Skip to main content

Tooling Up: DIY Sheet Metal Brake

My new 1mm sheet steel has arrived, along with some additional angle and flat bar... but more of that in a moment.

Using the refined ply forms, I have now made the boot floor rear edge piece again and I am much happier with it.  Going for the extra gauge steel was definitely the right decision and this new panel feels much more substantial.





I have had a full test fitting with all panels, which is looking pretty good.


The next issue concerns the rear inner arch to which spare wheel well side and floor is to be attached. There is some rust here and so this will need to be repaired before the really serious welding/reconstruction of the boot floor can begin. Although only a relatively small area, complex curves and profiles need to be created. I realised then that I had need of more fabrication tools.

Here then is a description of how I fashioned a DIY sheet metal brake; a means by which I can easily and precisely create folds in sheet metal of up to around 90˚or so. This construction utilised using wood, 3 lengths of angle bar, a length of flat bar, some M8 nuts and bolts and a couple of M12 coach bolts.

I started off making a base by glueing/screwing together two lengths of hardwood reclaimed from an old sideboard.






I then took a pair of steel hinges and modified them. I removing the pins and flipped over one half of each hinge. This is necessary to allow the brake to pivot along the fold line, without displacement.




I cut three 1m lengths of angle bar using a disc cutter/angle grinder. On one length, which will form the pivot to actually bend the sheet metal, I marked out positions for the hinges. I then cut recesses for the hinges, again using my angle grinder.




I lined up and clamped the hinges against the second length of angle set on the edge of the wooden base as shown,  ensuring that as the first piece was pivoted, the gap remained consistent.





Once I was happy with the alignment, I screwed the hinges to the wooden base.



I did not at this point attach the hinges to the pivoting angle bar. Instead I switched my attention to the third length of angle bar which would be used to clamp down the sheet and form the edge for the sheet to be folded over. I cut out two recesses to clear the hinges.




I then positioned this bar and worked out where I wanted the clamp bolts to be. I filed the top edge to form a slight flat and help with marking/punching, then drilled out a 12mm hole using my bench/pillar drill.




I then performed another test fit and clamping before marking out, drilling and bolting the hinge to the pivot bar





I carefully positioned the 'clamp' bar and marked through the previously drilled 12mm holes to then drill through base.





I flipped the base over and drilled a recess using a forstner bit. Then fitted two M12 coach bolts through them the base, bolting tight using spring washers.





Finally, I drilled two more holes through the base of the now finished brake to allow me to bolt it up to the edge of my workbench.

With everything in place I attempted a fold. I attached a large pair of locking pliers to the pivot bar to effect the bend. I plan to make some more sophisticated levers when I can find same scrap box section or round bar, but for the time being the pliers seem to do the job.




The results are encouraging and although I think some practice and possibly refinement may be required, certainly to bend long pieces or thinker steel such as the 16 gauge I am using for chassis box section, overall I am pretty pleased with my efforts.

I have also identified a second 'essential' tool, but more of that in the nest post.


< previous post               next post >

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Volvo Amazon Chassis Repairs

As suggested in my recent post, the job I originally planned at this point was to repair the battery tray which is in a bit of a state. However, even after an extensive staring, prodding and rumination, I still haven't come up with a strategy. The curves and swaging in this pressing are really quite complex, I am simply not ready to tackle this.  "Does it really matter what it looks like?" I hear you cry, "Won't it be hidden?" Well, actually I think it does, not least of all as I am planning to relocate the battery to the boot (trunk) and utilise the tray in some other way (the current thinking is to locate an oil catcher here, which is required for competition). If so, the repairs will indeed be visible. I've decided to ignore it for the time being and come back to it later. Instead I have turned my attention to the rear arches, starting with the offside. I knew that there are some repairs required to the chassis and the area above the spring locator. I...
Post a Comment
Read more

Progress Report: Rear Window Removal and More

It has been a while since my last post, but I haven't been entirely idle. After my initial investigations into the state of the boot floor (see previous post)  I have removed more from the car in preparation for repairs, including the rear window. This was the last piece of glass still fitted to the car and I was concerned about damage from grinding sparks.  The stainless trim that surrounds the glass is extremely delicate and really expensive to replace, so needs to be removed and stored carefully. I used a couple of old plastic spatulas and they seemed to work pretty well although in hindsight, I think it might have been worth investing in some proper trim removal tools.  One important thing to note is that the chrome finishers that sit on the C pillars are actually held in place with bolts, so if you are attempting this yourself,  do not try and prise them off!  They will break! Instead, you will need to get at the retaining nuts from inside the car by ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Removing the Headliner - Volvo 120

Removing the headliner in my Volvo 120 is a job that I have been meaning to tackle for a while and with an enforced hiatus in the boot floor fabrications (awaiting delivery of a sheet of 19 gauge steel),  today seemed as good a time as any. My plan was to try and rescue it.  It is not that I think it is in the best condition, obvious it has discoloured, but it isn't ripped. It is an item that I think I might need to have in the car to meet the 'road going saloon' class spec, but not something that I am particularly bothered about aesthetically. At £100 for a new headliner, I though it might be worth go at saving. However the Volvo service/workshop manual suggests that is not the norm, simply instructing to cut away the old lining. After removal of sun visors, grab handles and the interior light, I started on the headliner at the rear of the car. I had already removed the parcel shelf trim some time ago and so the lower corners were already revealed. There is a small fibre ...
Post a Comment
Read more