1/8 metal break build

[Eddieb378]

Hey guys I've been lurking around for a while and I really want to build several things. The fe first being a metal break that I can brake a 4 foot wide piece of 1/8 plate! I like building grills and gas cookers but right now I have to brake them out at my day job and my boss is kind of mosey so I was thinking about trying to build a break that I could do this at my home. I would even build a pan style brake if it's possible. I am just looking for ideas on how to go about this the most cost effective way. This would be used as side income so investing 10-20 thousand is not logical. I would appreciate any advice or thought and know how that can be offered! Also I am gonna tell you a some information about me. I've been in the welding business for 20 years. I started welding rebar for a concrete company and was basically self taught until a landed a job welding dredge pipe for a man that took the time to teach me the correct way! I've worked my self up the ladder and welded for 10 straight years before I started learning to fit. Now if I have a print I can build anything you want! But when I comes to designing and stuff like that I have zero imagination! Building the brake will be no problem coming up with the design of it is where I am gonna struggle! So again any help would be welcome and thanks for taking the time to read all this!

[mr95gst]

There is probably a formula somewhere that will tell you how much force is required to bend a 4' piece of 1/8" steel. I am guessing that it will be a lot. You might need to look at a hydraulic press design. I have seen some pretty nice homemade pan breaks that could handle a 4' width, but not 4' and 1/8" thick material. Anything is possible, but a pan break to bend that would have about a 1000 lbs of metal in it.

[Eddieb378]

Thanks for the reply! I was figuring hydraulic would be the way to go and I'm guess I will have to use air over hydraulic jacks!

[hdrideblue]

my thought is use a log splitter with a min 30 or 40 ton ram and a 15hp engine, I made a smaller one on a 20 ton and you can see others on youtube thank you Jimbo

[mr95gst]

Maybe something like this:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attac...top-rev-3-.jpg

[Frank S]

here is a bend chart
For instance if you were to build a press break with a punch and "V" die 11 ga is the closest to 1/8" but most people wund up buying 10 ga which is .135" for 11 ga using the smallest acceptable "V" width .625"you could bend a minimum flange size of .438" but at 16 tons per foot or for a 48" sheet 64 tons but if you used a 1" "V" it would only take 7.3 tons per foot 29.2 tons but at the same time your minimum flange would be .688" the inside radius would be .156" however if you could live with a much larger IR (.250)and longer flange (1.125) you could use a 1.5" "V" with a force of 3.8 tons per ft 15.2 T @ 4 ft.
for 10 ga these figures change relative to thickness min "V .750" = 12 t per ft. open "V" 2" = 3.5 ton ft.

[Frank S]

for a pan or finger break the fingers should be set back 2x the thickness as a general rule. 1x can be done on some breaks but difficult and 3x will make a larger inside radius but less stress on the machine.
I am building a 7 ft folding break similar to a pan break but with a solid top edge however I am constructing my top clamp hinge to be spring loaded allowing for the top clamp to seek its own set back. I am shooting for 16 ga full width cap and hoping to be able to do 4 ft wide 10 ga but my swing gate alone weighs over 300 lbs and is not made from mild steel