Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I was thinking about trying to make one because I have a few projects in mind that requires bending diamond plate. Also if I ever get started on #2 it's gonna be a grasshopper-ish design and I'll skin it in aluminum but would need the brake for the bends.There are some you-tube videos on it but I was wondering if any fellow forum members actually made one.

Here is one that looks to be a table top version but instead of using 2x4's one could use angle iron hinged at both ends.

http://youtu.be/xQlHqdudPvU

Here is an animated bending brake design.

http://youtu.be/vsIhlrQhRpg

I cheat and wait till I go to the jobsite and borrow the siding guys large metal break. You can also get a decent cheap one at harbor freight.

Cliff

angib wrote:http://www.ch601.org/tools/bendbrake/brakeplans.pdf

This is kinda what I had in mind. I like his no nonsense disclaimer at the end that says

Use some common sense when building and using this brake. By building it you are accepting personal responsibility for your own safety. If somehow you get injured, don’t blame me. I am not some big corporation with deep pockets. Isn’t it a shame I have to include this statement?

I built one using three pieces of heavy duty angle iron. I had a hings made of 1/4" steel welded on and two 1" X 1" round cornered square tubes welded on for handles on the bending break.

See page 13 & 14 of my album. They show me using my home made bending brake. There's also a couple of diagrams I found somewhere online of the brake construction. I used large, heavy 'C' clamps instead of bolts to hold the angle iron/material against the bending anvil. Also used different lengths of angle depending on size of the aluminum I was bending. I built my tongue box from 0.063" diamond tread aluminum. Had no problem bending that thickness metal. I used a large 18" adjustable Crescent wrench as a handle.

Nobody wrote:See page 13 & 14 of my album. They show me using my home made bending brake. There's also a couple of diagrams I found somewhere online of the brake construction. I used large, heavy 'C' clamps instead of bolts to hold the angle iron/material against the bending anvil. Also used different lengths of angle depending on size of the aluminum I was bending. I built my tongue box from 0.063" diamond tread aluminum. Had no problem bending that thickness metal. I used a large 18" adjustable Crescent wrench as a handle.

Hi Harvey

I knew I had seen one on here before and it was yours.

I'm kinda wanting to make a tongue box for mine out of diamond plate. Did you also use plywood along with the diamond plate for your tongue box?

Hey Larry - The only plywood I used in the tongue box construction was an 'insert' in the bottom piece. I formed the sides of 0.063" diamond tread & then formed the bottom of 0.040" mill finish aluminum. I 'bent' the bottom edges (approx 1/2") so it would just barely fit inside the sides (bent edges down), cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to fit inside the bent edges & used #8 x 1" stainless screws to fasten the bottom to the sides (sealed with silicone). The 1/2" ply in the bottom gives good rigidity for bolting to the tongue 'A' frame. I've had to replace the plywood as I used untreated (interior??) ply the first time & some of it deteriorated within 3-4yrs. I replaced it with exterior grade ply & hit it with a couple of coats of spray-on undercoating. 'Spect it'll last as long as I do...