iron worker or a press brake

[jfg455]

Has anyone ever built their own iron worker or a press brake? I have seen some fabbed units for sale that look like it wouldn't be that hard. I am just not up on my engineering. I have a CNC plasma table, and a bunch of old tractors that I could rob the pistons and valves from. Maybe even re-use some of the metal pieces from the buckets, arms, etc. Any ideas? plans? thanks in advance for any replies. [

 

[NewIronRats]

A Google search should find what your looking for.[P[

 

[jfg455]

I tried that and the results were all over the place. everything from a sheet metal brake (totally different) to arbor press conversions and a few pictures of hydraulic units. I have some ideas I am tossing around but was just wondering if anyone here had done/tried/thought of the same thing.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Don't really know what an iron worker is.....

I tried that and the results were all over the place. everything from a sheet metal brake (totally different) to arbor press conversions and a few pictures of hydraulic units. I have some ideas I am tossing around but was just wondering if anyone here had done/tried/thought of the same thing.

Not being funny, I guess I just haven't heard the term before.... what does it do? [S

 

[NewIronRats]

Not being funny, I guess I just haven't heard the term before.... what does it do? [S

An iron worker is a Steel Fab shop machine used to cut flat bar,round stock,punch holes and such.I ran one for several years in fab shops before I learned to fit and weld.[P[

 

[RPM]

We have both in our shop, but we just bought them. Did not have time to try and build them. We use the iron worker to punch holes, and to bend 3/8 plate. We use the press brake for thinner sheet, up to 1/4".

 

[sgtpontiac]

OK, got it.....

An iron worker is a Steel Fab shop machine used to cut flat bar,round stock,punch holes and such.I ran one for several years in fab shops before I learned to fit and weld.[P[

Thanks for clearing it up.... sounds handy.... also sounds like it generates a crap ton of power and is probably rather large?

 

[NewIronRats]

Thanks for clearing it up.... sounds handy.... also sounds like it generates a crap ton of power and is probably rather large?

The first one I ever ran was about 7 foot tall, 3 foot wide and was mechanical with 2 2ft diamaeter wheels on the side.It could punch a 1 inch hole in a 1 inch steel plate and sounded like a shotgun when it punched through. The newer ones are hydrolic and are much smaller. Around half the size of the one I first used.Im glad I dont have to do that kind of work anymore.[P[

 

[Motorhead]

These are made by www.iroquoisiron.com. They don't look too tough to build.

 

[Charley Davidson]

That thing is probably 2 or 3 inches thick, has a very short stroke, for that type of brake the dies are the big deal.

 

[jfg455]

that was kind of what I was thinking of. looks like the main plate is 1 1/2" thick. Don't think I need it quite that big though......[S

 

[Torch]

One of the problems with Google is you don't get the most accurate search results...you get the results Google's customers paid them to show you first.

 

[RPM]

He is a pic of the iron worker we have. It is a 40 ton unit. The beam on the top is cut from 1 1/4" thick plate. The side uprights are 1" thick and the pivot is 2" solid.

 

[oldmanb]

Hi, I had made this brake up about 10 years ago, use it almost everyday,works great. The stock being bent in the picture is 3" X 1/2" thick. It will bend up to 12" wide X 1/4" thick, cost to make ,approx. 30 bucks, it has 2" square solid bar and 3/4" dia on each end and a couple of old brake return springs.
Brian

 

[jfg455]

well oldmanb that is about as simple as it gets! Thanks for posting it. After thinking on it awhile it seems I don't need anything as large as I was first thinking. If I had a rig that would handle 18" wide 10g plate and would also bend 3"x3/8" flat stock then I would be fine. maybe I will just mount one of my bucket pistons on the side of my arbor press and convert it to hyd. Then I could just make a simple brake like yours and be done with it. [

 

[sgtpontiac]

what's the tonnage on the ram?

Hi, I had made this brake up about 10 years ago, use it almost everyday,works great. The stock being bent in the picture is 3" X 1/2" thick. It will bend up to 12" wide X 1/4" thick, cost to make ,approx. 30 bucks, it has 2" square solid bar and 3/4" dia on each end and a couple of old brake return springs.
Brian

Just curious.... looks to easy to be true.... looks like you've used the heck out of it too.... great idea....

 

[goose-em]

Just buy yourself a HF hydraulic press, say 20 tons. Then build a die to bend your 3/8" plate, it works.

You can also build a press brake as mentioned above that will work with it.

It is slow by hand but possible. To increase speed upgrade to and air over hydraulic jack.

$100 for the press, $50? for the material.

By that way that fancy colored iron worker cannot be too cheap. That hydraulic pump is around $3500 by itself. How do I know, I have a similar pump that I bought last year.

 

[jfg455]

Just buy yourself a HF hydraulic press, say 20 tons. Then build a die to bend your 3/8" plate, it works.

You can also build a press brake as mentioned above that will work with it.

It is slow by hand but possible. To increase speed upgrade to and air over hydraulic jack.

$100 for the press, $50? for the material.

By that way that fancy colored iron worker cannot be too cheap. That hydraulic pump is around $3500 by itself. How do I know, I have a similar pump that I bought last year.

yea they are in the $8500 (small one) to $18K range. SOmetimes I dream in big scale![S

 

[oldmanb]

I used a Williams 2 stage pump,same as used on dump trucks, put a 6" pulley on it, runs off a 2 horsepower motor, had it for years too. A buddy used a Chevy power steering pump,and a resivor, works good.

 

[Sulzst]

Oldmanb, nice bender. Hope you don't mind if I infringe on the patent! I have been looking for a good break for thicker steel and brackets. I have a sheet metal brake, but it's no good for anything other than tin. thanks for the post and the pics.

I built my press with an old truck hoist pto hydraulic pump as well, nice because they are fully contained, resoervoir, pump and spool. I added the biggest pulley I could find and a 2 horse motor! It drives a 6inch d9 cat ram, works great nice and slow and relieves before my press frame yields.