My dad is looking for a sheetmetal brake, but he really doesnt need one of these expensive ones I see online. something simple.

I also saw somewhere where someone used square tubing clamped down over the sheetmetal and used that for a brake?

 

Try Harbor Freight, or for a 48" x 22 gauge brake this is about as good as it gets.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/IN...NLMK3
$319.95, it will last awhile also.

 

how thick of stuff do you need to bend?

 

You could also get a small shop press, and a brake adapter for one. That way, you have 2 tools, not one.

 

Step by step fab on millers website

make your own!!

http://www.millerwelds.com/edu...brake/

 

decide what you want to bend. If it's thicker than 22g don't bother with the HF press brake. I personally wouldnt bother with it all all. I might be biased as we have 4 90-225 cnc brakes where I work but I have actually owned the HF one and it truely sucks. I'm a pretty strong guy for being so skinny and it takes ALL I have AND a 6ft long bar on the HF brake to bend 16g copper(or whatever oz that is). I'm not that familier with many small brakes. We have a small guilfoil(sp) at work that we hardly ever use that would be perfect for a smaller shop. I think its like a 60 ton or something.