A DIY Press Brake for a hydraulic Shop Press.

It can be done by step bending the radius then flipping to do the bend. A narrow piece of c-channel and a piece of flat bar with a piece of round stock welded to the edge for a top die will make a smoother radius. I use different width c-channels for all my bottom dies. If I need something tighter I drop some round stock in the c-channel, you don't need a bottom v- die when air bending just 3 points.


Pineyfolks,
Thanks for the info.Do you have any pics? I was thinking of having a versatile press brake with changeable bottom dies like you describe. How are they held in place when you use a narrower C-channel? What size is the receiver for the bottom dies?
schemer
 
Pineyfolks,
Thanks for the info.Do you have any pics? I was thinking of having a versatile press brake with changeable bottom dies like you describe. How are they held in place when you use a narrower C-channel? What size is the receiver for the bottom dies?
schemer
The base is 1 x 4 flat bar with a 3/8 key to locate the bottom dies to the base. Just key all your bottom dies and swap them as needed. My top is a 60 deg V. No reason you couldn't make the top die keyed for different dies too, that was my plan but I ran out of heavy stock
 
The base is 1 x 4 flat bar with a 3/8 key to locate the bottom dies to the base. Just key all your bottom dies and swap them as needed. My top is a 60 deg V. No reason you couldn't make the top die keyed for different dies too, that was my plan but I ran out of heavy stock

Thanks pineyfolks,
That is clear and a great solution to my question. May as well make it the most functional as I can from the get go. I appreciate the info.
schemer
 
Press Brake dies are clamped in place by a 1/2" thick by 5/8" "tang" along the top of the die. Same for the bottom dies. Here are a couple photos of a top die and a sketch of the way they are held. Both top and bottom dies are made in sections to allow parts with lips to be bent.The one I have is 7/8" thick and about 4-1/2" tall. Just Google Press Brake die and you will find several photos of the tooling. Also check out ebay - literally tons of tooling for sale on there all the time. One interesting type of tooling is the Urethane bottom die. Check this auction out for starters. http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRESS-BRAKE...195?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c330e72cb and this one for Urethane tooling. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8-VEE-URE...981?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5657da9fb5.

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Press Brake dies are clamped in place by a 1/2" thick by 5/8" "tang" along the top of the die. Same for the bottom dies. Here are a couple photos of a top die and a sketch of the way they are held. Both top and bottom dies are made in sections to allow parts with lips to be bent. Just Google Press Brake die and you will find several photos of the tooling. Also check out ebay - literally tons of tooling for sale on there all the time. One interesting type of tooling is the Urethane bottom die. Check this auction out for starters. http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRESS-BRAKE...195?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c330e72cb and this one for Urethane tooling. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8-VEE-URE...981?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5657da9fb5.

SEK_22Hornet,
Thanks for the added info on the dies and punch retention. I have looked at the ebay stuff and most of it is 5-8" but that stuff will work on appropriately sized projects. I did see the urethane pieces too but thought they were for thin sheet metal work. Maybe not.
schemer
 
Here is link to a website that has lots of different tooling with dimensions and application information - looks like a good reference. It was in the ebay auction I linked to so i had to check it out -:))


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SEK_22Hornet,
Thanks for the added info on the dies and punch retention. I have looked at the ebay stuff and most of it is 5-8" but that stuff will work on appropriately sized projects. I did see the urethane pieces too but thought they were for thin sheet metal work. Maybe not.
schemer

The dies are made so that you can end to end stack them - the shop where I used to work would buy 4' sections and cut them to smaller pieces on a power hacksaw. Especially the top dies. We made sheet metal parts out of aluminum and steel for our electronic products. Check out the urethane companies web site - it will surprise you what they say can be done with the urethane dies. If you are looking at bending much more that 16 gauge, I think you will find that you will need to beef up you dies to keep them from deflecting. Something like an A frame to hold the top die would help a lot.


Dan
 
Using sections of dies works great to bend boxes and such, just remember you're using a shop press not a brake so the load must stay centered under the ram or things will get ugly.You can also place pieces of cardboard between the top die and the work piece on one side to adjust a long piece to bend the same on each end.
 
We use dies like this at work in our 60 ton press brakes, you can get them with different radiuses, the amount of distance the top die is pressed into the bottom die will dictate the bend. If you make a back gauge, you can then make the same bend distance multiple times. You also should put grease zerks on the bolster pins so you can lube the upper die. Tim

Press Brake dies are clamped in place by a 1/2" thick by 5/8" "tang" along the top of the die. Same for the bottom dies. Here are a couple photos of a top die and a sketch of the way they are held. Both top and bottom dies are made in sections to allow parts with lips to be bent.The one I have is 7/8" thick and about 4-1/2" tall. Just Google Press Brake die and you will find several photos of the tooling. Also check out ebay - literally tons of tooling for sale on there all the time. One interesting type of tooling is the Urethane bottom die. Check this auction out for starters. http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRESS-BRAKE...195?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c330e72cb and this one for Urethane tooling. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8-VEE-URE...981?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5657da9fb5.
 
@Pineyfolks:
Seeing I have to run to the steel store Thursday, what size c-channel do you use? I looked online and the stuff less than 3" wide gets too thin at 1/8" thick. I was going to buy a piece of 3" and try to use it as the base with round steel bars and also as the receiver for the bottom dies like angle iron etc. I figure with a little planning at the start I can make it very adjustable as far as make a new die as needed.
Thanks,
schemer
 
I use 3" and 4" channel for heavy material. 3" works great for me for 1/4" material. I made a bottom die with a 1" slot for 12ga. material and less. You can add some round stock inside the channel too. I also have a pointer next to my jack and a scale held on the side of the jack with magnets to use as a depth gauge for repeatable bends. I shot you some pics but I don't want to hijack this thread, just give you guys some other options when building.

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