I'll have friends just as long as I'm bending

[squirrel]

That was easy. Especially sitting here.

Is that a 5 hp motor on it?

[SuperBuickGuy]

That was easy. Especially sitting here.

Is that a 5 hp motor on it?

yep, 5 hp 3 phase.... I don't have 3 phase - so it could also be called "scrap"

[silver_bullet]

Nice!

[squirrel]

look into the VFDs on ebay...I got a 2hp one for my 1 hp 3 phase mill, it works good. Not very expensive.

Although if you have a single phase motor laying around, use it....

[SuperBuickGuy]

that's the next step, finding the appropriate-sized motor that's 1 phase. It has a 10" motor pulley on it, and even my dad's 12' 130 ton brake doesn't have that large of a pulley... so perhaps downsizing the pulley and decreasing the hp would work (and keep me away from the pretty expensive 1 ph 5 hp motors). - the only change with a smaller pulley would be the ram moves slower - which is a good thing for bending metal... as this was originally a stamping machine, it needed the faster speed

** edit, thanks Squirrel, I just checked ebay - a 5 hp 1 ph motor for 260 and has free shipping.... I bet I get half of that from selling the 3 phase motor as scrap

[SuperBuickGuy]

I need ideas of what to do with the press plates I removed from it.... I'm tempted to scrap them, yes - they are stout, very good steel plates - but they're not big enough for a bench, and they're just big enough and heavy enough that moving them would be a pita....

[squirrel]

VFD for 5 hp is about 235. If you put a smaller pulley on the motor, you could probably get away with a 2 hp motor?

[SuperBuickGuy]

VFD for 5 hp is about 235. If you put a smaller pulley on the motor, you could probably get away with a 2 hp motor?

In theory... this brake was used as a punch for door frames. Thus, for the punch to properly punch, it needed to hit quickly and hard; then recover quickly. When bending sheet metal, the last thing you need is quick; so reducing the diameter of the pulley will slow the flywheel down; which will slow the operation of the brake down. Because now you're spinning slower, you don't need as much hp because you have greater leverage (and the belt slips more easily to allow you to really control how the metal bends). As an aside (and to feed my ADD), it's why I never liked hydraulic brakes - you can feel the mechanical brake as it works and really control how it bends.... important stuff when your doing a radius with a small die... with hydraulic, the speed is the same; but the feel of working the metal just doesn't translate...

of course, all of this is academic, I bought a Leeson 5 hp motor with free shipping for 260

[Deaf Bob]

I've used a 20' faced hydraulic brake ..
It cycled pretty quick.. Had a ramp on the mike stop that would slow the speed the brake was traveling..
I never did sheet metal.. Smallest was 1/8 and largest was 3/4.
Had a die set up that took 24" wide sheets and punched a row of slots and holes, then I had to reset it to form the sheets lengthwise to make places for microwave wires to run thru
I also had to straighten legs of the towers.. After the attaching tabs were welded, they were bowed..
The mike stop worked good! A simple twist up or down was all it took..
I can see where fast pressing would disort sheet metal..
Sure miss all the equipment I operated.. Not the job and politics involved!

[Loren]

Nice job getting that thing in. Due to a low door opening ours had to lay down on it's face to go in then be tilted upright. Imagine what fun that was...

Really it's the flywheel that carries things through the bend not the motor, but that 5hp will recover flywheel speed in an instant if it even lets it drop any. Love the huge pulley...yikes! I bet that thing would get flyin'. What's a better stokes-per-minute speed instead, 30-50?

To me the biggest advantage of a hydraulic machine is instant-stopping when used with a light curtain device, in a shop situation when you have to keep OSHA happy and/or have people who may not know how to respect machines enough. Mechanical brakes will have a small coast-down no matter what and limits have to be set at ridiculous points. Otherwise mechanical brakes are a better deal overall.

That 3-phase motor can be used to build a phase converter for other machines someday (plans on internet), otherwise yeah it's scrap. You might want to keep the flat plates around just in case.

Thanks for pics.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Nice job getting that thing in. Due to a low door opening ours had to lay down on it's face to go in then be tilted upright. Imagine what fun that was...

Really it's the flywheel that carries things through the bend not the motor, but that 5hp will recover flywheel speed in an instant if it even lets it drop any. Love the huge pulley...yikes! I bet that thing would get flyin'. What's a better stokes-per-minute speed instead, 30-50?

To me the biggest advantage of a hydraulic machine is instant-stopping when used with a light curtain device, in a shop situation when you have to keep OSHA happy and/or have people who may not know how to respect machines enough. Mechanical brakes will have a small coast-down no matter what and limits have to be set at ridiculous points. Otherwise mechanical brakes are a better deal overall.

That 3-phase motor can be used to build a phase converter for other machines someday (plans on internet), otherwise yeah it's scrap. You might want to keep the flat plates around just in case.

Thanks for pics.

OSHA has no jurisdiction in my shop, plus, I know a lawyer who gives them fits already

it does remind me of an inspector that was whining to me after a hearing about how private garages "get away" with such lax safety. I quipped to him "you'd not have to worry about that in my garage, if you got past the gate, around the no trespassing sign, a bullet would get you long before anything would in my shop." Needless to say, we don't say much to each other....

[SuperBuickGuy]

in its home.... I need to pull it back out from the wall; but this is where it will be used



and yes, I'm already stacking crap on it

[Deaf Bob]

I had the uncanny eye to spot OSHA inspectors... Got my area in compliance before they got there..
Really stupid bastids! Know it alls who know nothing..


How thick can you bend? Just sheet metal?

[Barry Donovan]

I was at "discount tarps and tools", thought of this thread. I saw a press, simple 12ton jack. the old fashioned way, mini version. $250

In the same area is a frame bending kit (automobile). I popped open the lid, and sure enough, you can even straighten stuff, also near $250.

I bought a torque wrench there in 1996.. popped the head off around 160 foot pounds, but the price was right.

that makes quite a noise when those pop, parts flying.


I am glad that is around. I still have to use something once and bury it lost someplace.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I had the uncanny eye to spot OSHA inspectors... Got my area in compliance before they got there..
Really stupid bastids! Know it alls who know nothing..


How thick can you bend? Just sheet metal?

1/8" mild steel full length, probably no more than 14 ga stainless - the shorter the piece the thicker you can bend (presuming you have the dies for it)