Bend 10 ga without a press brake?

[Buty]

I am making a back shield for a tiller and have a piece of 14" x 60" piece of 10 gauge hot roll material that I need to put a bend in lengthwise. Any thoughts on how to do this without a brake?

Should I just weld some flat bar to the edge to make it stronger?

 

[Clipse3GT]

I would just take it to a nearby fabrication shop and have them give you a nice clean bend. Should only be a few bucks or some beers if it's a local place.

 

[SimS]

If you can't find a big brake to use, I like your idea. Just weld a piece of flat stock or angle to the trailing edge.

SimS

 

[newbury]

Also look for a roofing contractor.

When I worked roofing in a previous life we would routinely bend metal like that in our brake.

BUT if we were out on a job a ways from the shop and had to bend a piece NOW the installer would just bend it over an anvil and beat it into submission rather than drive back to the shop. Time was money and money was beer.

 

[DFB]

How exact do you want it? There is actually another very narrow bend back to 90 degree after the fold (and that's looks maybe a 25 degree angle) and it's done the same way both top and bottom.

Here's another pic



And against the top edge fold is where the continuous bar stock for the hinge is welded.


Dang they sure are purty looking when they are new

If it was me I wouldn't be overly concerned about getting too fancy with it. The rocks found in my soil will pound it out of shape after a while anyhow.

But of course that's up to you...your skill set and/or local shop connections.

 

[CCWKen]

You're not going to bend 60" of 10ga. in a standard shop brake. That will require some industrial sized equipment or at least a shop press with your own dies. When I made the bucket on the Kenbota, I used two different sized C-channels--One facing up and one facing down to put the bends in the rear of the bucket. I bent a little at a time while moving down the sheet. You could do similar by fabricating a V-die using angle iron and pressing with a rod. I've done that too when making brackets with 1/4-3/8" flats that needed a certain radius in the bend.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Either tack weld or C-clamp a piece of angle at the bend radius and add a little heat to make it bend easier.

 

[CCWKen]

Here's a crude drawing of the way I make my V-dies and press with a rod. The angle iron is welded together then welded to a base.

 

[Buty]

Thanks for all the help guys. Very good ideas here. I found a local shop that will make the bends for a reasonable fee so that's what I'll do.

 

[Sodo]

I'd skip-weld a 1/8"x1" flatbar on it with the MIG. 1 inch weld, 2 or 3 inches skipped. 10ga is easy for a MIG. But that's my shop. I understand that a bend is the look you want.

Just curious how much is a reasonable fee?