New aluminum press break

[edcantu9]

I got a new aluminum 10.5' press break and a roll of aluminum to cap windows for $150 on craigslist!

I will be siding my home soon and wanted to know how to cap the trim around the windows and door. Any tips and websites with good tutorials would be great if you could recommend any!

I did some research but still a bit fuzzy about it.

Is there a template I could use? I was reading a forum topic about it but the file was not accessible.

 

[why worry]

The tops of windows and doors should have a "Z" flashing. It would be helpful to know what type of siding you are planning on using. Biggest thing to remember is water runs downhill so don't create a pocket for it to sit in and backup under the siding.

 

[edcantu9]

The tops of windows and doors should have a "Z" flashing. It would be helpful to know what type of siding you are planning on using. Biggest thing to remember is water runs downhill so don't create a pocket for it to sit in and backup under the siding.

Thanks for the reply. I will be doing vinyl siding.

 

[Kevin54]

If you have brickmold you are going to cover, it the flashing usually gets bent square. Do your bottom sills first, sides next, then "Z" on top that covers over the sides. Use practice short pieces to get your bends correct before bending a long length. Pieces 1"-2" long will give you test fit pieces.

When you do a long length, cut your piece to length. Do not use tin snips. Use a sharp blade in a utility knife and score your aluminum. Use a good scale and not a tape measure to mark where your bends are going to go. Mark each end of your piece, and use the brake as your straight edge.

Also if you have to rip down a long piece, again, use the brake as a guide. Make a mark on each end, line it up in the brake, then score it slowly along the edge. Go back over the same score 3 or 4 times, then bend the aluminum up and it will basically snap clean.

BE CAREFUL!!!!!! The aluminum can slice you do the bone. Even one small sliver can cause extreme pain. BE CAREFUL!!!!!

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask, or if it takes a lot of typing (which I hate to do I can walk you through things over the phone.

BTW......Most importantly.....YOU ****!!!! A roll of coil stock and a brake for $150 is a frickin' steal. You can't find a decent brake around here for less than $300+

 

[captain14]

Pictures of your deal?

You **** !

 

[csp]

Sounds like a siding brake, not a press brake.

 

[ThePress]

When I bought my Van Mark brake, I went on their website (I think it's Van-mark.com) and found some instruction videos on there....some of my workers who had never used a brake before were able to figure it out with those videos, so maybe you can check that out ....

 

[Fordman7795]

Sounds like a siding brake, not a press brake.

Yeah definitely want to see this $150 press brake.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

If you have brickmold you are going to cover, it the flashing usually gets bent square. Do your bottom sills first, sides next, then "Z" on top that covers over the sides. Use practice short pieces to get your bends correct before bending a long length. Pieces 1"-2" long will give you test fit pieces.

When you do a long length, cut your piece to length. Do not use tin snips. Use a sharp blade in a utility knife and score your aluminum. Use a good scale and not a tape measure to mark where your bends are going to go. Mark each end of your piece, and use the brake as your straight edge.

Also if you have to rip down a long piece, again, use the brake as a guide. Make a mark on each end, line it up in the brake, then score it slowly along the edge. Go back over the same score 3 or 4 times, then bend the aluminum up and it will basically snap clean.

BE CAREFUL!!!!!! The aluminum can slice you do the bone. Even one small sliver can cause extreme pain. BE CAREFUL!!!!!

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask, or if it takes a lot of typing (which I hate to do I can walk you through things over the phone.

BTW......Most importantly.....YOU ****!!!! A roll of coil stock and a brake for $150 is a frickin' steal. You can't find a decent brake around here for less than $300+

Kevin has over 24000 posts and HATES to type?????

 

[edcantu9]

If you have brickmold you are going to cover, it the flashing usually gets bent square. Do your bottom sills first, sides next, then "Z" on top that covers over the sides. Use practice short pieces to get your bends correct before bending a long length. Pieces 1"-2" long will give you test fit pieces.

When you do a long length, cut your piece to length. Do not use tin snips. Use a sharp blade in a utility knife and score your aluminum. Use a good scale and not a tape measure to mark where your bends are going to go. Mark each end of your piece, and use the brake as your straight edge.

Also if you have to rip down a long piece, again, use the brake as a guide. Make a mark on each end, line it up in the brake, then score it slowly along the edge. Go back over the same score 3 or 4 times, then bend the aluminum up and it will basically snap clean.

BE CAREFUL!!!!!! The aluminum can slice you do the bone. Even one small sliver can cause extreme pain. BE CAREFUL!!!!!

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask, or if it takes a lot of typing (which I hate to do I can walk you through things over the phone.

BTW......Most importantly.....YOU ****!!!! A roll of coil stock and a brake for $150 is a frickin' steal. You can't find a decent brake around here for less than $300+

I guess it is a trim break, sorry about the confusion. I thought it was still a good deal since I notice some of those are $1000+ dollars. Kevin I will definitely take you up on that offer. I just finished sheathing and house wrapping the garage this weekend. I will message you for your number later on this week when I get to the trim part! Thank you for your help!

 

[homebuilt burner]

Go over to all your friends houses that have just been sided and take a look. Then take a look at your house and decide how you want it to look. Start with short pieces about 1 foot long and practise until you get a system figured out. Next, do a window in the back of your house to hide any mistakes. Like kevin said water runs downhill, so when you trim you work from the bottom up.

There are alot of different ways to do this. it is mainly your labor so you can spend more time on details if you want. On my house, I built the J channel into the trim and also put up a colored freeze board all out of aluminum coil stock(we get lots of compliments).Take your time getting started and if you don't like it recycle bin and start over after two windows you will get pretty fast. Most siding around here figure $75 to $100 per window so when I get one done I figure I have saved that much.

 

[rslaback]

Post a picture of the window you want to cover. There isn't really a template as all are at least a little bit different.

Make sure you have a good pair of red and a good pair of green snips. One of the biggest differences between a job that looks awesome and one that looks ok is using the right snip for the right job. You should also get a pair of sheet metal vise grips. To look the best, all the exposed edges on a trim job should be cut long and hemmed if you can't get a factory or brake edge there. Exposed snip cuts don't sit flat and look stupid.

A lot of guys have mentioned the Z piece (or drip cap) at the top of windows and doors. If you trim the window out correctly, that can be incorporated into your top trim by bending it like this;

|
|__
....|
__|

(ignore the dots)

Pay attention to the reverse bend.

 

[HoosierMark]

Check your break out to make sure it bends square. I have one that looks good but leaves marks on the aluminum at the bend. They make parts for a lot of breaks but not mine, it is too old. I only use it for stuff that will not show or that it fits the the job (old houses where I am replacing only small areas). Also practice as previously mentioned. You can bend a lot of things but you are also limited by the order in which you bend them. Heck of a deal you got.

 

[rslaback]

Check your break out to make sure it bends square. I have one that looks good but leaves marks on the aluminum at the bend. They make parts for a lot of breaks but not mine, it is too old. I only use it for stuff that will not show or that it fits the the job (old houses where I am replacing only small areas). Also practice as previously mentioned. You can bend a lot of things but you are also limited by the order in which you bend them. Heck of a deal you got.

Have you tried lining the openings with a good masking or duct tape? That took care of the scratch problem on my old Tapco.

 

[Kevin54]

Have you tried lining the openings with a good masking or duct tape? That took care of the scratch problem on my old Tapco.

That works well, as I have used masking tape on rental brakes before, but also some fine sandpaper will knock down some of the burrs on the nasty gouges where a utility knife has been cut through the coil stock and scarred the brake.

Also for the OP, and for some others......no two windows are alike, no two doors are alike, and no trim from one side of an opening to the other side is alike. Measure every piece.

 

[PugetDude]

I got a new aluminum 10.5' press break and a roll of aluminum to cap windows for $150 on craigslist!

Pics or it didn't happen.....

 

[HoosierMark]

I have used duct tape and this trick works pretty well. It is a tapco but the model excapes me right now. Like other have told the OP, a big part of using a break is simply becoming familar with how to use it and what you can do with it.

HoosierMark

 

[NUTTSGT]

Pics or it didn't happen.....

I myself would like to see pipctures of the $150 siding brake. If it's what it appears to be, then a smoking deal. They cost about 7-8 times that new.

 

[edcantu9]

Thanks for all the advice. Just got done wrapping the garage and installing windows and door. Now for the trim pieces! I will take and put up pictures soon on the press!

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You ****.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Here's some pics of me bending some aluminum for an inside job covering plywood wall in my friends shop. In this case it was easier than trimming out with wood. On an outside window it would be similar but there would be a slope down and out from the window glass on the bottom [sill] of the window.

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And some trim from the wall to ceiling;

Here is a link to some hand benders, they come in handy but aren't absolutely necesary.
http://malcoproducts.com/product/ro.../hand-seamers-with-die-cast-zinc-jaws-redline

 

[edcantu9]

Ok I finally had time to look at it today. It is a Tapco Port-a-Brake. Model W-14. Here are the pics! I looked it up online online new models go for $900+, I did not know I got such a great deal!

[/IMG]

 

[nfk]

You got a very nice deal

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

It's an older style brake with the wedges. Not as quick to use as the newer ones but servicable. I haven't used one like it for 20 years.

EDIT; IIRC you can adjust the wedges to get equal clamping force by using a piece of paper clamped at each "c". Do one clamp at a time. Make sure each "c" has the same amount of pressure while tugging the paper out. It should be a firm hold but not rip the paper.

 

[rburke65]

From Ohio......."you ****"! Good for you....great deal!