How To Adjust Sheet Metal Brake

Basic components of a sheet metal brake.

How to adjust sheet metal brake.

The standard procedure for making a simple bend in sheet metal using a hand brake machine is as follows. Apron front plate that is lifted to form material. There s been more than a few times i ve needed to bend metal and i ve resorted to clamping 2x4s together and using a hammer. Beam clamp movable top which clamps the material being formed to base.

Cam is used to adjust clamp pressure against table. For this example an l channel made from 2024 t3 aluminum alloy that is 0 032 inch thick will be bent. A combination of the three struts may be adjusted. If two or three turns of the adjusting nuts do not produce the desired effect back off all three and start again.

Adjust clamping handle cam for metal thickness. Any time a different thickness of sheet metal needs to be formed or when a different radius is required to form the part the operator needs to adjust the sheet metal brake before the brake is used to form the part. It s a work horse machine that is used for a multitude of sheet metal bending operations not only in. I needed better i saw a how to on making a metal brake and wanted to make a few modifications.

Over tightening can distort brake permanently. There are 4 adjustments and these must be adjusted in the following order. Measure and position the sheet metal edge the correct distance parrallel to the clamping bar. Insert sheet metal under clamping bar.

I love building tools. This project will help you build a simple sheet metal brake for bending small work for those who prefer to do it yourself. Sheet metal brakes are machines designed to make bending thin metal into shapes for use in projects such as house siding eaves air conditioning ductwork and others. Build a sheet metal brake.

The hand brake or at least the operating principle it incorporates was probably developed right after the invention of the wheel.