$45 Brake Press
 

just got the materials for my new 6 foot long brake press...ive got some 2.1mm diamond plate aluminum i wanna fabricate for the xj so went out to the salvage yard and got some 5mm 4x3 angle iron to mount in my bench vices...the holding plate will attach directly to this and the pivot piece will be attached to this as well with hd gate hinges...all up, $45 for materials

more pics when working :)

Be interested in how you make up the press and use it.

details coming mate....managed to get the holding fixture attached today between sons grand footy finals, basketball game, guests at the home and cooking for the fam while wife is sick....loooking sweet so far and i can see light at the end of the tunnel....simpler than i thought <jinx> :hammer:

Looking foward to the next installment

getting ready to mount the hinges...part of the purpose of this project was to make a brake press WITHOUT welding.....ive decided to attach them so the pivot plate will come forward across the holding fixture to allow greater than 90* bends...i am skeptical of the welds on the gate hinge - they look pretty "mass produced" but as im only folding aloom should be okay...drilled into the mounts for the hinges and slipped shims in there to offset the angle - attached them with grade 8.8 high tensile bolts/nuts...no clue if this is the correct angle or not but as this is only folding aluminum i figure i can make adjustable slots for the hinge mounts in the holding/bending fixtures and slip the appropriate shim in there to compensate...ive attached the holding fixture with a 1.8mm spring washer between it and the mount - should be just right for 2.1 diamond plate alum...my $45 brake press now costs $70 including the high tensile bolts and gate hinges...btw - in one of the last pics you will what happens when you drop your new brake press on your finger catching it between the wooden workbench and the holding fixture...im healing nicely...hope to test trial it within a week (too many projects here to be timely and wont actually be using it for weeks)

looks good looking foward to hear how you go with it

Finished!
 

got the brake press done today - needed my workbench back for other projects so got my arse up and did it...attached left and right gate hinges with grade 8 bolts (no welding anywhere)...adjusted the hinge with shims to fit the 2.1mm aluminum diamond plate...the hinge mounting holes (in the fixture) will be slotted later to allow other thicknesses of metal to be bent and also to change the bending angle radius...tried it out on a piece of aluminum and the bend was spot on - not so tight as too crack it but sharp enough for my fabrication project on the jeep...also tried bending some 3mm steel bar...got a little flex in the middle of the press but it still managed a decent bend without fuss...im happy! :)