Press Brakes for Dummies?

Huskerz · Jun 19, 2011

Can anyone direct me to a webpage/site or book where I can learn more about press brakes (set up, tooling, use, etc). I recently acquired my first brake and honestly don't know much about them. Looking to jump in and get my feet wet - without drowning. I have a Pneuco 6' Pneumatic Press Brake. I need to set up a squaring arm on the front and an adjustable back gauge with 2 stops for the present time. Looking for any good source of information/education.

Thanks!

aametalmaster · Jun 20, 2011

I don't know what you are making but when i worked in the shop we had some angle iron arms that bolted to the back of the brake and stops vise gripped to them. Then they got modern and bought a digital rear gauge. So maybe the temp stops will work for you...Bob

Greatbasin · Jun 20, 2011

About 30 some years ago we made our own press brake, bends 10' of 12 ga. we had some heavy bars and machined all the parts the V-block and blades on our planer which was able to take about 11' cut. In order to get the outcome of my jobs many jobs were lost to where to put the mark to bend at. Probably went through a couple of tons of sheet that went to scrap or other jobs that were smaller. Practice on the layout and have a true square, check several and mark the sheet center punch where the blade should be to come out with the results you want. I had many mistakes and still do, but mostly to layout and all squares are not square. Good Luck John

MwTech Inc · Jun 20, 2011

Lots of options:

Search ebay for press brakes, just look at the pictures, the backgauges,
the way stuff is made etc. Lot of info in a picture.

Search all the new press brake sites, again, tons of pictures, a lot of close ups on gauges etc.

Tooling, look at Wila, Wilson, the high end guys. Good info.

Search press brake tooling on google, hours of reading/pictures.

I'll answer your other question here,

18 ga precision bending, or just slap it in and bend?

Precision? Call Wila. Buy just what you need.

Don't see the value of high end tooling, buy new planer tooling.

Slap it and bend? Pick up old planer tooling used.

Oh yea, don't forget to read up about tip radius, die width, min flange length etc.

You will be "air " bending.

S_W_Bausch · Jun 20, 2011

Post some sample parts (print or image), and see what the local experts think about:

What you have so far.

The best way to do it.

Mike55110 · Jun 21, 2011

Press Brake Tooling

If you're looking for a book that explains tooling, I'd recommend Fundamentals of Press Brake Tooling by Ben Rapien. It will give you a good overview of press brakes and it gets into the details of the tooling.

neilho · Jun 22, 2011

Mike55110 said:
... I'd recommend Fundamentals of Press Brake Tooling by Ben Rapien. .

Hmm... I'd love another book on pressworking, so immediately checked abebooks. Alas, $100 plus for a used copy....

I've been using Die Design Handbook, 2nd edition; Frank Wilson, editor and Techniques of Pressworking Sheet Metal; Eary and Reed. The first edition of Die Design Handbook is good, too.

Neil

metalmagpie · Jun 24, 2011

neilho said:
Hmm... I'd love another book on pressworking, so immediately checked abebooks. Alas, $100 plus for a used copy....l

This is when you trot down to your local library and request the book through interlibrary loan. FREE. Read it. Study it. Scan key sections if you want.

Repeat as needed.

Only think about buying a book like that if you find you're checking the book out all the time. For most books, once is enough.

Did I mention it's free?

metalmagpie

smootz · Jun 25, 2011

Here is a photo of work supports on a small brake I used to own. Unfortunately there are no other surviving photos to help illustrate.

Small angle tabs bolted on top and slid in the slots (aka manual front gauge). There was a similar set-up on the rear for a back gauge.

You really don't need a squaring arm if you have two contact points on your back or front gauge. It would be redundant and probably in the way most of the time.

SCOTTIE Scott Mootz Welding

neilho · Jun 26, 2011

metalmagpie said:
This is when you trot down to your local library and request the book through interlibrary loan. FREE. Read it. Study it. Scan key sections if you want. ...
Did I mention it's free?

metalmagpie

Well, a simple thing in Seattle is not so simple in rural Vermont, where every town regards their library as a fiefdom to be defended against citizens of other towns. My town, Vershire (population 700) has a children's library consisting of books rescued from a dump in Massachusetts. Needless to say, no interlibrary loan capabilities. The larger library I use (Hanover, NH, 30 miles away) charges 15$ for nonresident interlibrary loans, even though I'm paying $125 a year for borrowing privileges. Not free.

I'd pay 50$ for a book delivered to my front door instead of driving 120 miles and paying 15$ to look at a book for a week, but $100+ is a bit much for a book I'm not sure I need.

Good thought, though. Maybe you could borrow it from Seattle for me.

Neil

frank715 · Jul 6, 2011

Huskerz said:
Can anyone direct me to a webpage/site or book where I can learn more about press brakes (set up, tooling, use, etc). I recently acquired my first brake and honestly don't know much about them. Looking to jump in and get my feet wet - without drowning. I have a Pneuco 6' Pneumatic Press Brake. I need to set up a squaring arm on the front and an adjustable back gauge with 2 stops for the present time. Looking for any good source of information/education.

Thanks!

i remember some people sell manual(guide book) of amanda press brake in the ebay. you can try to search them. there are also some press brake operating video in the youtube. you also should concern it. that is all.if you want to learn real skill,you must go to a metal forming workshop and let them to teach you

crij · Jul 7, 2011

Has anyone tried Polyurethane dies? Polyurethane Press Brake Dies They also have Urethane films to cover your steel dies.

How well do they work, or did you destroy them the first time you used them?

I am planning on making a press for the tool bay on my Unihydro and was planning on using one of these for the die, already salvaged a 36" punch from the local scrap yard.

Thanks,
Rich C.

adama · Jul 7, 2011

Would only destroy them if you over load them - would be damaging steel tooling any rate. Urethane and high hardness rubbers are oftern used for rock crusher jaws, put simply there way more abrasion resistant than steel's on certain applications.

MwTech Inc · Jul 7, 2011

Use poly dies for aluminum, some light stainless.

I usually find the radius opens up on the stainless over metal dies.

But for nonmarking the aluminum it works great.

The poly setup I use now is just an open block of poly, not the type nested in a steel carrier.

I use Acro tech dies(poly)

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