Some serious fabrication in this thread. The metalwork is impressive.

 

Here is my 6'8" brake....

 

Wow, that brake is nice! It's so handy having one, I used mine a couple times today.

 

I'd love to see some more detail shots and maybe some (even rough) drawings of what materials you used and how you built that brake, I'd love to build a 4' version. How heavy of material will it handle?

 

Does anyone want/need to see a repost of my console and lower dash extension fab?

 

That is a great looking brake! Nice work. Now show us some pics of what you have used it for...

 

x2 I've always wanted a brake like that.

 

Sure!

Bernard

 

You bet. If it's not to much trouble I would like to see it.

 

I just finished it this weekend so the only piece I have bent with it is the rear cab cross member you see laying on it, that piece is 16 ga. a little over 5' long. Took two of us to get it bent, once anchored to the shop floor it will be a little easier. The ends of it have a nice crisp 1/8" bend radius and the get a little fat in the middle. I noticed the clamp bar flexing and will be adding bows to it as well to hopefully eliminate this. I think a 4' version of this would work quite well. I think 18 and 20 ga. panels should do real nice.

The center portion is a piece of HP14x70 that was a cutoff on one of my construction jobs. I split it down the center and welded the two halves back together. I wanted it to be 6'6" to do short bedsides. The two halves worked out to be 6/8" after I dressed them up. Now I think it would be much better and easier to make the table out of a piece of 1/2" x 12 plate and a 1/2" x 8" plate underneath for the T. Have to be careful with warpage, as I even warped the HP section during welding. I clamped it to some 2x3 tubing to hold them straight and when it cooled it warped the middle of my table down about 1/16" over 20" section or so.

The legs and cross brace are all 2x3x1/8" tubing. I used grade 8 - 1/2" bolts for the pressure with coupling nuts on the end to raise and lower. The clamp is 1/2" x 4" steel which allows flex between the bolts offering forgiveness if you don't get the raised an equal amount. The plates and handles are cut from 3/8" plate on a plasma table after I drew them in CAD. I used some scrap 7/8" bolts from the last bridge we built for the hinges.








Now having built it and used it, I would recommend the following, for the apron I have used 1/2" x 4" horizontal plate backed with 1/4" x 2" barstock and a reinforcing bow. I would use a piece of 1"x6" oriented vertically for my bending edge and orient my handles so that they are pointing at the floor instead of tipped out (you run out of leverage.

I would also keep it under 32" including casters. I made mine around 36 in order to roll and store stuff under it when not using it and it is definitely too tall. I am 6' so the taller guys wouldn't have issues anyone under 6' needs something shorter.

My table was basically FREE, I have around 200.00 in the other materials and 100.00 for having the handles and hinges cut out and SHIPPED. So I am pretty happy with it.

hope this helps.

 

BTW it is a little cumbersome and time consuming getting your piece clamped down, an impact gun speeds things up. No more than I use mine (just as a hobby) it is a tradeoff I am willing to make.

 

I'd love to see a repost.

Really nice job on the brake by the way. I wish I had room for a brake that large and skills to build it.

Great thread idea Drewski

 

I don't know if I've posted this little redneck project on this site or not. I grabbed my post off the Hamb and brought it here. I guess you could call this a fabrication to help with fabrication.

I'm always working in situations where I don't have the tools that I would really like to have. I occasionally go to help friends fabricate brackets and such for their cars and they never have anything to work with. The one thing they usually have is a vice so I threw this "low-no-tech rig" together to help me dress up rough cut parts.



I used a ten dollar HF grinder and fashioned brackets that are bolted in the holes that the grinder handles fit into.





I added a cross brace and a piece of 1/8" plate for a rest.



Just loosen the 2 bolts and the rest pivots so that the flap disc can be changed.



It's convenient for me since I can throw it under my work bench when not needed and just clamp it in my vise when I need it.







Not pretty, but it has been handy.

I know that HF tools are frowned on, but I have 3-4 of the cheap grinders and I haven't been able to kill any of them. I figure they're cheap enough to just throw them away when they finally give up.

 

FTE seal of approval.

 

Sheeeeit...Nothing wrong with that, my friend! Pretty ingenious, if you ask me! Funny no one sells an attachment like that. Maybe you ought to look into patenting and marketing it...seriously!

Bernard