I've never owned a slip roll or done much round bending before.

I'd like to bend some 050 or 063 aluminum in a "U" shape -- about 2.5"
deep and perhaps a 3/8 to 1/2" radius.

I do have a finger brake but don't see how I can creatively use it, or
even a vice etc.

Can a slip roll do a bend that tight? It looks like they can only do
larger (1" or so).

Any ideas? Any home shop tools I can look at?

THANKS much.

"mkr5000" wrote in message
...
I've never owned a slip roll or done much round bending before.

I'd like to bend some 050 or 063 aluminum in a "U" shape -- about 2.5"
deep and perhaps a 3/8 to 1/2" radius.

I do have a finger brake but don't see how I can creatively use it, or
even a vice etc.

Can a slip roll do a bend that tight? It looks like they can only do
larger (1" or so).

Any ideas? Any home shop tools I can look at?

THANKS much.


How wide? For a one or two off try to press a form into a die using a bench
vice?

"Den" fired this volley in
:


"mkr5000" wrote in message
.
..
I've never owned a slip roll or done much round bending before.

I'd like to bend some 050 or 063 aluminum in a "U" shape -- about
2.5" deep and perhaps a 3/8 to 1/2" radius.

I do have a finger brake but don't see how I can creatively use it,
or even a vice etc.

Can a slip roll do a bend that tight? It looks like they can only do
larger (1" or so).

Any ideas? Any home shop tools I can look at?

THANKS much.


How wide? For a one or two off try to press a form into a die using a
bench vice?





The standard method in the 'ordinary' sheet metal fab is to use radiusing
noses on your fingers, and set the platen away from the center of radius
by the radius of the noses, plus the thickness of the metal. Polished
parts make a big difference in quality of the finished bend.

LLoyd

I'd like to bend some 050 or 063 aluminum in a "U" shape -- about 2.5"
deep and perhaps a 3/8 to 1/2" radius.

I do have a finger brake but don't see how I can creatively use it, or
even a vice etc.

Can a slip roll do a bend that tight? It looks like they can only do
larger (1" or so).


A slip roll can only roll as small as the roller size, plus some springback.
And it cannot generally make a U shaped piece with straight sides, the entire
piece you feed in will roll into a circle. It is possible to insert the sheet
with the rolls backed off and then tighten them down gradually when you are at
the bend point, then you roll back and forth. I don't know if it would work for
such a tight bend.

At work we had finger brakes with radiused noses, but not as large a radius as
you want. It would require a brake with an articulated bar. And they will not
bend a 180 anyway.

I think you need a press brake with a deep female die and a round-nose
'pusher'.

--
Dennis

On Apr 14, 9:23*am, mkr5000 wrote:
I'd like to bend some 050 or 063 aluminum in a "U" shape -- about 2.5"
deep and perhaps a 3/8 to 1/2" radius.
I do have a finger brake but don't see how I can creatively use it, or
even a vice etc.

Give this a try on some practice material;

Bend one thin strip well past a right angle, then back up the fingers
by its thickness and bend a second one over it, then repeat etc. I've
only done this with two strips plus the work so I don't know how far
you can go. This also works on the vertical press brake on a 3-in-1
combo machine but the narrow lower die limits the maximum radius.

Jim Wilkins

On Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:23:04 -0700 (PDT), mkr5000
wrote:


I'd like to bend some 050 or 063 aluminum in a "U" shape -- about 2.5"
deep and perhaps a 3/8 to 1/2" radius.


If you're doing enough to justify the effort, something like this
would work. I used dowel pins for their hardness and good surface
finish, but was bending Inconel wire with that particular jig. Mild
steel would last a long time working aluminum.

http://www.suscom-maine.net/~nsimmon...essBrake01.jpg
http://www.suscom-maine.net/~nsimmon...essBrake02.jpg



--
Ned Simmons