Got this from an antique store for $60 bucks i was told it was a brake but im not familiar with it it looks like id have to open it up and slide the metal thru to bend it but then it seems like it be hard to get out. Cant find another one like it online to seethe if imits missing anythinga im sorry its a bit off topic but im sure ill use it in my roadster build.
It looks to be part of a brake. I think there should be a top clamp part that holds the sheet down. Look at metal brakes online to get an idea of what I mean.
Yea I was thinking the same thing on the peice to hold the sheet metal down I figure I can make something up if that's what it needs. It is all the way closed in the picture and will fold all the way over to lay flat on the other side I believe I haven't even really got a chance to look at it I got it last night and had to fix my gfs car and work around the house today I'll have to look up a bar fold I'm a novice when it comes to sheet metal tools
Like skidmarks said, its a bar folder. Probably used more for folding s-locks and drive strips for ductwork ***emby than any other single use. Now those pieces are either made on roll forming machines in larger shops or bought from a sheetmetal supply house. And the first time you're not paying attention, a bar folder will smash your fingers like nothing you ain't never seen before. Been there, done that more than once
Brake bends should be to any angle up to a practical limit of about 120 degrees, it can be more in the case of a bar folder. As the area to be bent is narrow enough, a sharper bend can be made by inserting the bend under the clamping bar and lowering it.
I think if you look at that brake you will see an edge to get sheet metal under. Only about 1/4 inch. I have seen those in shops that made stove pipes. That made the locking edge when you rolled the tube.
Go to: http://www.thesheetmetalshop.com/pdf_manual/Pexto/Pexto_1940_Catalog_part_1.pdf Scroll down to page 39/40 I believe what you have there is called an 'Iron bottom sheet iron folder'. Good luck with it!
I have one of those mounted on the original frame. They can also be bolted to the end of a workbench or on a frame table. The top (left side in your pic, where the carriage bolt holes are) should have a bevel cut at the hinge. That bevel angle should be "level" with your table surface when you mount it. The bottom (folder side) has to be able to hang down when it is mounted. If you let it down flat, you'll see that the hinge begins to open. If it was used in production work, there may not be any "clamp" like you find on a regular brake. It was probably shimmed to a certain height for one thickness of metal, and the table surface itself was the "back stop".
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