From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

My 30" 3-in-1 combo machine can bend 22ga steel but not the 18ga that
matches the 1mm thickness of the rusted car area. I just ordered a 4", 14ga vise brake from Amazon. Is there anything I should know about their use, capabilities or limitations? A reviewer broke his vise by using a cheater
bar on the handle.

My nibbler like this can cut up to 18ga, 1.2mm. https://www.amazon.com/Draper-Expert-250mm-Hand-Nibbler/dp/B0001K9TGU

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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

On 8/15/2026 2:59 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

My 30" 3-in-1 combo machine can bend 22ga steel but not the 18ga that matches the 1mm thickness of the rusted car area. I just ordered a 4",
14ga vise brake from Amazon. Is there anything I should know about their use, capabilities or limitations? A reviewer broke his vise by using a cheater bar on the handle.

I have mostly used my vise brake (like this https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-6-vise-brake/h3245) for bending
wire. I had no issue with that. I did use it for bending some sheet
metal as well, but I don't recall the gauge.

As to breaking a vise with a cheater bar... I have done that as well.
It was a very cheap lighter duty Harbor Freight Bench vise. I was not
bending sheet metal at the time. I was trying to shade tree press a
u-joint using a 6 foot piece of pipe. I replaced it with a heavier
Harbor Freight bench vise that I have not broken.

That being said I have a Columbian Bench Vise that in some circles is
called a Columbian bench press. Prior to my acquisition it was used so
hard they bent the handle and even put a slight bow int he screw, but it
did not break. I don't who what all they used on it, but there were
pipe wrench marks on the meatball, and they previous owner did also own
a five foot pipe wrench. I have used it with my vise brake.

I suspect your odds of breaking the vise braking the sheet metal are
low, but may depend on the quality of the vise, and previous abuse it
may have suffered.

My nibbler like this can cut up to 18ga, 1.2mm. https://www.amazon.com/Draper-Expert-250mm-Hand-Nibbler/dp/B0001K9TGU

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message news:115qnes$3o32m$1@dont-email.me...

I just ordered a 4", 14ga vise brake from Amazon.

It arrived a few minutes ago, the next day on free shipping. 18ga is easy to bend with my 3.5" bench vise. The sharp male die allows bending to a line which is necessary with cut-and-try fitting to car stampings. I can pad it
to bend a radius.

The HF 240V spotwelder nearly melted through 22ga test welds in about 2-3 seconds. At 120V the joint is very weak. I can reduce the voltage with a Variac and built a timer for it but wanted to try its full power capacity.

I've learned a lot about what I can do, and what I thought I maybe couldn't until I tried several practice parts in increasingly thicker metal.

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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

On 16/08/2026 17:55, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Jim Wilkins"-a wrote in message news:115qnes$3o32m$1@dont-email.me...

-a I just ordered a 4", 14ga vise brake from Amazon.

It arrived a few minutes ago, the next day on free shipping. 18ga is
easy to bend with my 3.5" bench vise. The sharp male die allows
bending to a line which is necessary with cut-and-try fitting to car stampings. I can pad it to bend a radius.

The HF 240V spotwelder nearly melted through 22ga test welds in about
2-3 seconds. At 120V the joint is very weak.-a I can reduce the voltage
with a Variac and built a timer for it but wanted to try its full
power capacity.

Do those spot welders have a timer? I had a quick look at the HF site
and their 240V spot welder and couldn't see any mention of one. My Tecna
gives 4mm tip diameter and 0.15s duration for 0.8mm steel, 20ga is
0.76mm according to google. What I always found odd about that HF and
similar designs was that you can't adjust the tips so they're parallel
when clamping the material.

I've learned a lot about what I can do, and what I thought I maybe
couldn't until I tried several practice parts in increasingly thicker
metal.

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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

"David Billington" wrote in message news:115t4nh$ev01$1@dont-email.me...

On 16/08/2026 17:55, Jim Wilkins wrote:

The HF 240V spotwelder ...

Do those spot welders have a timer? I had a quick look at the HF site
and their 240V spot welder and couldn't see any mention of one. My Tecna
gives 4mm tip diameter and 0.15s duration for 0.8mm steel, 20ga is
0.76mm according to google. What I always found odd about that HF and
similar designs was that you can't adjust the tips so they're parallel
when clamping the material. ------------------------------------------------------
It's a ripoff of a discontinued portable Miller, maybe the LMSW-52. The control is manual, a double throw center-off switch under the handle. Miller made a separate timer unit for "T" models. The Miller manual doesn't seem to be available on Sunday.
This is from my download:

2 Start Switch
Use switch to turn weld current On
and Off. Move switch sideways in
either direction to start weld current.
Release switch to stop weld current.

That's all. The timer model can be set up to 5 seconds

I learned to make practice welds that were only slightly recessed and needed
a chisel to separate, with the weld tearing out of one side.

My added controls are a 240V Variac and time delay control and solid state power relay from a hamfest. I added a sheet metal hook that can hold the switch On when using the timer, or the switch could be replaced with an On-Off-Mom one but the hook is more goof-proof.


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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

On 8/16/2026 4:40 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"David Billington"-a wrote in message news:115t4nh$ev01$1@dont-email.me...

On 16/08/2026 17:55, Jim Wilkins wrote:

The HF 240V spotwelder ...

Do those spot welders have a timer? I had a quick look at the HF site
and their 240V spot welder and couldn't see any mention of one. My Tecna gives 4mm tip diameter and 0.15s duration for 0.8mm steel, 20ga is
0.76mm according to google. What I always found odd about that HF and
similar designs was that you can't adjust the tips so they're parallel
when clamping the material. ------------------------------------------------------
It's a ripoff of a discontinued portable Miller, maybe the LMSW-52. The control is manual, a double throw center-off switch under the handle.
Miller made a separate timer unit for "T" models. The Miller manual
doesn't seem to be available on Sunday.
This is from my download:

2 Start Switch
Use switch to turn weld current On
and Off. Move switch sideways in
either direction to start weld current.
Release switch to stop weld current.

That's all. The timer model can be set up to 5 seconds

I learned to make practice welds that were only slightly recessed and
needed a chisel to separate, with the weld tearing out of one side.

My added controls are a 240V Variac and time delay control and solid
state power relay from a hamfest. I added a sheet metal hook that can
hold the switch On when using the timer, or the switch could be replaced with an On-Off-Mom one but the hook is more goof-proof.

Interesting. I have an HF 220V spot welder new in box. It was among my
dad's tools, and for now have decided to keep. The lack of a weld timer
is easily remedied for some I think. An off the shelf trigger timer
circuit could be added to the hand switch. I probably have some new old
stock 6060 and 6062 (replacement for the 6060) Altronix boards on the
shelf somewhere. I wonder if they can be divided down to fractional
seconds. The default is either full seconds or full minutes. I never
even looked at them to see what they used as a timer. I would expect
they had to have used Sylvania 555s or a Chinese knock off of the 555.
The complete boards were pretty cheap back when I used them modestly
often. I guess I should go find one, and see what's on the board before
I start mouthing off at the keyboard.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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From Newsgroup: rec.crafts.metalworking

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message news:115titn$82k0$1@dont-email.me...

On 8/16/2026 4:40 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"David Billington" wrote in message news:115t4nh$ev01$1@dont-email.me...

On 16/08/2026 17:55, Jim Wilkins wrote:

The HF 240V spotwelder ...

Do those spot welders have a timer? I had a quick look at the HF site
and their 240V spot welder and couldn't see any mention of one. My Tecna gives 4mm tip diameter and 0.15s duration for 0.8mm steel, 20ga is
0.76mm according to google. What I always found odd about that HF and
similar designs was that you can't adjust the tips so they're parallel
when clamping the material. ------------------------------------------------------
It's a ripoff of a discontinued portable Miller, maybe the LMSW-52. The control is manual, a double throw center-off switch under the handle.
Miller made a separate timer unit for "T" models. The Miller manual
doesn't seem to be available on Sunday.
This is from my download:

2 Start Switch
Use switch to turn weld current On
and Off. Move switch sideways in
either direction to start weld current.
Release switch to stop weld current.

That's all. The timer model can be set up to 5 seconds

I learned to make practice welds that were only slightly recessed and
needed a chisel to separate, with the weld tearing out of one side.

My added controls are a 240V Variac and time delay control and solid state power relay from a hamfest. I added a sheet metal hook that can hold the switch On when using the timer, or the switch could be replaced with an On-Off-Mom one but the hook is more goof-proof.

Interesting. I have an HF 220V spot welder new in box. It was among my
dad's tools, and for now have decided to keep. The lack of a weld timer
is easily remedied for some I think. An off the shelf trigger timer
circuit could be added to the hand switch. I probably have some new old
stock 6060 and 6062 (replacement for the 6060) Altronix boards on the
shelf somewhere. I wonder if they can be divided down to fractional
seconds. The default is either full seconds or full minutes. I never
even looked at them to see what they used as a timer. I would expect
they had to have used Sylvania 555s or a Chinese knock off of the 555.
The complete boards were pretty cheap back when I used them modestly
often. I guess I should go find one, and see what's on the board before
I start mouthing off at the keyboard.

--------------------------------

I thought a timer was essential until noticing that Miller sold a model without one. Counting seconds by One-Thou-Sand-One divides a second into quarters which may be close enough for hobby results. I had it On at full power for 2-3 seconds on 22ga galvanized, tacking more metal on to reuse a short practice piece. That was too long for a permanent weld but good enough for a temporary one. Failures are experience too. For me welding isn't as
much always getting it right as quickly correcting what's going wrong.

For industrial stuff I prefer controls I can operate with work gloves, such
as a big knob to set the timer.

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