T i m wrote:
On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 16:55:39 +0100, "nightjar" nightjar@insert my
surname here.uk.com wrote:


"T i m" wrote in message
.. .
Hi All,

I'm on the lookout for a small sheet metal brake (folder) to modify
the ally chassis on a little 12th scale electric RC car my daughter
wants to build, race and maintain herself (well that's one excuse bor
buying another tool g) and for general bending-things in the
workshop afterwards

Previously I have just set the sheet between two bits of steel (bar,
angle or square tube) in the vice (and some clamps) and worked the
bend with a soft hammer / drift bar etc but I fancy something a bit
more sophisticated now ;-)

I normally use a 15" folding set in a No 4 fly press for bending small
items.

Colin Bignell


Thanks for the replies lads ;-)

I saw the Machine Mart one online (and they are quite near and I have
used them a bit over the years) but their one was nealy 50 quid inc
Vat..

The Frost one was similar spec and price.
http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8522

I do have a 10 tonne hydraulic press (Machine Mart) but I wasn't sure
what I would need to go with that and / or if I would get the same
'feel' as with a small hand bender, hensce something 'smaller'?

Frost do a 'Hand Folder' but it's more expensive than the bench
folder I first spotted!

My 10 tonne press easily straightened some 20mm steel plates ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

Its probably as quick to make one. Thats what I did. A sheet of wood
hinged to another sheet with a long bar handle added for leverage, plus
add a bar over the top at the bending line to bend the metal against. I
put different radii on the different corners of the bar, rutn it round
to get the various sized radius bends.

Its all wood, 1" thick base, and uses 3 heavy duty 4" steel hinges. The
hinges are only just strongly enough attached to the wood when bending
19" of 1.6mm steel, I needed to use 4" screws as the 2" ones pulled out
at first. The other thing I'd do differnt next time is use something
much meatier than 2x2 softwood bar for the metal to bend against, I
have to stand on this bar to stop it bending when bending the max size
of metal.


NT