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Bending 1/8" steel plate without a brake

57K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  Tomb Raider 
#1 ·
Well, my plans on bending my corner guards at the local DIY auto shop on Base fell thru...

I've seen plans online for homemade brakes, but they aren't capable of bending 1/8".

Anyone have a DIY homemade way to successfully bend 1/8"? I've looked into using a telephone pole or some pipe.

The local welding shop will do it, but it won't be a priority, and they would need my jeep there to test fit...and they want $65 an hour...
 
#2 ·
athos76, Hi there, I notice you mentioned plate instead of tubing, is this true? If so is the bend you want going to be a smooth rounded bend or crisp bend right to the angle you desire?
If you want a crisp angle I have a great way to shape it, if you want a rounded bend, not much I can tell you.
 
#4 ·
There are times when buying what you need is simply cheaper and easier than making it yourself.

Considering your time, material costs, and fabrications costs, corner armor is a good example. Most machine shops charge about $75 or more per hour for set-up hours and production hours.

Warrior Products S916 Steel Corners (.104" thick) are about $130.
 
#5 ·
I have a press of which can bend up to 1/2" to a 90 degree with no problem. But the are times I want control the bend and it's angle more precisely. Recently in my build thread I made some spring top plates, the one that the ends are turned up a bit. I chose this method and they turned out great. Yesterday I wanted 1/8" plate that was 4" wide to have about 30 degree bends, I chose this method also. I used a 3" inch cut off wheel to make the cross cut about 3/4 deep, then by hand, bent the plate back for my desired angle. Then welded to fill the cut and ground it smooth. If this helps, great, if not, perhaps it's an idea for the future.:)

Both sides bent with the angle thingy to check for accuaracy between both sides.

Fill the groove with Mig welding.

Grind it smooth. I use a 4 1/2" grinder with the flap discs.
 
#8 ·
Why not have a metal supply shop do the radius bend for you? Vernon Steel (my local supplier does it all of the time for a nominal fee ($20 or so).
 
#10 ·
BESRK said:
Saw this pic on Pirate... it might not be too difficult to increase the size a bit to get the proper radius.
That's one method I was going to try out. My local DIY shop has a nice 60 ton press and some scrap steel I can use to brace it. I just need to find some pipe large enough to use.
 
#12 ·
Hmmm.. I may have to mess with this idea myself. I'm thinking cut the pieces on the plasma table. Instead of a large piece of DOM, maybe cut a few round disks with slot in them for strips of flat stock.. similar to making a beer keg out of strips of wood. A 20 ton (or even 12 ton) press should be plenty strong to make a large radius bend in material up to 3/16". Might be an easy way for me to do corner armor.
 
#14 ·
I'll tell you what I use, but beware it probably isn't the safest way, and it is certainly a miss use of equipment. I bought one of those cheap harbor freight pipe benders for $80 with one of there 20% off coupons. As a pipe bender, it sucks, but I use the 3/4 in. die, place a 4 in. piece of 3/4 in square tube in it with the edge up. I then place the flat plate cross ways thru the bender. I place a couple of c-clamps at the top of the bender to add a little strength, and bend away. I have bent up to 1/4 x 4 in plate into a 90% angle this way. It beats the way I used to do it by a long shot, I used to clamp the plate to my work bench, heat it with my torch, and bear down on it with long crescent wrench handle. I'll post up pics of anyone is interested. PS. I really like the press picture from pirate, I'll have to make one of those, it's probably much safer.
 
#15 ·
Well, I acquired some 6 1/2" pipe and used a 75 ton press to bend the corners. The radius is a little too tight, so I'll have to heat it up and flex it out some. One corner bent about an inch from where I wanted it to, so I'll have to work on that a little more. The bending was real easy and the width of the jaws on the press were almost perfect spacing.
 
#16 ·
For the bend location... leave your corner big then bend it. After its bent ... hold up to the Jeep and mark where it needs to be cut for a perfect fit...
 
#18 ·
Here is my solution to bending plate steel, as for a ~6" radius I would agree for this one off part it is cheaper to buy than to fabricate Jeep corner armor.

20 Ton Press Brake DIY Builder Kit











Press Brake kit comes unassembled, you do the final assembly and welding.

Designed to fit the Harbor Freight 20 ton press.

Press Brake includes adjustable back stop and side top for accurate repeatable bends.

Max Bending Radius (deg.) 110

Max. Bending Capacity 3/8" plate

Max Bending Width 19.25"

Tools required for assembly, welder, grinder, level, small square.

THe DIY builder kit includes the following parts:

Press brake base plate
Side stop
Back stop
Top machined die
Bottom die
Back stop guide rails
Top die guide rail rod
Top die guide rail DOM tubing
Top die ram center 1.75" dia tubing
(2) 3" threaded rods
(2) Shaft collar locks
(2) Springs
Misc fasteners
Detailed Instructions

Click here to view Youtube demo video.



http://www.swagoffroad.com/20_Ton_Press_Brake.html

Thanks Troy
 
#19 ·
Well, I found a company that will fab the blanks up for me. I'm working on the minute details now for the CAD drawing. The cost is minimal compared to what it would cost me to do myself. $200 shipped, and then I can cut the excess off. If it works out, I might see about having more made for the JF crew if they are interested in diamond plate steel corners.
 
#23 ·
Well, I found a company that will fab the blanks up for me. I'm working on the minute details now for the CAD drawing. The cost is minimal compared to what it would cost me to do myself. $200 shipped, and then I can cut the excess off. If it works out, I might see about having more made for the JF crew if they are interested in diamond plate steel corners.
When I got these done a few years back using the local company...was about $120 bucks. Rather than "having the jeep"...I used cardboard across the top of the rear corners and traced. Gave them the tracing with the measurements needed. You can see how the broke it ever couple inches. 3/16" plate. Fit like a glove.







 
#24 ·
You can bend up to 5/16" A36 with a large arbor press. I did some that was 20" wide with some gentle bends in it. You can bend 10ga at a fairly sharp 90 using three pieces of angle iron, two welded side by side on a piece of flat plate and the third piece of angle iron used to push down the piece you want bent between the welded angle iron.

WSS
 
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