Your thoughts on the Harbor Freight 36" metal brake...

[Missourian]

One of my guys forgot to replace the battery box cover on a truck and ran over it with a 46,000 load.


Squashed it flatter than a pancake.

The cover is no longer being produced. Can't even find a used one.

I could probably have one made for the same price as buying the HF brake and the materials...but, if I do it myself, I get to keep the brake.

So I'm thinking about it. The brake is $250 on sale.

https://www.harborfreight.com/36-in-bending-brake-with-stand-62518.html

Any thoughts?

 

[Seymour Flops]

What does it do?

 

[Darkwind]

What does it do?

It bends sheet metal.

 

[jotathought]

One of my guys forgot to replace the battery box cover on a truck and ran over it with a 46,000 load.


Squashed it flatter than a pancake.

The cover is no longer being produced. Can't even find a used one.

I could probably have one made for the same price as buying the HF brake and the materials...but, if I do it myself, I get to keep the brake.

So I'm thinking about it. The brake is $250 on sale.

https://www.harborfreight.com/36-in-bending-brake-with-stand-62518.html

Any thoughts?

Are you looking to fabricate your own?

 

[Seymour Flops]

It bends sheet metal.

Oh, then heck yeah, get that instead of the part for the same price.

Use it to make instead of buy that battery box and it has paid for itself. Then you will find many more uses for it. I work with wood, and that happens every time I buy a tool that I haven't had before. I think it is for one project, but then it keeps coming in handy.

 

[The Duke]

One of my guys forgot to replace the battery box cover on a truck and ran over it with a 46,000 load.


Squashed it flatter than a pancake.

The cover is no longer being produced. Can't even find a used one.

I could probably have one made for the same price as buying the HF brake and the materials...but, if I do it myself, I get to keep the brake.

So I'm thinking about it. The brake is $250 on sale.

https://www.harborfreight.com/36-in-bending-brake-with-stand-62518.html

Any thoughts?

Ya never know when a metal box might come in handy.

 

[sparky]

HF sells the cheesball Chinese crap more trades abhor..~S~

 

[Darkwind]

Oh, then heck yeah, get that instead of the part for the same price.

Use it to make instead of buy that battery box and it has paid for itself. Then you will find many more uses for it. I work with wood, and that happens every time I buy a tool that I haven't had before. I think it is for one project, but then it keeps coming in handy.

Can you bend diamond plate with that? Looks kind of smallish.

 

[Missourian]

Are you looking to fabricate your own?

I am.

Also have some custom sized aluminum toolboxes I'd like to make as well.

I have a tabletop 18" brake that I used to create some ductwork, but it isn't big enough for this.

Job of the weekend...remove old wood furnace...

... Then fabricate new ductwork... Disconnected the furnaces and got the old furnace out of the corner and the electric furnace back into it's corner. Tomorrow have to build a ramp to get it over a seven inch rise...then start building duct for the first time.

www.usmessageboard.com

 

[jotathought]

I am.

Also have some custom sized aluminum toolboxes I'd like to make as well.

I have a tabletop 18" brake that I used to create some ductwork, but it isn't big enough for this.

Job of the weekend...remove old wood furnace...

... Then fabricate new ductwork... Disconnected the furnaces and got the old furnace out of the corner and the electric furnace back into it's corner. Tomorrow have to build a ramp to get it over a seven inch rise...then start building duct for the first time.

www.usmessageboard.com

You are much more advanced than I ... I'd probably just be able to do a stick man. haha

 

[progressive hunter]

One of my guys forgot to replace the battery box cover on a truck and ran over it with a 46,000 load.


Squashed it flatter than a pancake.

The cover is no longer being produced. Can't even find a used one.

I could probably have one made for the same price as buying the HF brake and the materials...but, if I do it myself, I get to keep the brake.

So I'm thinking about it. The brake is $250 on sale.

https://www.harborfreight.com/36-in-bending-brake-with-stand-62518.html

Any thoughts?

if the box lid is as thick as I think it is that break is going to struggle to bend the same thickness,,

better off to get your own metal and walk into a shop and see if you can get it done,,

 

[Missourian]

HF sells the cheesball Chinese crap more trades abhor..~S~

Yeah, that's the downside. Just watched a 33 minute video on the modifications it needs to work correctly.

On the upside...I could never justify a $1200 brake, but this I can.

 

[progressive hunter]

Can you bend diamond plate with that? Looks kind of smallish.

depends on the thickness,,

and even then its going to be tough bending over the diamonds,,

 

[Missourian]

if the box lid is as thick as I think it is that break is going to struggle to bend the same thickness,,

better off to get your own metal and walk into a shop and see if you can get it done,,

It's aluminum... Probably 14 to 16 gauge. It doesn't support anything but it's own weight...but the DOT severely frowns when it is missing.

 

[Missourian]

Can you bend diamond plate with that? Looks kind of smallish.

I'm suspect you could.

While I'm scouting videos on YouTube, if I see one with diamond plate I'll post it and flag you.

 

[sparky]

Yeah, that's the downside. Just watched a 33 minute video on the modifications it needs to work correctly.

On the upside...I could never justify a $1200 brake, but this I can.

I hear ya Missourian
so if it's just to make good on some small 'bad' i'd make the same choice

It's not like you're off to make a living with it

~S~

 

[progressive hunter]

It's aluminum... Probably 14 to 16 gauge. It doesn't support anything but it's own weight...but the DOT severely frowns when it is missing.

is it a single bend or are the ends bent over,,

even aluminum can be hard to bend,, more so if youre bending on top of the diamonds,,

if it does work, what you will find is the bend is not as sharp as it would be with a heavy break,,

worse that can happen is it worked good enough and you have a new tool

 

[progressive hunter]

Missourian

if you havent bought it yet their box break should do the job well,,
I think its just a 30"

my step dad is selling his if you want to make the drive

 

[Missourian]

Missourian

if you havent bought it yet their box break should do the job well,,
I think its just a 30"

my step dad is selling his if you want to make the drive

What does the box break look like?

 

[progressive hunter]

What does the box break look like?

I think its called a box/pan break,,
its the one you can change the fingers to bend the walls to make a box,,


it pushes the fingers down into a V slot with the metal in between and how far you go decides the angle,

I thought the one he had was from harbor freight but I just looked and cant find it,,
its different from the finger breaks that kinda work the same but you swing up the lower plate just like on a regular break

his is a dual tool and has a roller on the top for rolling curves,,
this is a single tool version,,