press brake

[Accident prone]

if some was to build a homemade 5 foot hydralic press brake would the bending dies have to be a hardened steel or could you machine cold rolled steel to the angles. Just playing the what-if game on some designs without all the facts. A little higher knowledge on the subject would be greatly appriciated.

[Hammack_Welding]

You can make cold roll dies, but they will not last as long. However if you are just a hobbiest then you will probably get quite a while before you noticed a problem, I have built a couple press brakes over the years, and have one now that I am going to build for my shop soon. I have a friend in the tool and die business, and he has always made my dies. Just how much are you wanting to bend? Tell me what you are working with and I'll let ya know what i have discovered from build the couple I have built.

[Accident prone]

right now i am just playing with the idea in my head but I would say at most maybe 1/8 mild steel, maybe a light gau. ss. As soon as I have money that isn't going to a payment I plan on trying it.

[riley mcmillan]

Worked sheetmetal for many years and when I needed a brake die of whatever length not available I just sheared a piece of 6061 t6 aluminum the width of a normal steel forming die and filed a radius. This type of tool lasts a very long time. I used shims to center the tool in the ram. I have formed 10 gauge mild steel with this type of tool.

[Jim Stabe]

Originally Posted by riley mcmillan

Worked sheetmetal for many years and when I needed a brake die of whatever length not available I just sheared a piece of 6061 t6 aluminum the width of a normal steel forming die and filed a radius. This type of tool lasts a very long time. I used shims to center the tool in the ram. I have formed 10 gauge mild steel with this type of tool.

??? I don't understand, maybe a sketch would make it clearer.

Jim

[riley mcmillan]

I don't know how to make a sketch on here so I will describe in more detail.

Shear a piece of 6061 T6 or 2024 T3 aluminum 3/16 thick by 5 inches wide and as long as you need to form your material. Clamp the piece in a vise and file a radius on the edge that forms the material. Shear some shims about 1 inch wide so that they will center the piece when clamped in the ram of the press brake. If you file an accurate radius on the 3/16 thick piece, it will give you a 3/32 bend radius. Set your ram and bend away.

[LarryM]

Hey Jim, Below is a site with press brake tooling which you might find interesting.


http://www.americanmachinetools.com/dies.htm


Larry