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Wanted: Press Brake for Shop Press

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carlito

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Sep 13, 2008
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Houston, TX
I just picked up a shop press on craigslist largely because I wanted to run one of these:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21896_21896

I would be thrilled to find a good used one that is collecting dust, especially since I don`t have a Northern Tool anywhere near California. I am willing to pay for shipping and or arrange to have it put on a truck that is heading from Kansas City to Turlock, CA this weekend.

There is also a very nice knockoff of this on eBay for a good price, but its slightly smaller.
 
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Darren M.

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Can you weld? If so, just make the thing. It's a piece of angle iron w/ supports. I made one and it's quite easy. Does it look great? Well, it would if I wanted to grind and paint it. Does it work? Yeah, and it only cost like $10 in SCRAP. Hell, I'll make you one for 200, free shipping. What color?
 
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carlito

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LOL, funny post. I considered making one but intend to bend some fairly thick material - wasn`t sure how it would hold up. Plus the upper die is alot less than a 90 degree angle so it can reach deep into the lower die. So, now you have me thinking about this. I`m competent as a fabricator but also want some quality bends out of my bender. I considered milling the upper die out of some plate and calling it.
 
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rsanter

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visalia ca
you can also look for some used press brake dies
if you can get them cheap they can be turned into a brake for a press

bob
 
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carlito

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Sep 13, 2008
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Houston, TX
rsanter said:
you can also look for some used press brake dies
if you can get them cheap they can be turned into a brake for a press

bob
Click to expand...

I did find a few nearby, failed to contact the seller thus far. Would be great if he answers his phone or email. Using my lathe I could make some nice tight fitting cylinders and pistons to keep everything aligned during the press - like the Northern tool has.

Ideally I could attached the upper and lower die independent, so that thin pieces of steel could be passed through the openings in the press, and therefore create my own angle pieces and hat channels.

Maybe I should move this to the tool building forum!
 
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Darren M.

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Personally, I think you should. An angle is easy enough to mill on a straight line. Do the other side to your liking and viola. You've got yourself a great break. Not to mention. YOU BUILT IT. Also, what are you talking here. 16 gauge, 14? Sheet steel? Aluminum? Honestly. The "business" end of this thing is the female angle and the die. Need it heat treated? You could probably do that for 1/2 what the Northern cost is.....
I have very little dog in this fight. And, for that matter, if you like, I can/will buy one of these for you at my local Northern and ship it to you. I'd be more than happy to do so. Just would hate to see an opportunity to build something go to pot. If you're serious shoot me a PM. I'll give you my phone number(s) and address and I'll buy the thing for you w/ pictures. (Shipped upon paypal transfer from you of course. Sorry, you're paying taxes and shipping if I buy it from Northern. :D)

Seriously. Good luck! :D
 
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carlito

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Houston, TX
Darren M. said:
Personally, I think you should. An angle is easy enough to mill on a straight line. Do the other side to your liking and viola. You've got yourself a great break. Not to mention. YOU BUILT IT. Also, what are you talking here. 16 gauge, 14? Sheet steel? Aluminum? Honestly. The "business" end of this thing is the female angle and the die. Need it heat treated? You could probably do that for 1/2 what the Northern cost is.....
I have very little dog in this fight. And, for that matter, if you like, I can/will buy one of these for you at my local Northern and ship it to you. I'd be more than happy to do so. Just would hate to see an opportunity to build something go to pot. If you're serious shoot me a PM. I'll give you my phone number(s) and address and I'll buy the thing for you w/ pictures. (Shipped upon paypal transfer from you of course. Sorry, you're paying taxes and shipping if I buy it from Northern. :D)

Seriously. Good luck! :D
Click to expand...

Thanks for the motivation.. and you are right. For the cost invested here I could purchase a harbor freight mini mill for slightly more with a 20% off coupon and have alot more fun building the brake. I already have a lathe and every single other tool needed to do this. Nice thing about building it is that I control the end result and make sure it does everything I need. I also want a Mill more than I want a brake, but I need the brake before the mill. I think mill + building it makes the most sense.

I need to bend a little bit of 16 and 18 ga steel, occasional aluminum, and many of my bends over the long run will be 3/16 and 1/4" plate steel for brackets, tabs, rollbar gussets, and so on for my Jeep.

If I do this i`ll post up a real progress thread.
 
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rsanter

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Dec 22, 2007
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visalia ca
carlito said:
I did find a few nearby, failed to contact the seller thus far. Would be great if he answers his phone or email. Using my lathe I could make some nice tight fitting cylinders and pistons to keep everything aligned during the press - like the Northern tool has.

Ideally I could attached the upper and lower die independent, so that thin pieces of steel could be passed through the openings in the press, and therefore create my own angle pieces and hat channels.

Maybe I should move this to the tool building forum!
Click to expand...

I think you would be better off getting some cold rolled material that is the size you want and then get the bushings that will fit.

another thing uoi can do is to get some linerar bearings off ebay

bob
 
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Defender Chassis

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Dec 7, 2007
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Williamstown, WV
There is a guy selling his version of that on ebay. He is out of Montana I think. Not to discourage you but my experience in building something like this is that for the time I would be farther ahead to work on something for a customer and just buy the damn thing. Depends on how much free time you have.
 
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Darren M.

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Feb 3, 2005
Messages
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Aledo Tx
Defender makes a great point about time. My interest is the build itself and is a hobby. If it's a business, then obviously you don't want to spend time making tools. I'd have to agree.

Again, good luck!
 
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carlito

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Sep 13, 2008
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Location
Houston, TX
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carlito

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Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
38
Location
Houston, TX
Northern Tool: www.northerntool.com
and someone on eBay both sell some inexpensive press brake tools that are used in a shop press. Both are made in the US, I have yet to find a foreign one. I have seen them in pictures online, people who have shops, etc and cannot figure out where theirs came from.
 
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