I’ve needed a relatively short sheet metal brake for some time now and a project is looming which require bending a lot of flashing in different directions. Required length is about 3-4 feet. I just don’t do enough sheet metal work to warrent a full-sized brake.
Any ideas, thoughts, or recommendations?
Thanks in advance.
“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Invictus, by Henley.
Replies
>>>>>>>>>>a project is looming which require bending a lot of flashing in different directions.
Will you have to bend more than two sides adjacent to one another? If so, you need a box and pan ( or finger ) brake.
Here's the box brake I have:
http://www.tennsmith.com/bench_series2.html
If you're doing mostly parallel bends, this might be your huckleberry:
http://malco.malcoproducts.com/products/seamers/mb48a.asp
http://grantlogan.net/
Need to bend copper step flashing from roof, up side wall about 2-3 inches, then another bend onto the roof above. Z flashing, essentially. So I guess it's box/pan/finger time. (Building a two foot slider overhang which follows a 12/12 pitch roof line, though doesn't quite meet it.)
I've only used a parallel brake before, so I know virtually nothing about the other type. What's involved with making a compound bend piece of flashing?
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Z flashing does not require the use of a box and pan brake.
A box and pan brake will allow you to make something like a 12" square pan with 2" sides up all around. The fingers are positioned to allow the previously bent flange to pass through the gap between the fingers. Doing this on a straight brake will result in some bent metal and required straightening. The common "light duty" brakes have a 3" to 4" box depth limit.
They also make box and pan brakes with fingers on the top and bottom... never used one, though.
Compound bend flashing just requires planning... and maybe a couple of test pieces :)
Tennsmith box and pan: http://www.tennsmith.com/bench_series2.html
Proformer box and pan: http://www.dtsgraphics.com/proformer/BPModels/BP4820.htm
Very bottom of this page for Roper Whitney: http://roperwhitney.com/bending/1-17.cfm
Edited 6/9/2007 1:04 pm ET by danski0224
You could do that by hand bending it over a sharp angle of some sort.http://grantlogan.net/
Maybe, but the house deserves better, and I've needed one anyway. If I'm gonna spring the bucks for a brake, I want it to be able to handle future needs as well. I've made do with hinged pieces of plywood and hand seamers, but the results are never as crisp as with a brake. Now is as good a time as any.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Question and I dont know anything .
Why not buy a used siding break?
I guess because it wont bend copper huh? I dunno but thats house I bend flashing .
I dont belong in THIS discussion so dont listen to me .
Tim
>>>>>>>>>Why not buy a used siding break? I guess because it wont bend copper They'll bend copper fine. The title of this tread is "need a SHORT sheet metal brake". Siding brakes, as you call them, are usually 8 1/2 or 10 1/2 ft long.http://grantlogan.net/
Well I guess what I was thinking is the price and doing other things .
Thanks for that information cause I didnt have a clue if they would and carps call them siding breaks . <G> What are they called ?
Tim
I call 'em portable brakes. I don't know if there is a proper term.
Kinda like telehandler/lull/forklift. Depends on who you're talking to. I wasn't reprimanding you, I've just not heard one called a siding brake before. I've got one and I call it that damn brake that's always in my way that I never use, but won't sell.http://grantlogan.net/
Do you require portability? Nice, crisp bends? Close reverse bends? Need the ability to have quite a bit of material behind the brake?
That Malco portable brake does not make nice crisp bends, and it is finicky with setup and adjustment.
A benchtop straight or box and pan brake will provide much better service at the expense of true portability. Box and pan braxes are much more useful, but the fingers can leave marks on light gauge or soft materials if they aren't set up properly. I would strongly suggest a 48" model. Roper Whitney and Proformer are a couple of other manufacturers.
A straight brake will be lighter than a box and pan, but a quality benchtop 48" model is still over 200 pounds. Models rated at 22 ga might be a little lighter.
Van Mark makes a nice 48" model, but because of the castings, the depth of material behind the brake is limited. Probably not too good at bending much besides aluminum coil stock, 28 ga galvanized and maybe 20 oz. copper. I suspect that the hems must be at least 1/2", just like my Tapco.
Proformer makes 6' brakes that are competitively priced.
Of course, there is also the used market on eBay.
>>>>>>>>That Malco portable brake does not make nice crisp bends, and it is finicky with setup and adjustment.That's good to know. I've never actually handled one. It looked pretty light weight to me.http://grantlogan.net/
I know harbor freight has some cheap ones. in design and price. I dont have one but I see them when I,m in the store.Most hated person on the net
Thanks. I think I have their catalogue around here somewhere, though I'm looking for something of good quality that's well built. Which might make it mutually exclusive with HF, if the brake is manufactured like other stuff I've ordered. But I'll check it out, thanks again.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
http://www.offroadfabnet.com/
go here, bottom left corner, search "break" they are tons of home made ideas.
.
Most hated person on the net
Just ordered a Van Mark Trim-a-brake, model T-450. Four foot six inch long. Fairly decent price, from what little I found to compare, at Southern Tool. $590, or something close.
View Image
Looks like this, only is 4'6", and no stand. Only weighs 58#, as well.
Should I get the stand? It's about $175, which seems a little pricey to me, when a couple of saw horses would/might do just as well. No wheels on the sawhorses, tho...
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Should I get the stand?
The problem with sawhorses is that the brake can lift off of them when you're bending. With the stand, you can put your foot on it and hold it down. If you can rig up some sort of clamp system for your sawhorses, it'd serve the same purpose.
View Imagehttp://grantlogan.net/
I've never met a man that was owed as much as he thought he was.