of the posts I would use long grade 8 bolts and maybe a jam nut to hold the bolts tight, and just drill and tap the base plate.

[fj40forlife]

here is a link to my very ghetto set of dies I made out of shop scrap to bend bumper brackets in my "used to be useless" HF kink-o-matic.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=625579

Later,
Jason

do you have to have some kind of gap betten both of them for the steel to bend? I was looking at making the one like (Mike C2) posted

http://www.rollmeover.com/bronco_fab/odds_n_ends/bender004.jpg

Eric
Thanks everyone

[Wicked_S10]

I milled the corner off the male die so they would fit tight together. I only needed to bend 45°, so it worked fine for me. It can nearly bend 90° as it is. If I ever have the need to bend further, I will remake the male die to a 80-85° angle, and that should leave enough room for .25" at 90°.

Later,
Jason

[Todd W]

With that pic you can copy fab one up. Looks very simple. Instead of the posts I would use long grade 8 bolts and maybe a jam nut to hold the bolts tight, and just drill and tap the base plate.

Or you could get one for a deal like meee ;D

http://www.4x4blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/1.jpg (http://www.4x4blog.com/20-ton-24-press-brake-my-new-toy/)

[fj40forlife]

I dont even think i want to hear how much you got it for lol?

[Todd W]

I dont even think i want to hear how much you got it for lol?

That and this (http://www.4x4blog.com/20-ton-24-press-brake-my-new-toy/) (thing to put press brake in!) For <200 total. I want to say I got them for 130 but am not 100% because I got a bunch of steel @ the same time too :D:D

[sn0border88]

Just get a shop to do it, we usually charge $10 for a bend if its already layed out.

[guidolyons]

Hey Jason, Thanks for the press brake idea for the pipe kinker. :laughing: I got one about 6 years ago, before I knew the difference between toob and pipe.
I built one bumper with it, and it sat in the corner unused.
I've used it more as a press than as a kinker. It might have some usefullness left in it yet.

[Gaummy]

If you don't want a really tight radius and want it on the cheap, a friend does his this way.



Used this big heavy piece of angle iron to help me make the bends
http://thexota.org/d/10446-1/Dsc00492.jpg

http://thexota.org/d/10449-1/Dsc00493.jpg

It worked pretty good but the radius isn't very tight inside that angle iron
http://thexota.org/d/10452-1/Dsc00494.jpg

Or this setup too but be careful of those plates.
http://thexota.org/d/9854-1/Dsc04510.jpg