Technical Buying a metal brake

I a trying to set myself up for when i retire. I want a metal brake. I hope to spend retirement working on old cars and hot rods. No frame work, just body panels. I think a 4 -6 foot brake is all i need.

What information can you guys tell me i need. i will buy used. budget is up to 1200-1600 +/-.

Keep in mind, i have never used one but i am a very good carpenter, so i can learn

Thanks

 

There are a lot more tools and equipment I would buy before I would buy a brake. I use my brake very little but that's me. I would watch the YouTube videos of Wray Schelin, you will learn so much from him and find out you won't need a lot of equipment. Brakes are nice but they take up a lot of valuable space for the little they do and this is just my opinion. Wray shows you how you can do metal work with hand tools, cheap equipment and also with expensive equipment. He even shows you how to make the hand tools.

 

No doubt, a brake is a space eater. However, if you want a long, arrow straight bend or crease, it is the tool for the job. same for a stomp shear. I have the same debate going on. We have these things at work, and I know once I retire, I'll be missing them. Deals can be had on old Pextos if you look around. If you're in a big shop, and anticipate metal fab, you won't regret it.

 

Usually a 4 ft is enuf, but look into a Finger Brake, nice to use when doin smaller panels.
I use mine more than I thought I would

 

I agree completely.

 

I bought a Baleigh heavy duty 3 in 1 years ago. It will shear and brake up to 16 ga and 52" wide. It is a compromise. It won't do what a stand alone brake, shear or roll will do but it gets the job done for most of my requirements. They have gone up in price but they only take up the room of one of the aforementioned tools.

 

In my small town, I have at least three shops I can go to that have brakes up to 16'. I have built five cars in the past fifteen years and using these services, I have spent nowhere near $1000. My shop is 1800 sq.ft. and I would still be taxed to find space for a brake that would do all the required jobs. If you are building boxes or doing siding, go for it, otherwise a good vise and a couple of pieces of angle iron will generally do any job.
Warren

 

Old established high schools have old equipment stiing around. Nobody thinks to sell it off and make useful space. Shop classes are all but gone. Brain food...

 

I had the same plan when I retired and bought a new 4' finger brake and a used stomp shear. I probably used the shear more than the brake but both are great to have when you need them. Sold the shop and tools last summer and had no problem selling both of them. Cant have too many tools.

 

Get a finger/box&pan brake if you can. Much more useful. Older used USA made is what I'd look for. They show up occasionally on the govt surplus auction sites, that's where I got my Pexto shear

 

Most sheet metal comes in 4x10 sheets. I would get a 4 foot minimum 10 foot would be better if you are working with full sheets.

 

@Ben Chirco as stated above, I have access to metal fabrication tools at work and on most jobsites. Also, a couple friends have metal brakes in their shops. Keep an eye on Craigslist and Marketplace for a used one. Most are cheap because they are huge and heavy, people just want them gone. They are very tough and easy to adjust.
I'm in the Merrimack valley and willing to help if you need access to one.

 

I made a four-foot brake a couple of years ago and have hardly used it - yet. I've got to make an express bed eventually, but I'll need to find someone with an eight-foot-plus brake to bend up the sides, preferably able to handle 16-gauge. What I really need is a bead roller and an English wheel but haven't purchased the former and really don't have room for the latter. I'm thinking it would be worth the extra cost to me to pay someone to bend up and roll the beads for the sides and bed front instead of buying the equipment and doing it myself at this point.

 

Make sure the brake you choose has an adjustment to back the clamping bar back so you can increase the bend radius for thicker metals that may crack with a tight bend radius.

Harbor freight sell an inexpensive 4 foot brake that won’t break the bank.

 

I use my Tennsmith 4 foot finger brake almost every day. You can make an unbelievable amount of cool parts with a brake and shear. Made these inner fenders Friday for an OT truck but you get the idea. You can make rolled corners by clamping a round bar stock under the fingers as well.

 

Check around at local scrapyards. I work at one and picked up my 14 gage 5 ft Chicago Dress&Krump brake with a full set of brand new fingers for $300. Keep in mind a machine like this is just about 2000 lbs if you are going to pick one up and move it.

 

lots of good info here. thanks.
And one that bends 16 gauge is what I want?
Wheeldog, did i read somewhere that you are going to brookline on thursday to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum? If so i look forward to meeting you.

 

The size and weight is not an issue, I have a trailer and skidsteer with forks.
But thanks

 

I just try to stay on friendly terms with friends who have those tools.

 

Another vote for a 4' box and pan brake for versatility. If you need 16 ga. capacity, it'll be a heavy unit as the more common ones are light weight with a 18-22 ga. cap.

Keep your eye out for auctions, Craigslist, Offer Up, FB market place, etc. A good used one will be far cheaper than new. If they're priced right, you'll have to be Johnny on the spot because they'll go quick!
I've really bided my time over the years and have slowly accumulated some really decent tools at good prices.
I picked up a 5', 16 ga. Chicago Dreis & Krump brake for $100 from a really old guy that sold out his commercial steel door company to Stanley. He said he was selling it for scrap metal price as he needed to get rid of it. I hand him a $100 and tell him I'll be right back-I'm going to rent a box truck with a power lift gate to get it home. He says back up your truck, you can borrow my car trailer (he doesn't know me from Adam!), I'll have the fellow in the shop next door load it with his forklift. We use his straps, secure it. I take it home and off load it with my rolling A frame and 3 ton chain fall. Heavy SOB!!! Take the trailer back. Chalk it up to "clean living".
Also lucked into a 4' Anco 18 ga. finger brake. Was driving home one Saturday from the hardware store and in a flash glance noticed a few old steel workbenches in front of the local paint & body shop. Then my brain asked me "was that a brake on one of those benches"? Turned around and went back. Sure enough. I walk in the shop and the landlord is there. The shop owner skipped town the previous night taking everything of value-(except the brake). Half finished customer cars are everywhere/total mess. I ask, he says make an offer. I say how's 50 bucks? He says give me 60. I back up the Wife's Expedition, unbolt the brake and he helps me slide it off into the truck. Yank it out with my cherry picker when I get home. Wife just shakes her head, lol.

 

Once you have a brake, you're going to want a shear so might as well keep an eye out for both. I ended up buying a Mittler Brother's box and pan brake because I wanted the radius fingers but as others have noted above there are many ways to achieve a radius. Just look out for an American made box brake that hasn't spent time outside and you should be off to the races. 4' is fine for most uses. I just redid the flashing on my building in 4' sections, took a little longer but works just fine.

 

The second one you put a picture of, looks like my Enco one. I don’t abuse it, but works well and the price was right. They had a big discount thing going on and free shipping. I think to get it sitting in my driveway was about 250$ 12/15 years ago. If I recall, list price was around 400 for it.
I figure when it explodes I’ll figure out another option

 

I stole an 8ft brake for $900 then a 4ft box pan for $150 on marketplace
Do some shopping
You spend most of your fab time cutting.
A shear would be on my list.
Bought one from a scrap yard.
The 3 foot ones are usually cheap.
I have a 10 inch bench shear I use all the time. Cheap from Woodward Fab

 

If size and weight is not an issue get a ten footer, so you can bend the whole sheet if necessary. The ten footer es can be cheaper than smaller ones , due to demand! You can bend two inches on a ten footer, but you cannot bend ten feet on a four footer! Just my thoughts.



Bones

 

I have had 2 4' finger pan brakes. The 1st was American made, the 2nd is import. They are rated for 16 gauge. Might be able to do 2' of 16 gauge. I can bend 4' of 20 or 22 gauge with them. The middle won't be the same as the ends when doing a full 4'. The brakes that are rated for 12 gauge that weight above a 1000 lbs. are what might be able to bend a full 4' of 16 gauge. When ever I'm building a car, I use the brake a fair amount. Not everybody makes parts. There's no such thing as enough tools in my world. I do have a continual space problem. As we have discussed before, mount as much as possible on wheels to be able to use the tool and not be a permanent space draw. Good luck with your future.

 

If space is at a premium like me, I was thinking of trying one of these. If not get a good old brand of finger brake.

Regular or finger brake in your hydraulic press.
https://www.swagoffroad.com/collections/swag-press-brake-kits

 

Well it’s nice to have money and space but before you go buying anything get comfortable in your favourite chair and go onto YouTube and watch Fitzee’s Fabrication. He’s done numerous videos on making a wide range of metal fab panels using basic tools. He even has a video on making a home made brake as well as a brake used for curved panels.

 

I'd say that one thing that there is no need to buy new unless you won't settle for anything except new.
I'd study what are considered good older units and watch places like FB marketplace, Craigslist and get on Hibid Auctions auction houses for your hood's email list (s). HiBid Auctions | WISCONSIN I've bought a number of things though an auction house in my area's online auctions and as always you have to know what the actual value of something is and bid accordingly and don't get in a bidding war. Though their connection where Bob K lived I got several pieces from the estate auction of his stuff. That included the key rack he got in a Hamb auction a few years before. Check the auction houses that use them within driving distance as some do a lot of industrial place sell offs.

Federal govt auctions can be a challenge as quite often the descriptions are rather vague and conditon can be iffy. All Fed govt property has to be sold through them or another auction house most of the time. I've got file cabinets that were in a Social Security office in Wenachee Wa and a stainless steel work table that was used By TSA that came out of one of the airports that I had worked at when they upgraded work tables. Hell of a nice work bench for the 45.00 I paid for it. GSA Auctions, General Services Administration, Government Site for Auctions Check surrounding states.

 

marketplace score.
They’re out there. But ya got to be ready to grab em fast

 

That is why you need a couple of grand or more under your mattress at all times!




Bones