How to make a DIY sheet metal brake | I Like To Make Stuff

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Some great ideas in the comment so far.. 1. Springs under orange piece (under wing nuts) 2. Using bed frame steel for the project Let me summarize the rest of comments on this video for you :) Cool project but.. 1. I hate your music! 2. I love your music! 1. I hate your beard! 2. I love your beard!

[@baorozzo]

I Like To Make Stuff nice choice to dress the same color of your project. Orange and grey!

[@danosullivan2313]

I Like To Make Stuf

[@_.-.]

So colin furze just "accidentally" made this exact same design. /watch?v=Ggy1DHwAh_0

[@zaneyoumans2923]

Anyone that says they hate your beard is just jealous that it's not theirs.

[@snoopu2601]

I Like To Make Stuff thank you so much I have to make some bends with stainless steel behind my mother's stove where they changed the window so it needs a splash pan and it will match the rest of the stove. Once I get the bender I can see us using it more often once we have one for other projects my brother is a scrap metal guy everyone that needs to get rid of metal calls my brother ovens refrigerator bikes you name it he recycles it, I try and pull out the good stuff before it goes to the steal mill to send to China

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

The metal break turned out great! And thanks for the shoutout 😁 Always fun to chat and brainstorm on the monthly Patreon hangout

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Absolutely!

[@coconoobz344]

EvanAndKatelyn hi my names Evan too 😃

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

CocoNoobz hi there Evan!

[@MakeWithMiles]

I agree this is awesome!!!

[@chevyboy.0448]

What thickness steal would you say it can bend to , note get this is a older video

[@cemx86]

One suggested improvement is to add small coil springs from the hardware stored to go under the orange bar onto the hold down carriage bolts. That way when you undo the wing nuts the orange bar will lift up slightly to allow the sheet metal to easily slid underneath.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Great idea!

[@ffdrew271]

Man, I was just thinking about that!

[@mokopa]

EVERY TIME I find a spring, no matter how big or small, I keep it in a special container in my workshop...and THIS IS WHY. They are extremely useful in specialised projects/toolmaking.

[@julikb]

yes ,mine tool is as you described it ]

[@alyoung8910]

cemx86 - great idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@5150georgie]

Your a life saver. A large break is in the $1000 range. Just so happened that I had ever bit of the same material here to do this. Great video!

[@TheEightshot]

The way I'm watching this as if I have the space, the facilities and the inclination to make one myself.

[@nateb4543]

I find myself jealous of creators tools. That leads to their shop, usually followed by their abilities, then acceptance: even if i had all those, I don't have the time, energu, or effort to see a peoject theough

[@tootallreggie]

I made it! It turned out great too. Thanks. A few things while they're in my mind. 1. If you have angle iron that isn't even have the short side on the bend piece. When you drill through the metal and 2x4 using the pilot bit use the forestner bit in the woods before you step up. You can't effectively use a forestner bit if the hole is too big. If you make the brake bigger know that the size doesn't translate to the piece. A 4 foot brake can't bend a 4 ft piece of metal. You must measure the space in between the screws. Lastly i made mine 4 ft. Because of the spacing the middle section of the bottom sagged so i drilled a hole in the middle, counter sunk it and put a machine screw in it. That's all i guess.

[@bobjanis2091]

I have a small 30" all in one shear, brake and roller which i use quite often, I don't always need a 48" brake but lately I could have used this several times. That is why I am making this my next shop project.....probably this afternoon. Thank you great job

[@djmorgan5708]

What a great idea. Funnily enough the other day i found two old wire sprung be frames in the loft i never knew we had, and i thought of doing a project with them. And now i know, cheers for the upload!

[@wrcstudent]

*CONTRARY TO OTHER COMMENTS* - I really noticed and LOVE the extra effort in video quality and color correction. It makes it feel even more professional. That being said, if it's eating up too much of your valuable time (for family) then maybe consider creating some LUTs (Look Up Tables) so that you can just apply that to future videos shot with the same lighting condition. All in all EXCELLENT work Bob!!

[@VCGConstruction]

Agreed!!

[@essextwo]

I visualized how I wanted my frugal project to be executed, then found a video that matched. Awesome. What a stellar build.

[@johngray8580]

Best of all the diy light weight sheet metal brakes. Logical, concise, complete, inexpensive and well presented. That is from an old military/civilian instructor! What s thickest gauge metal you can bend? 16 gauge would be nice

[@hlrembe62]

That is actually one of the easiest brakes I have seen and one of the best descriptions of the build out there.

[@David-Alfonso]

This video was edited very well. To clarify I don't mean that Bob's normal videos are bad. They are not by any means. What i mean is that this video had a great "flow" to it. Good job! :)

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks! I really appreciate that!

[@samanthagilleland1101]

I'm a teenage girl who has no need to watch your videos, but I find them so interesting and you make it look so simple that anyone can do any of your projects.

[@davidmuller1958]

wattup baby

[@lendoggy2]

I've 'looked at lots of these 'how to make a metal brake videos', and your video is one of the best. Thanks.

[@jkharwood1973]

The mashup of functionality and frugality is over-the-to commendable. Nice work.

[@madgardener5820]

I watched this last night and so inspired was I that I went to my shed today and made one of these from a couple of hoofing great hinges, plywood, angle iron and a cut down aluminium spirit level. It works, it actually works

[@juanpulgarin4812]

Wow after so many years looking for a metal brake instructions and video this is the BEST of ALL. Thanks a lot and have fun on your next project

[@tomsdreamshopworx]

I have been researching making a brake for a while now and have started collecting some of the parts. Brian's brake is awesome (so is his channel). That was a great idea you had flipping the hinge around! Good job.

[@gonsolop2429]

Excellent vid. Saved me from desiring a large industrial piece of equipment that I have no room for & no extra space to store. Kudos❤❤

[@ThisIsReMarkable]

I was just thinking that this video seemed 'fresher' somehow and now that I've wondered into the comments, I realize it's the color correction. Nice! Anyway, great project. Practical for those that need it! I'm looking forward to the project this tool was needed for!

[@robertthompson5908]

Nice video! Good photography and good explanations. Can we talk about metal gauge for a second? What gauge sheet metal will this bend? 16? 18? 20? I'm talking mild steel, which is the standard for rating a brake. I can convert that to galvanized or stainless (which will be different). Also , what is the thickness of the angle stock you're using? Those pieces come in different thicknesses - it's hard to tell from the video. Finally, if I wanted to make a brake with a thicker gauge capacity, could I just use thicker angle stock, or would I have to redesign it? Thanks.

[@Andrewlang90]

Great idea!! To help anyone out thinking of making this, go down to your local second hand store and grab a bed frame. Same angle as the metal used in the video, just as sturdy.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Great idea!

Brilliant tutorial, made with the minimum of tools and you explained everything. Instead of flipping the hinges extend the bottom angle iron on the 4 x 2 so the hinge sits on top it.

[@dennisandersen3659]

Like Bob.. There is somethinig i really love about you vids. Not only that they are amazing, but i go to school, and time just flys by. Then Tuesday comes around and i remember, that it´s soon weekend! So Bob, thanks for reminding me, that it´s soon weekend for liike the last 1.5 years! :)

[@BeyondDuctTapeFixItRight]

The pacing on your videos is terrific! You do a great job touching on the options while moving forward with the approach you selected.

[@ewhiles]

I am loving the music you have been adding to your videos. Keeping it fresh!

[@fadetounforgiven]

Nice and relatively easy. Now, being the "and why didn't you try this?" guy that I sometimes am, I have to say: you modified the hinges for all the reasons you said and it works fine. But it's also true that you had also made that couple of cuts in the corners or that metal piece so the middle part (excuse my English, it's not exactly my first language) of the hinge can rest there. Well, I don't know if you can see where I'm going, but once that hole/slot is there, you could use it to put the hinge through there in it's original configuration. It will depend on the thickness of the both the metal plate of the hinge and that of the metal angle, but that is also true the way you've done it, since you might have to shim it or "file" it if it's too thin or too thick. Thank you for your time.

[@PJGalati]

Love the simplicity of the build. I don't have a use for one of these, but if a project comes up where I do need one, now I know it can be made for no money as I have everything you used in the build, just laying about my shop nearly all the time.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Excellent!

[@nicholasgillard3417]

I hope i'm not the only who loves the music choices in his new videos, they match the tone of the video so well.

[@mr.robinson1982]

Thanks Bob, I enjoy watching your videos. Always instructive, plenty of links to other sites. You always give credit when you use another's idea. That's awesome. K

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks so much!

[@sergheifelix5491]

i love how you make STUFF not for views but to make you life easier!!👍🏼 Ps:OMGGGG

[@sergheifelix5491]

omg

[@BarttRoman]

Your videos are getting better each time man. As a person who enjoys a lot what you do, I'm really glad you could quit your other job and get a new shop! Thank's for the content Bob!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks so much Thiago!

[@darrylwebb3625]

Thanks for this. I've almost completed building mine. Recessing the hinges to get the pivot inline is a great tip.

[@robertbragg9364]

Thank so much, I appreciate it. You saved me a ton of time and money. I have everything to make my own brake and about no money at the moment. Great job 👏🏽 👍🏽 thanks again

[@MrToolmaker23]

I've been looking at a number of videos to research making my own brake. I'll be going with your method and I'll add a couple of modifications. I subscribed.

[@patpathinayake3586]

Thank you Bob. Fabulous concise instructions and an useful end product which can be used without any fuss. I am going to need one of these soon. Thumbs up & subscribed. Thanks again. Best of luck from UK.

[@KetansaCreatesArt]

Old video but ageless. Very informative.

[@richardbritt2281]

Hey Bob, wanted to give you a thumbs up on your video. I really like the way you responded to some comments. It isn't always easy, one Tinker to another, to develop a new idea or tool that someone else hasn't already done. As I need help with a project, I hit KZbin for tips. Now I have found tips that leave you scratching your head wondering why they posted that, then there's your video. Very well done, good instructions that I can follow. So don't change anything, including the beard, it's just fine.

[@andrewaustin6941]

This project turned out FREAKIN' AWESOME!

[@sumosprojects]

G'day mate, I'm viewer 139576 of this video from Australia & just wish to say that once again you've nailed a magnificent project video that makes a world of sense, that's my 2 cents worth 👍👍👍ps love the keys on the Bulldog clip attached to the jeans 👍

[@dieselrotor]

Brother ! I build some pretty big stuff like fuel,hyd,coolant tanks and tool boxes for custom semi's etc and built My HD bender all welded and threaded, but I liked this video so much and love how You did this I'm gonna build it for the lighter stuff ! Well done and informative. Great job !

[@WittAllen]

Yes! Metalworking project next Thursday!

[@PistolPat]

I love that your work gloves are exactly that. Not brand new, good and worn.

[@richardnolasco4644]

Great job. Quick simple and easy to make. I'm going to start one tomorrow.

[@earlye]

I noticed the music change when the grinder started. I like it!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

:) Thanks!

[@pgriffinbaron]

Yeah, first it sounded like this swanky "Oceans Eleven" building montage and then I see a little orange plastic box labeled "METAL" and then... well.... Bob's cart filled with pointy guitars and Dual Rectifiers came out. It gave me a chuckle.

[@WatchMeDIYIt]

Haha! Same here!

[@nathanmciver6496]

Alright, so between a few videos, recycyled polotics outside of the internet and reflection of non sence within the town I'm from, with years ago! I have been able to build somthing nice to with using the last part from this video with the triangle metal moving up! Nice work, and that also gave more space on each side! Thanks!

[@makeorbreakshop]

This is awesome! Also shoutout to your editor, the color grading is sweet!

[@RivertownWoodcraft]

Yeah I was wondering about that too.... hmm

[@andries4561]

Make or Break Shop I'm sure he does it by himself

[@makeorbreakshop]

Ha then shoutout to Bob for making something cool AND making it look cool!

[@ecrusch]

Very cool. I think having one of those in the shop could help during a lot of different projects. Thanks Bob. Another great vid.

[@Sonal_Mobile]

Cool way to problem solve! Also, you got a cool project video out of showing other that you don't need to buy expensive tools. Great job, Bob!

[@40mick]

There are a lot of KZbin video's making this. I like yours the best. Great illustration. Mick

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Mick!

[@jmakes3745]

The colouring on this video is amazing, makes it feel a lot lot more professional (y)

[@frankie2234]

I remember a hundred years ago (the 70's ) me and my dad were trying to make a C channel to hold a spring or a shock on a rusted up 65 Mustang. We had no metal fab experience or equipment. So we took two oak 2x4s and multiple C clamps and a baby sledge hammer. We made them out of stainless steel scrap my dad got from his workplace. It worked. Drilling the hole was the next biggest pain and expense, but in the end it worked out. No welding, just threaded rod, and washers and nuts.

[@xysix2548]

Bob, You are a man after my own heart. We do think alike. I subbed, rang your bell, and did the ''thumbs up''.

[@nasss6781]

Hey Bob I'm building my First Workshop in my room .You have inspired me all this years and finally my Dream is gonna come true . Do you have any Tips for me?

[@seanchem1]

Thanks for sharing. Very good explanation of how to go about making a brake that can easily be stored. Take care.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Sean!

[@Arthur-nt1gd]

I thought of the same exact concept while sitting on the toilet. I came on youtube and it is already made. Nice.

[@christophergrove4876]

The top (teepee) piece of angle iron does not need to go to the ends of the brake, correct? This being the case, you could weld the door hinges to the END of the lower piece of angle iron INSTEAD of bolting it to the top. This way you can have a longer brake, allowing for the bending of longer piece of sheet metal. (drill the through-holes for the bolts CLOSER TO THE END of the top, teepee shaped angle. spacing the two through-bolts farther apart, allowing for wider sheets of metal to be bent)

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

Loved the idea up to 5:20 when you started welding . I will just bolt it on. Like the video and the speed .Yes you did mention you can do it without welding.

[@chrishouse5753]

Not sure if you'd still get messages or reply. Would it be worth interchanging the angle iron on top to a cylinder to also help with making curves (brakes with large radii technically)? Be nice to build this with interchangeable top pieces to vary the kinds of bends you could put into a sheet of metal.

[@veepsgarage]

Great project. That’s just what I need. A metal brake that folds up and away. Great video.

[@erogliktuort]

I don't think it's absolutely necessary to weld to make this. I learned a lot of helpful tips from the video. Appreciate the no-time-wasted approach.

[@Neo7CNC]

Using a cam lock setup, like quick remove bike wheels, could replace the thumb screws. Great project!

[@tjkoker]

The great thing about your sheet metal bender is that it can be portable which works great for a small shop. Great ideas and it's DIY friendly.

[@workshop_edits]

Love it - simple, totally reclaimed, and seems to work fantastic. Thanks for posting alternates as well. Cheers

[@VCGConstruction]

Totally agree!!!

[@byromscustomwoodworks]

Don't know when I would ever have to a need for one of these but if I do at least I now have a great reference on how to build one cheap. Thanks Bob

[@Tylerl128]

It would be great for a guy like me, I'm a sheet metal worker by trade, and this would be so much cheaper than buying one through the parts shop. It may not be practical for a business but, I could use this to prepare supplies at home before a side job. The only thing I would change is the wing nuts, it would be better if you had another hinge, to lift the part that holds down the metal, and a way for it to lock down tight. Because, if you need to use it a lot on the same piece, un-screwing and re-screwing the piece securely could get tedious, and slow down production time. Other than that, it seems to work great!

[@ryszardeastwoodski2941]

Since the size of the metal to be bent cannot be bigger that the distance between the 2 hold-down bolts, the orange clamp-angle piece only needs to extend just beyond the 2 hold-down bolts. Therefore, you could eliminate having to notch out the clamp-angle piece by having the length of the clamp-angle fit just between the hinges. Also, it appears that bending past 90 degrees is limited by the moving angle hitting the hold-down bolts. Notching the moving angle will provide clearance for the hold-down bolts and maximize the bend capability.

[@drmkiwi]

Great project, thanks. Flipping one side of the hinge was a brilliant idea. Cheers, David.

[@michaelguarraia4831]

Looks good! The portability of it is what makes it great. One suggestion: consider using cutting oil (or 3-in-1, WD40, etc.) when drilling into steel. Keeps cutting tool cooler, and hence, sharper, longer. I enjoyed your talk with the other makers at Maker Faire NYC last weekend.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Michael!

[@kevinmccartney3565]

@@Iliketomakestuff A machinist friend of mine told me one time to try a cutting oil called Tap Magic. It is all I use and works awesome. It will make a dull drill bit cut like a new one.

[@sjbl1962]

Bob, great project. Useful and compact enough to store in just about any shop.

[@DomXereX]

Nice video, simple and clearly displayed. A great example of how to do this. Thank you!

[@akunclebull]

Thanks, just what I was looking for. Simple and easily storable. Building one now. Great video, clear and concise!

[@davidcraft4909]

Thank you for clearing up some of the questions I had about making a sheet metal brake.

[@TheHandystanley]

Been waiting for this video since you first announced it on the Making It podcast. Thank you sir! Great job!!

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Stan!

[@almagill]

Absolutely do not need a metal brake.. Oh, new Bob video. Wow that's cool. I *need* one now. I think it was the swishy grey and orange colour scheme that sold it to me :)

[@Iliketomakestuff]

+almagill haha! 👍🏻

[@TheWoodLab]

Turned out great Bob! Liked how you made easy to tuck away but keep everything together. - Jim

[@jrmyrnsm]

Haha I needed this video yesterday! Pretty sure this works way better than what I did to bend a sheet of aluminium last night...

[@kelly806]

This is the best video I've watched on building a brake. Thanks!

[@HickLif3]

I love the stowability of this project! Like you said you may not use it a lot but its good to have it if you need it.

[@unkyjoe]

Great guide... this one on my bucket list. Always a bendimg need and supa for storage. Thx man.

[@snowballplays4697]

If you cut the red piece on the top into screwed on pieces it allows you to take them out if you need to make a two parallel corners out of the bented up sides.

[@georgekozis1739]

Fantastic brake bender your illustration was easy to listen and watch, thank you,

[@billfromelma]

Hey Bob awesome job, like you said, don't need it often but when you do it sure would be great to have. This also would open up some creativity to add medal to projects that would look good instead of the hammer dented pieces that I've ended up with in the past. Good one!

[@nedcramdon1306]

Looks good and lighter than the one I made a few years ago. Well done on the video.

[@JohnnyRottenest]

Nice work, might build this over the winter. Agree that bed frame rails would work, they weld OK, they sort of suck to drill through. But carriage bolts? Why, why, why carriage bolts!?

[@TheFreeskiis]

That is beautiful. I gonna go buy one off the shelf.

[@martyjosephson4937]

Very clever, I will try, not sure about the welding part. Thanks for sharing.

[@balamvideo]

I loved the dessign. Simple and nice. Thanks for sharing.

[@modifyman6977]

Nice job...The only suggestion I can think of is to use harder wood if it is available. I don't need a brake often, but when I do, clamping pieces of wood to my lines and clamping to a stable surface and bending and....AHHH! After all that I need a break.

[@obvious_humor]

Please normalize your audio for loudness. The voiceovers are too quiet compared to the camera segments, maybe half as loud.

[@pasqualeparente9776]

I love the simplicity. I will try my hand at this...

[@pauln9415]

Video image quality seems higher than usual! Content is just as great as always. Thanks!

[@SkullJewelry]

I was looking for a way to bend some old license plates to attach to a cabinet and found your video. Great info - thanks!

[@darkkevind]

I've watched a lot of DIY metal brake videos, and I have to say that I think this one was the best. Easiest to make and the most practical in terms of storage space. Good job!

[@jholland73]

Really cool Bob! I love the simplicity of the whole project.

[@Iliketomakestuff]

Thanks Jeff!

[@garygerard4290]

turned out Real nice good narration and the high speed video was a good idea editing dept. gets an A+

[@DORIGTT]

Great video! How heavy a gauge of metal can you bend with this setup?

[@27evan74]

I was wondering the same thing

[@SharkyMoto]

add springs to the bolts under the top piece, so it lifts up if you loosen the wing nuts, much more conveniant to use if your sheet doesnt get stuck :)

[@Pryorfab]

Dude awesome metal brake! Music on this one is good, and those new lights really help with the shots. I think you guys can save some time and not sweat the color correction, like you guys always say on Making It- the story content is much more important.

[@VCGConstruction]

I agree!

[@jmoto1983]

How thick of a piece of metal can you bending using it? I’m thinking of making one so that I can use it for a cafe racer seat pan and possibly for a hidden oil reservoir. Nice job!