Who owns a louver press?..

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and where did you buy it?
anyone make their own?..or is it just easier to buy one?
How much $$ do they run?,,how much are the dies?

 

Mittlerbros.com

 

saw that online when i did a search,,,,,Good quality??

 

Old Beet and K-Member have one

 

Kiwikev, made his own out of an Oliver scrollsaw or bandsaw, m***ive piece of equipment, he made his own dies, etc. Do a search, you will find some amazing Kiwikev threads.

 

I built my own louver press and dies. It is all mechanical and does a nice job. Cost about $600 to build and a lot of machining time. The build is posted on metalmeet.com under louvering on a cub cadet.

 

I have one, made it with the Mittler Bros. kit.

the thread

I have reinforced it quite a bit more since this thread.... but it works great....

 

... http://www.lowbucktools.com/MM1.html ....
here is a place that sells a louver press kit.... has any one heard anything about this one????

 

I got the Cadillac model from Mittler Bros with two dies. $2507 Delivered. (Oh Ya, my wife bought it for me!!).....And I love it!............OLDBEET

 

anyone have a link to the thread with kiwikevs?

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134701

 

Love is a woman that buys you a louver press.

 

I have one, built by a guy in Macomb, Illinois. He built a series of them in the 90's then sold the design/business but finished a couple he had the components for. I bought mine from him via eBay 5 or 6 years ago. It's a nice machine but the dies were set up *** around backwards and it always bent the flat between each louver. Scratched my head over that for awhile, but figured out how to reconfigure it and save the dies.

I love it.

Charlie

 

What size louver do you use most often, 3" or maybe 4"? Can you punch 16 gage, about.060 thick?

 

I have one. Made everything myself. I make my own dies too and have them heat treated on the outside. I just made a simple frame out of 2 x 6 x .250 wall rectangle tube. The thing is heavy as hell. Added casters so I can get it around the shop. Made the throad deep enough so you can get long items in it (hoods). Reinforce all corners really good so nothing moves. I run the die with a hydraulic cylinder controled by a air foot pedal.
My favorite size is 3" wide by about 5/8" tall. To me they seem to be more proportioned. 4" are too wide I think.
Check out Kiwikev's post. Super nice work. Gives alot of good ideas. Also check out Mitlerbros.com Good luck - Flatheaded

 

BTW - .060 thick material is getting a little heavy. May work but your dies probably won't last as long. Just my input. Flatheaded

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209763
The williams kit is $410, you make your own frame, and they have many other tools that mount on the same frame. The mounting plate is $85, but you could make that yourself, too.

 

I show how I built mine on my web site.
rousecustomfabrication.com
look in the projects area
Mike

 

We have a big german machine in the back of the shop that will supposedly punch louvers but we have never used it since it's so big and buried behind a bunch of engines. I'd like to get it out of there sometime and check it out though.

 

Jim, if you buy/build a louver press I'll be one of your first customers. Provided you do a good job that is, haha.

 

thanks everyone,,,
and yeah, billy.....sounds cool

 

I have not priced them recently, but I think the louver dies from Unipunch are alot cheaper than what I just saw on the mittlerbros site...

 

I reinforced mine until I could punch 16 guage... though I probably won't need to, most people want hoods done...

 

I called Williams about the "metal Working Machine" it is 1 frame which takes 10 different attachments. The front plate and drawings to build a frame are $85 he WILL NOT give out any info on the front plate you MUST buy it from him.The plate is one piece when it comes so everything stays in alignment you cut it apart after the frame has been welded.I explained that I have accesses to the plasma table at work so i can cut the parts myself,and I must agree with his reply even if I did get a little annoyed with it.If he supplies the front plate and at any time you buy a new attachment and it doesn't fit or perform correctly he will make good for it.He can't make that offer if YOU make the most critical part of the ***embled machine and something doesn't go right!it is my understanding that the entire 10 machine package goes for less than $3,000!

 

Maybe a local club, or group of guys, could buy one plate, make several frames, and each buy one attatchment, and swap 'em around as needed.

 

Two suggestions for the guys wanting to make a louver press. Figure out how beefy you think you need the frame to be, then add more, lots more. Louvering will flex the hell out of the frame. And make it deep enough for a long hood.

 

I plan to get one next year so this is good timing on his thread.

 

May be I'm missing something or just have a different way of thinking about it.

I know they are bigger but also more functional. A mechanical press brake is a great thing to have. You an get dies like these ebay #170152567487 cheap. Line up several and you are done in no time.

Mechanical press brakes are also cheap, they are difficult to meet OSHA standards in the work place. I picked up a a 4' 10 ton for $150 that runs on 120v. They are heavy but most **** we work with is.

Another advantage is you can get dies to break sheet metal, punch holes etc.

Do I have louver dies for mine? no. Mine is used it to punch hole multiple holes in .060 aluminum for a company I own. But I plan to.