Shorts

My project for a project. I'm building a 10' workbench in the garage. I wanted a built in tool cabinet in the bench which means drawers. I wanted metal drawers not wooden drawers. So, it was do a lot of cutting and welding, or bend some sheet, which still involved a lot of cutting an welding (haha joke's on me)


Let's built it...(fast forward)...ok, done

Press Brake (in finger brake mode)



7 of 10 drawers mounted





This press brake bends up 16ga sheet metal and it is workbench mounted. (can be converted to it's own stand). Widest piece so far is a 30" bend. Pretty good for a home built unit.

Major materials:
(3) 4' long 3x3x1/4" angle iron
(2) 5/8" bolts (grade 5 what I had)
(1) 10" black pipe
(2 sets) nut, washers, 1/2"x3" bolts (grade 8)
(2) 1' 1/2"-13 threaded rod & buncha nuts
(2) 4'x3"x3/16" steel flat strap
Wood blocks (length and size varies with your project)



Set up two pieces of angle on the workbench.



This sets the max for material thickness. In this case 1/16" for 16ga





Drill your bolt holes. I used 3"x1/2" Grade 8. Should look like this



Made my hinge pins from the 5/8" bolt. Cut 10" black pipe to three pieces for each bolt.



Grind weld seam with dremel.



The hinge has to be centered between the base piece and the bender piece.



Measure and cut notches in all three pieces of angle. The base and bender need to fit the hinge - remember, centered axis!. The top piece needs to be clearanced or the hinge in so it sits flat. Weld the hinge on. This is a critical step. Pins must be straight and centered on the folding axis.




Continued below... (please hold questions until I get the entire thing posted, for continuity)

Shorts

You ought to end up with something like this on both ends. Should have 90* at all points of the width if you did it right





Get your black pipe handle mocked up and welded on the bender piece (sorry very little in progress pics and didn't even go the full mock up with diagonals). I used 16" wide and 24" worth of leverage, mitered 45*s for the corners. Once the handle is welded on take one of the 3"x3/16" steel straps and notch it, then stitch weld it in at a 45* in order to triangulate the angle.







Take the top plate and also install it's 3" strap. Careful here, before you attach it you must cut to length to match the width inside the hinges. Remember, you need to have room to access your bolts.




At this point, you're ready to bend up some metal with the basic brake. This means you can bend sides 1 and 2.







In order to bend sides 3 and 4 you'll need to continue with the finger brake mods.

Continued below...

Shorts

So now you have sides 1 and 2 done. Your stuff looks like this.



Bends 3 and 4 are going to be tricky as now you can't snug down the top plate to secure your material. What you have to do is create a spacer block that fits the width of the inside of your box and is taller than the sides. This spacer block will be sandwiched by the top plate to hold down your material. You're now building finger brake capability. I used 4x6 pressure treated lumber scrap as it is what I had. I cut it to inside width of my drawers and I was in business.




Notice the threaded rod and nut setup. Instead of the long threaded rod you can use big C-clamps, but the rod works for me. You must secure the bose plate to the workbench, hence the extra nuts. You can stick with a lock washer, I show a jam nut because I was out of 1/2" lock washers. Just ensure the setup is secure. Also notice the nut under the top plate. This is use to suspend the top plate when you remove the block and material to reposition or insert the next one. Otherwise you'll smash your hand the first time (ask me how I know).




Another trick is to use a back stop to support the material. Keeps it from sliding back. Remember your top plate setup isn't as secure and there's more leverage as the plate is higher up. It makes the material tougher to bend and hold down.



One more tip, and it's a good one, smooth up the bender face. It reduces the friction of the bender face as it slides up the material when it bends. Makes it easier. Also I forgot to mention it earlier, but grease your hinge pins.



Anyway, there's your box



Have fun welding the corners I'll be doing a few things to modify this brake for efficiency but as it is, it'll get the job done.

Purplezr2

Thats really cool.

Your drawers look nice, how is 16 gauge compared to a regular tool box drawer. I'm about 150 miles from my tool box so I have no way to measure. How much weigh are the slides rated for.

Justwannabeme

nice THANKS for posting it!!

way better with pics!!


sniff, i have no need .....

Shorts

You're welcome yall

JWBM, there's gotta be something you need this for.

Hvytrkmech

Very nice work, just one question please? How are you going to move that tool box around your garage?

Shorts

Move the brake? I've got casters on my bench there. I roll it around pretty much every day depending how I need the space. The 10' bench stays put on that wall.

You'll notice when I use the brake I have the small bench positioned against the big bench. This increases the distance I have so the leverage I apply to bending my piece doesn't get transferred and tip over. Ask me about that one



Once I get the place cleared out I'm thinking I will mount this break on it's own stand so I can use all my bench again. If not I'll just unbolt the brake and put in underneath. I'll pull it out when I need it. It is heavy, each 4' angle alone is 20lbs. With welds, pipe, bolts and straps, it's hefty now.



Edit "move the toolbox" - it won't move. It'll stay put on that wall in the 10' workbench. I suppose if I ever wanted to transfer the drawers I'll just take the drawers and hardware out. And I've considered that possibility. It'll be down the road though so I'll cross that bridge when I get there. As far as tools go, the better stuff will stay in the garage. I've got a toolbox on the truck that will carry another set.

Hvytrkmech

Yeah I meant just the tool box, I saw the casters on the brake. Now I understand, you incorporated drawers into the work bench. In my best Guiness beer voice: BRILLIANT!!

Shorts

Yup, incorporated. Thieves will have to take the entire bench when I eventually get to a locking mechanism.

Shorts

I'm not certain what some the manf. are using on the toolbox drawers these days. The cheaper ones go a little lighter. These drawers feel heavier. I haven't felt a quality unit lately so I can't compare 16ga seemed to be the answer for the "If I was making drawers I'd use..." crowd. Anything heavier you'll need a big press brake for or you'd have to groove your fold line. Or, if it's heavy enough you could slice it up and weld your box and forgo the folding altogether.

For slides I'm using GlideRite 18" 100lb full extension slides. It's a little overkill but I figured better than the other way. I ordered them from Ebay got a pretty good price. You can get them from Amazon too. I did order my own drawer hardware from McMaster Car. I'm using some 8-32 pan head machine screws and acorn nuts. I was hoping to use Tnuts but that required dropping to a 6-32 at most and I didn't feel very comfortable with that. Those drawer pictured are 26x19 so there's a decent span in there to support.

gadget.35-06

Nothing like a good metalworking project to give a craftsperson a feeling of accomplishment... I miss the 48" brake I built from scrap materials fifteen years ago; we had to clear out some driveway space and I didn't have the time to repair one of the hinges so out it went...to the scrapyard. Made a lot of duct adaptors with it in its heyday; my colleagues at the maintenance dept. HVAC division would express disdain for my carrying several times the weight in tools as they did...but would marvel at the stuff I could build on-site without having to wait for the tool crib to send equipment out. Working for a major school district and having the ability to keep busy instead of loafing just don't seem to mix. But somebody has to keep the craft alive. You go, Shorts!

While we're on the subject of workbenches... When I can exhume my 8' mobile bench I'll have to post pics; at each front corner I have a short section of 2" hitch receiver stock welded vertically to the corner post. This allows a bench vise, pipe vise, bench grinder, shotshell press or any number of attachments that I equip with 2" shanks to drop in when needed but stow out of the way when finished. And another valuable workbench attachment (especially with my aging eyes) is an illuminated swing-arm magnifier. Makes reading the tiny diagrams printed on those European-style octal-base HVAC relays a WHOLE lot easier...a big plus when you're designing a recontrol panel for a hundred-ton chiller!

Shorts

Thanks gadget I'm glad to have this brake to try out a few projects. What I don't look forward to is actually cutting my pieces. That's the "hard part"

Redleg

Good job! Might link this in a couple strategic places. Now about cutting.. wonder if the hardened cutting edge of a snow plow could be mocked up into a shear? Could use hydraulic in place of weight.


Heidi, build it! Make some handy patch panels for the jeeps, that old Dodge restoration, etc...

Shorts

Redleg, I hadn't thought about that but interesting idea. Also, it seems like a plow blade would make a great top plate for a press brake. Its sturdy, hardened, straight...I guess I'm just picturing a manufactured brake with a big solid top piece.

Have you ever used sheer of any kind? Not a big on, just maybe a 6"-12" hand sheer.