How do you make this bend?

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

I am trying to reproduce this piece. It is a rear shelf for a race car that fits over the space where the rear seat used to be. It is a little over 3' wide. The first pic is a side shot of the bend in question. The second pic is looking at the piece from underneath.

So, my question is, how do you create this bend across a single 38" piece of sheet aluminum? Will a regular brake work? Box brake? Or is some sort of press used?

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Break press with a die.

 

[e-tek]

Break press with a die.

These are presses that have an angled piece running the length of your sheet. It presses down across it.

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Is it called a "brake" press or a "break" press? Need to know so I can do some "Googling".

And, is this different than a sheet metal (bending) brake?

 

[Gearhead559]

its a a die used in a large brake.

 

[nate379]

It's called a press brake

Is it called a "brake" press or a "break" press? Need to know so I can do some "Googling".

And, is this different than a sheet metal (bending) brake?

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

OK. So that's not something I'm going to do in my garage. Would a typical metal fabrication shop have a press brake?

 

[nate379]

Yup. A steel yard that does cutting, bending, etc (many do) will. It is something that you need in order to bend metal over light sheet metal thickness. I have seen then large enough that they could bend full sheets of 1/2" plate

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Any misc. or structural fab shop will have what you need. They use them all the time to bend pans for stairs. The larger presses can do thicker plate but they all limit the radius of the bend to 2X the plate thickness for anything much over 1/8.

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

This is pretty thin aluminum. I'd like to make it a little thicker/sturdier. I'll take this piece to a shop and ask them how much thicker I can go while still being able to get this bend.

Edit: Will something like this work?

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-inch-capacity-shear-press-brake-and-slip-roll-43353.html

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

This is pretty thin aluminum. I'd like to make it a little thicker/sturdier. I'll take this piece to a shop and ask them how much thicker I can go while still being able to get this bend.

Edit: Will something like this work?

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-inch-capacity-shear-press-brake-and-slip-roll-43353.html

That will only do a 90 degree bend. You need a press with dies to get the extreme bend you desire.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Although once you've bent it 90°, a determined hobbyist can take it further.

 

[MadMechMaster]

We've got a similar unit from Enco at work. While it may be rated for 18 ga, it won't do that over the full 40". For $800, a fab shop is the way to go for one bend. They will have access to many die profiles that will work.

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS321&q=press+brake+dies&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=sOVDTN3xIs29nAet4d3qDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDwQsAQwAw

 

[hofferwood]

We used to call it a "knee brake" with knife dies.
kinda looks like this http://www.sierravictor.com/1465-40x12ga-baileigh%C3%82%C2%AE-foot-clamp-brake-pi-711.html?invis=0
ours was way older,but you get the idea.
Try an HVAC shop.
Chuck

 

[Professur]

If I had to do that quickly at home, I'd make it out of two parts, welded together at the tight bend. It's nowhere near as quick as the appropriate brake die, but it would be the fastest way without one. Actually, looking at it again ... I'd extend the metal at that point another quarter inch, punch a series of holes in one side and just plug weld it .... or if you've got access to a spot welder use that. Far faster than trying to weld the entire length of the seam.

 

[larry_g]

Do you really need that particular bend? Why is it there? Is the lip going up needed for function or just stiffining the bend up? Could you imagine making a simple bend and then adding a stiffiner by bolting/riveting/welding?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Do you really need that particular bend? Why is it there? Is the lip going up needed for function or just stiffining the bend up? Could you imagine making a simple bend and then adding a stiffiner by bolting/riveting/welding?

It serves two purposes: A stiffener and it keeps objects from sliding off the rear package tray. It is also aesthetic.

Yes, I could probably re-design, but my goal is to reverse-engineer and stamp these out to sell. Welding would take more time and add to the cost.

 

[chopperman1]

If you are planning on selling them then I you will need a correct die for the press to get consistent results quickly and efficiently.

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Yes, I plan on making a pattern and bringing the pieces, ready to bend, to a local fab shop. I'll have them make the bend then I'll finish trimming, etc. Eventually, if these sell, I'll have to purchase my own equipment.

 

[gorilla]

That piece is more difficult than it seems at first glance. The 90* edge bends will be done first, then the 90* bend with a bottom die that will allow the edges to hang over the ends. then the acute bend with a knife die that will fit inside the edges. You will pay a lot of $ for this because of the set- up required. The cost per unit will go down a bunch if you have more made. Try to find a shop that builds chassis for electronics equipment this work is easy for them shops that do structural steel will not have the correct tooling.

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

I figgered I could do all the edge bends on a standard bending brake and have a shop do the "complicated" bend.

 

[rsanter]

a box and pan brake will do it
you will make the 90 degree bend first and then the other one

bob

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

Hmm...you say box/pan brake, other's say press brake.



So which is it?

 

[gorilla]

IMHO if you want to make just one you could do in a box and pan break but it would take a lot of mickey mousing around, more than one a press break would be better.

 

[welderwink]

That piece looks pretty complicated from the pics you posted. A shop might want nothing to do with it if your just making one piece, it could take a lot of time and messing around to get it, and thats if you have the right dies. If you had a order of a few hundred that would be one thing.

 

[CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM]

That piece looks pretty complicated from the pics you posted. A shop might want nothing to do with it if your just making one piece, it could take a lot of time and messing around to get it, and thats if you have the right dies. If you had a order of a few hundred that would be one thing.

Is it really that complicated? Looking over the entire piece, it appears to be very "home-made". My goal is to make a couple of better/heavier quality and see if/how they sell. If they are well received by my target market, then I'll go into full production.

 

[speed bump]

If I was making them for profit and directly ripping off that design I would probably just make a die and a hydraulic press to bang the shape out in one operation.

If I was doing it to look spiffy I would bead roll the top for the lip and then bend it in a normal brake.

 

[Kevin54]

That kind of bend is done on a Press Brake.

Check this on how the Press Brake works. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_brake

Quite a few metal fabricating shops that work in sheetmetal have them. You can also check with your local heating contractors that make up their own ductwork to see if they use them at their shop. Some will bend metal for a minimum charge.

 

[pgreen]

Although once you've bent it 90°, a determined hobbyist can take it further.

Absolutely!

To make it simpler, you could make it in a couple pieces and use rivets too. The rivet heads should be hidden by the cloth.

 

[gearbuilder]

a box and pan brake will do it
you will make the 90 degree bend first and then the other one

bob

I agree with rsanter, I believe I could make that part with my 48", 16 gage
finger brake "box and pan brake".

Jamie