My son and I made this for my dad as a Christmas present several years ago.-a When he had the brain tumor removed and I was helping out with everything I found it loose in his shop, so I installed it on his drill press.-a After he passed I removed it and put it on one of my drill
presses, and I have used the heck out of it.
I know some of you guys have expressed dislike of this design because of
the amount of time needed to adjust the jaws with the screw.-a The thing
is its not a precision locating device.-a Its a holding device.-a Clamp
the material in it, move the vise wherever works to line up to drill,
and then snug down the screw in the clamp end.
If there is a center punch you align it with the drill, and then clamp
the rear screw down.-a Your work piece can't you work piece can't spin.
Its more about safety I think than anything.
https://www.yumabassman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260419_130604.jpg
https://www.yumabassman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/20260419_130559.jpg
On 4/19/2026 4:21 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
My son and I made this for my dad as a Christmas present several years
ago.-a When he had the brain tumor removed and I was helping out with
everything I found it loose in his shop, so I installed it on his
drill press.-a After he passed I removed it and put it on one of my
drill presses, and I have used the heck out of it.
I know some of you guys have expressed dislike of this design because
of the amount of time needed to adjust the jaws with the screw.-a The
thing is its not a precision locating device.-a Its a holding device.
Clamp the material in it, move the vise wherever works to line up to
drill, and then snug down the screw in the clamp end.
If there is a center punch you align it with the drill, and then clamp
the rear screw down.-a Your work piece can't you work piece can't spin.
Its more about safety I think than anything.
https://www.yumabassman.com/wp-content/
uploads/2026/04/20260419_130604.jpg
https://www.yumabassman.com/wp-content/
uploads/2026/04/20260419_130559.jpg
I remember seeing those pictures . Maybe when you built it ?
P.S.-a I was going to do an evaluation video of the cheapest press brake
on the Internet, but my camera was positioned wrong and it would have
been a terrible video.-a Proline.
ProLineMax
Bob La Londe
"Bob La Londe"-a wrote in message news:10s3rcq$c9dq$1@dont-email.me...
ProLineMax
Bob La Londe
I have the 30" 3-in-1 and this:
https://www.wttool.com/rdx-4-bending-brake?
but nothing in between like that.-a Both are somewhat fussy to use accurately. They have almost been enough, angle iron and welding or a
custom fab shop have sufficed for designs between their capabilities,
such as a stronger and higher trailer hitch for my garden tractor.
The 3-in-1 struggles and may need realignment at its rated capacity.
It's happier with 0.050" aluminum and 24 gauge steel, which I usually
cut with a more easily resharpened 8" bench shear. The 3-in-1 has been
OK after some rework for occasional non-critical hobby work like
electronics enclosures. I bought it second hand, the previous owner had given up on it.
My initial reason to learn machine shop practice was to be able to
design shapes that could be made quickly and cheaply, within the common vocabulary of standard machine tools. Electrical engineering grads I
worked for apparently don't learn much outside their field, unlike
chemists who may work in any industry and have to design what they need built. I studied Statics and Strength of Materials.
The self-serving attitude I encountered was that machinists could do anything, difficult operations were job security, and I didn't find
anything written about production engineering for efficiency which may
be proprietary secrets. Apparently the practice even for Detroit is or
was to design for the optimal balance of strength and weight and then
"throw it over the wall" to the production department to figure out manufacturing.
It was funny to see machinists react in horror to the first metric dimensioned job I gave them, a computer designed GPS patch antenna. They could do anything except push the inch/metric button on the DRO.
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:10s5gsa$r6tj$1@dont-email.me...
I've actually got 4 bending brakes. My first one was a vise brake, and overall the one I used the most in the past. I've since found better
methods for everything I did with it. Its an okay light gage bender,
but what I most used it for was bending stainless wire for pull pins for
lead casting molds. I've since taken to using a cheap bender off ebay
for that job. The bender is intended for rod and thin bar, but it does
a great job on stainless wire and rod upto 1/4 inch. I quickly ran up against the limits of the vise brake for sheet, and bought the 30"
Harbor Freight bending brake.
I did quite a few jobs with the HF 30 inch brake until I bought the
Tennsmith 48" brake. The Tennsmith has been used most recently for
bending 1/4" polycarbonate sheet for a semi custom boat windshield. I
don't use it much, because its big, heavy, and usually blocked in by
other stuff on both the front and the back.
The press brake was purchased for bending heavier stock. Things like
1/4x3 inch A36. I used it for the project pictured because I needed to assemble it, and since I needed to assemble it, I might as well use it
for the intended project, but my first original vise brake would
certainly have bent the 80 thousandths 5052 sheet easily.
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
------------------------------
An anvil can be quite useful for bending, such as rod in the square or round hole, or curves over the horn, and flattening sheet metal. With a forge and skill square stock can be bent to a square corner, both inside and out, by upsetting (shrinking) the metal, striking it endwise against the anvil to swell the hot end and then reshaping it. I've only watched the instructor do it. A skilled smith is a magician with only a hammer and anvil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R34AiWo3DGg
Mine is very old, hand forged wrought iron from the 1800s with visible weld seams. The harder top is flat and smooth (I surface-ground it) but the edges are too rounded to bend sharp corners. It has obviously seen use though I haven't found which trade would choose an anvil of only 36 pounds (0-1-8). It does seem a good size for a sheet metal or machine shop, and a base for a cable lug hammer crimper or similar.
"Bob La Londe"-a wrote in message news:10s3rcq$c9dq$1@dont-email.me...
ProLineMax
Bob La Londe
I have the 30" 3-in-1 and this:
https://www.wttool.com/rdx-4-bending-brake?
but nothing in between like that.-a Both are somewhat fussy to use accurately. They have almost been enough, angle iron and welding or a
custom fab shop have sufficed for designs between their capabilities,
such as a stronger and higher trailer hitch for my garden tractor.
The 3-in-1 struggles and may need realignment at its rated capacity.
It's happier with 0.050" aluminum and 24 gauge steel, which I usually
cut with a more easily resharpened 8" bench shear. The 3-in-1 has been
OK after some rework for occasional non-critical hobby work like
electronics enclosures. I bought it second hand, the previous owner had given up on it.
My initial reason to learn machine shop practice was to be able to
design shapes that could be made quickly and cheaply, within the common vocabulary of standard machine tools. Electrical engineering grads I
worked for apparently don't learn much outside their field, unlike
chemists who may work in any industry and have to design what they need built. I studied Statics and Strength of Materials.
The self-serving attitude I encountered was that machinists could do anything, difficult operations were job security, and I didn't find
anything written about production engineering for efficiency which may
be proprietary secrets. Apparently the practice even for Detroit is or
was to design for the optimal balance of strength and weight and then
"throw it over the wall" to the production department to figure out manufacturing.
It was funny to see machinists react in horror to the first metric dimensioned job I gave them, a computer designed GPS patch antenna. They could do anything except push the inch/metric button on the DRO.
"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> posted:
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:10s5gsa$r6tj$1@dont-email.me...
I've actually got 4 bending brakes. My first one was a vise brake, and
overall the one I used the most in the past. I've since found better
methods for everything I did with it. Its an okay light gage bender,
but what I most used it for was bending stainless wire for pull pins for
lead casting molds. I've since taken to using a cheap bender off ebay
for that job. The bender is intended for rod and thin bar, but it does
a great job on stainless wire and rod upto 1/4 inch. I quickly ran up
against the limits of the vise brake for sheet, and bought the 30"
Harbor Freight bending brake.
I did quite a few jobs with the HF 30 inch brake until I bought the
Tennsmith 48" brake. The Tennsmith has been used most recently for
bending 1/4" polycarbonate sheet for a semi custom boat windshield. I
don't use it much, because its big, heavy, and usually blocked in by
other stuff on both the front and the back.
The press brake was purchased for bending heavier stock. Things like
1/4x3 inch A36. I used it for the project pictured because I needed to
assemble it, and since I needed to assemble it, I might as well use it
for the intended project, but my first original vise brake would
certainly have bent the 80 thousandths 5052 sheet easily.
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
------------------------------
An anvil can be quite useful for bending, such as rod in the square or round >> hole, or curves over the horn, and flattening sheet metal. With a forge and >> skill square stock can be bent to a square corner, both inside and out, by >> upsetting (shrinking) the metal, striking it endwise against the anvil to
swell the hot end and then reshaping it. I've only watched the instructor do >> it. A skilled smith is a magician with only a hammer and anvil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R34AiWo3DGg
Mine is very old, hand forged wrought iron from the 1800s with visible weld >> seams. The harder top is flat and smooth (I surface-ground it) but the edges >> are too rounded to bend sharp corners. It has obviously seen use though I
haven't found which trade would choose an anvil of only 36 pounds (0-1-8). >> It does seem a good size for a sheet metal or machine shop, and a base for a >> cable lug hammer crimper or similar.
You know that generally most of the blacksmiths that I follow on youtube and facebook want the edges of an anvil to be round.
On 4/20/2026 12:45 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> posted:
"Bob La Londe"-a wrote in message news:10s5gsa$r6tj$1@dont-email.me...
I've actually got 4 bending brakes.-a My first one was a vise brake, and >>> overall the one I used the most in the past.-a I've since found better
methods for everything I did with it.-a Its an okay light gage bender,
but what I most used it for was bending stainless wire for pull pins for >>> lead casting molds.-a I've since taken to using a cheap bender off ebay
for that job.-a The bender is intended for rod and thin bar, but it does >>> a great job on stainless wire and rod upto 1/4 inch.-a I quickly ran up
against the limits of the vise brake for sheet, and bought the 30"
Harbor Freight bending brake.
I did quite a few jobs with the HF 30 inch brake until I bought the
Tennsmith 48" brake.-a The Tennsmith has been used most recently for
bending 1/4" polycarbonate sheet for a semi custom boat windshield.-a I
don't use it much, because its big, heavy, and usually blocked in by
other stuff on both the front and the back.
The press brake was purchased for bending heavier stock.-a Things like
1/4x3 inch A36.-a I used it for the project pictured because I needed to >>> assemble it, and since I needed to assemble it, I might as well use it
for the intended project, but my first original vise brake would
certainly have bent the 80 thousandths 5052 sheet easily.
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
------------------------------
An anvil can be quite useful for bending, such as rod in the square
or round
hole, or curves over the horn, and flattening sheet metal.-a With a
forge and
skill square stock can be bent to a square corner, both inside and
out, by
upsetting (shrinking) the metal, striking it endwise against the
anvil to
swell the hot end and then reshaping it. I've only watched the
instructor do
it. A skilled smith is a magician with only a hammer and anvil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R34AiWo3DGg
Mine is very old, hand forged wrought iron from the 1800s with
visible weld
seams. The harder top is flat and smooth (I surface-ground it) but
the edges
are too rounded to bend sharp corners. It has obviously seen use
though I
haven't found which trade would choose an anvil of only 36 pounds
(0-1-8).
It does seem a good size for a sheet metal or machine shop, and a
base for a
cable lug hammer crimper or similar.
You know that generally most of the blacksmiths that I follow on
youtube and facebook want the edges of an anvil to be round.
-a Yeah , but not all of them . Mine's a 66 lb and when it was new all
the corners were sharp and square . I've rounded 2 areas - different
radii - and left the rest square but not all "sharp" . Works for me ,
YMMV .
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