SIMPLE Homemade Louver Press

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In this video I show you how I made a very simple louver press for punching louvers in 1/16" aluminum. This is the simplest way to make one of these presses that I've seen, and it works really well even on large panels.

[@dansmith9442]

Talented young guy! The world needs men like you. Thanks for sharing man!

[@ahmadsahrul2199]

Wait until you see ca' lem

[@DrLoverLover]

More kids with rich parents?

[@danshields3654]

I am not commenting to bash the young man give him a lot of credit for what he does we need more young people to take an interest in this type of stuff. He was using more than simple tools that a lot of DIYers have at home.Take away about $20000 worth of tools and then it would be simple. Keep on making more projects simple or not.

[@mikepatten5753]

I'm so glad to see a young man who knows how to use a hand file.

[@AZCobraman]

This man is NOT afraid of hard work! Great vids!

[@BSMikkel]

I wanted to write "can't wait to see the final result" but the truth is I really really enjoy watching the process :) Keep up the good work and can-do-spirit.

[@MacroMachines]

Thanks for watching!

[@lawrencerasmus]

I paid $3500 for one in my CNC machine and that was 20 years ago . I was in business 35 years and miss my metal shop . Great job!!!

[@vonneumannwerks1819]

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I appreciated the DIY solution to expensive dedicated use presses and limited die choices. I was looking everywhere to find micro louvers about an 1 inch to inch and a half. You gave me the inspiration to just make my own! Thanks again for taking the time to share the knowledge.

[@jedidiahelijah6739]

i dont mean to be offtopic but does anyone know a method to get back into an Instagram account?? I somehow forgot the password. I would love any help you can offer me!

[@allenbraydon7032]

@Jedidiah Elijah Instablaster :)

[@jedidiahelijah6739]

@Allen Braydon i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm trying it out now. Takes quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@jedidiahelijah6739]

@Allen Braydon It did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thanks so much, you really help me out!

[@allenbraydon7032]

@Jedidiah Elijah Glad I could help =)

[@c.johnstonblacksmith]

Nice job overall, Sorry if it's already been mentioned but when milling don't extend the quill, shorten everything up as a general rule. Extend the quill if drilling or boring, and occasionally to achieve clearance on a work piece. Leaving the quill extended will make it loosen over time and then you will struggle with poor finish etc.

[@Steve-se7jq]

What a nice feeling when the spark goes into your boot.........., keep it going

[@charlestannehill7537]

Exactly. Very poor safety practices. Most likely his father's machinery.

[@davidandrew2610]

Ok Charles maybe , at least hes having a go . I am a tradesman panelbeater / bodyman - metalwork 39 years , mechanic / engineer 42 + years . I always wore my saftey glasses , ear muffs , overalls / coveralls , steel cap boots . After 25 years of having metal / grit surgically removed from my eyes , having my overalls catch on most everything doing damage all the way as well as alowing multiple hot sparks to sit and burn through the folds and run down into the boot , lotsa fun . 15 years ago I started welding , grinding , cutting , working and living in bare feet , t shirt , jeans and beanie . I wear my safty boots and glasses in my head . 15 years later my eyes are happy ( I do wear reading glasses because of previous amature hr surgery s ) my feet are healthy and intack , smell better too . Beanies are good ear muffs and I can still hear whats going on . Good thing I work for myself nanny state would have a fit 😂 👍

[@agstechnicalsupport]

Thank you for posting such instructive content on DIY louver press. Obviously you got the experience and talent !

[@ccurrell]

How about adding a second louver, (just the negative part) behind and/or in-front of your stamp. This would help you line up the louvers in a nice row. Great job. When you building as a hobby and for the enjoyment of it time is free. So it really doesn't matter that it would take 40 hours to louver a full hood.

[@emeltea33]

Good idea.

[@FBPrepping]

Dude that is great. Old School tooling to manufacture stuff that industrial manufacturers have tried to wipe off so people doesn´t occupy market quotas. Thanks for sharing this!.

[@johnmcclain3887]

Good background music, the sounds of my youth! That's a nice little machine you've made there, Thanks!

[@DatBoiOrly]

Add some metal locating pins to make it easy to locate the die to the mold plate its something simple but it'll save you a lot of time

[@jessep3079]

he needs to keep room around the stamp so he can move the sheet metal around

[@280zone]

Alignment pins would eliminate you ability to get the aluminium sheet through there then.

[@DatBoiOrly]

@@280zone huh? How big are we talking here it doesn't work with thicker materials the dies aren't thick enough to work since the dies are only so shallow to work

[@DatBoiOrly]

@@jessep3079 not once does he take it off whist moving the metal around he just released the pressure on the bottle jack to regain his space to press it again

[@vocalpatriot]

Use the line up pins to set the punch and die, then lock it down and remove the pins...

[@jamesford2942]

Nice, looks like it could use some adjustable guide plates to keep it aligned. It also might be possible to put a top cap on it to flatten the edge at the same time as punching the louvre.

[@MoondyneJoe]

Great job Vince, I'm glad that we had the Same thoughts on louvres on the cowling, I think it will add a finishing touch to the vehicle, I am looking forward to seeing how they turn out on the cowling, maybe you could make up a directional vent inside using the mould to direct cool air on your feet I imagine they'll get pretty toasty shoved up behind the engine? Tony from Western Australia

[@felixcat9318]

Very nicely done! That second press louvre looked to be perfect. Thank you for sharing.

[@vocalpatriot]

I love how your power tools are older than you are...good show!

[@danneumann3274]

nice job. Please though, find a way to safely hold the work while using the bandsaw. one slip and your life can change forever. clamp it or tack weld it to a larger piece so you hands are not in line with the blade. Cheers

[@steamdean100]

Dan Neumann I was just thinking the same. Speaking from experience.

[@44Celt]

Watching push into the blade with an open hand made my cringe... serious injury if he slipped

[@leandercampos5801]

So I'm not the only who noticed that too, feel bad about it.

[@alanholden3393]

Oh my God! I'm a retired engineer. You never grind on the sides of a wheel as it can explode. You never grind with a a cutting disc either. This young guy is showing all the things you don't do if you want to work safely.

[@sammysmith8394]

Cutting disc will hurt you I'm a fabricator had a couple fly part on me I always wear gloves and face sheild with cutting disc no longer young and dumb

[@1234hijs]

Relax retired engineer, you have done that too when nobody was watching...

[@cynthiagaigawal9621]

we in india have a similar die made thousands of louvers only thing your die top one has to have a taper going length side .2 to .4 it cuts smooth with out the bang works like a share try it

[@larrymcgarage2152]

You got some nice tools to play with for a young man, you are very talented and fortunate. I may try to replicate the louvre press without the use of a Bridgeport mill and lathe. Simple men got simple ways. But I admire your ambition. I wish I’d had it when I was your age. Love the projects. Keep it up. 👍 ✌️

[@MacroMachines]

You could definitely do it without a mill or lathe, those only made a couple parts a bit easier

[@phillipdittmer4808]

@@MacroMachines Completely agree with you mate. As an apprentice railway fitter many years ago, we were trained to do that metalwork with nothing more than a hacksaw and files. Great work by the way.

[@cri8tor]

Dude! Totally awesome job. Please keep making more of these tutorials.

[@24jh42]

Move the jack closer to the inside of the English wheel. It will reduce the flexing. Instead of welding the jack to the base. Find some round stock that fits over the shaft and just secure it with a screw. Takes up less storage space and no need to dedicate the jack to one type of tool.

[@danielbuckner2167]

Yeah plus air over hydraulic would make this take a tenth of the time and allow for better aligning time and less fatigue which can cause mistakes. Let me tell ya, screwing up Louvre #24 of 30 suscks!!

[@ride.quality]

Love the video, thank you.... But at 2 Minutes in I had thought this would become a video about the importance of band saw safety.

[@WoundedBear2k]

Quit using the side of the grinding wheel. They don't like side loads, and if one explodes in your face, you won't like it. Great video other than that.

[@davidgrover5996]

WoundedBear2k, I was wondering why it didn’t explode.

[@IliadDreyfus-js9oe]

Probably a flap wheel Edit: oh! That grinding wheel

[@johnbehneman1546]

I LOVE IT!!!! QUICK, SIMPLE & EASY. THANKS FOR SHARING.

[@tezzrterry7485]

This would work well in a normal shop press. You already have the jack, the strong frame etc.

[@jimmysiniawski7391]

Vince you never cease to amaze me . Hope college is going well . Your going to go far .

[@charlescamen5225]

To keep the alignment of the top and bottom halves of the jig, weld on arms that extend to fit adjacent to the side frame that you are jacking off (English wheel?) when these arms are against the frame they the slots will be aligned. They can be clamped loosely to the arm to stop the jig moving around. Good work it was inspirational.

[@BobbyIronsights]

Thank you for the upload.. I've thought about your alignment problem, I would place the die part completely in the cavity, clamp the bottle jack part down, jack it up until the die assembly part touches the top of the English wheel frame and then clamp that in. I am probably wrong but wouldn't that make it so the die and cavity are lined up when you separate the two parts by lowering the bottle jack.? It seems like my idea would be faster than clamping them both in separately and then trying to line them up by trial and error.

[@jeremyconner329]

Thats what i came here to say. Seem like it would work

[@Redneckmfg]

That is one of the coolest DIY's I think I have ever seen... Nice Workmanship (in all your videos) !!!!!!!!!!!

[@keithtynan7469]

You’re doing fine, and the comments on safety are there because a lot of folks are watching your content.

[@tomtruesdale6901]

That set up is slicker that owl crap. Very nicely done.

[@danielbuckner2167]

Owls crap nuggets, what are your owls eating?

[@rainmakerscustomsrainmaker8985]

efinetly great idea. I would have liked to see the cutter blade a bit more, as far as the radius and if it was slightly angled at all for the entering of the stele.

[@gogoubai]

I liked the "Trampled under foot" in the background.

[@dcsensui]

That's a great setup. Don't have to do any cutting as it shears the metal, too. However, you didn't warn us when you were going to start welding ... and now I'm blind! :-)

[@IR-nq4qv]

OK...Quit goofing off and get back to work on the Boat-tail speedster! Wait a minute...., Are you making that to put louvers in the sides of the hood on the speedster??? Awesome!!!👍👍👍 Alright then get back to work and don't let me stop you. Good job brother, thats using the ol noggin', necessity is the mother of invention even if the invention is borrowed. Keep the videos coming, love them all, good quality and decent presentation.

[@cherrypicker8897]

The rest of the grinder is very dangerous, reduce the gap to minimum and stop using the side of the wheel. These can burst very easily.

[@vocalpatriot]

8" grinder x 3.14 x rpm of grinder/60 = 1440 feet per second that's how fast a chunk of that wheel would hit you in the face...safety glasses would be useless..and I have seen it with my own eyes. dude went down like a sack of potatoes..when a 3/4 piece hit him in the mouth.

[@1966cambo]

Same came to mind as soon as he started using the grinder, noooooooo

[@jjmac3561]

Plus don't grind on the side of the wheel!

[@Nathan511]

Don't grind on the side of the wheel.

[@grnsouth1204]

@@vocalpatriot thats actually inches per second. You forgot to divide by 12 to convert to feet. But still more than enough to poke holes in someone.

[@abcanimal]

Hey bud. Just a couple of pointers. You could do the same thing with a shop press. Actually it would probably be even easier. Also, don't weld the bottle jack directly to the base plate of the press. Instead, get a 2 inch thick piece of round stock and weld that to the base plate so you can just insert the bottle jack into that tube. Besides that, looks cool!

[@darenalexander7532]

Its always good to learn something new each day many thanks good video.

[@timkern462]

Since you have a milling machine, you could use it to make a perfect female side and save a lot of eyeballing and filing. And, what's your recommendation on cutting slot before forming the louver? Thanks for a cool video!

[@guywilson187]

That works great. Very inventive. I hope you can make it work on the roadster's bonnet (hood). Louvres will give a superbly period feel to your project. Good job. 👍

[@idekreatiff]

thank you this is a very good tool, keep working with other crazy ideas

[@anthonyclarke1130]

if you add a piece of rubber or the like into the die opening you would form it flat without your last step saving your punch if you over pressure it

[@demagchevy]

500 thumbs down, what a bunch of D-Bags. I think it's a great video!

[@r4fl3r]

You can line it up and drill pilot holes so you just check the holes when you want to aling your dies

[@grndiesel]

Could you partially fill the void in your punch with another piece of metal? I'm wondering if that would eliminate the last step to flatten the louver (the die would end up clamping own against the metal, instead of only shearing it).

[@xozindustries7451]

That works really good, nice job

[@TOOLMAN4hvac]

I like the ideal, why not install some locating pins on the tool to make the alignment process smoother?

[@scalesstudio4670]

the alignment pins would have to be spaced further than the piece of metal which is being placed in the press.

[@sohailmaqbool3291]

Home made? This is serious stuff, only the well trained person can build something like this

[@Crewsy]

From the mind of a creative genius. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@jessep3079]

I can see the wheel move a little bit when you press the louvers. You ought to provide an opposing force on your englich wheel frame so you dont bend it. Maybe ratchet straps from top to bottom? I'd say place your jack near the post so you dont have any leverage to bend the frame, but I can see how that could limit the movement for the metal sheet.

[@MacroMachines]

when I installed the english wheel, I added a pole on top that connects to one of the main beams that holds the house up, so the little bit of movement is actually the whole house being jacked up

[@oktavius8292]

To reduce the two steps of shaping and then flattening, you can add some high durometer rubber inside the female mold. This will better press the sheetmetal against the metal form during the first shaping. This is a good illustration and might generate some ideas for your next design iteration: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqiYqniDqKmriJo

[@GpunktHartman]

Even my thougt, when i see the second step ...

[@ColinMakesAllTheThings]

Beautiful! Another amazing video. Thanks for taking the time to share.

[@paulteirney3587]

To do the flater face use a piece of hard rubber in the bottom of the die as it will form to the the punch and means you do not need to return it to the punch once punched.

[@funkymonk542]

Nice work 👍

[@felixhelix6171]

Hmm, never seen this guy and Mathias Wendel in the same room at the same time...

[@ALSomthin]

Never use the side of a grinding wheel it will blow up. Not that it might blow up but it will blow up. Put some dowel pins in it and it will line up every time the pull them out after setup and they wont be in the way. It works nice good job .

[@markstevansen542]

That is pretty neat and would be very handy to have in the shop. I'll need to schedule some time in to use my everlast welder and make this.

[@tinkerne-round4079]

Looks like it wouldn't be difficult to add some sort of alignment, and a flat piece of metal at the bottom of the die to form the flat in one step. The loovers look good!

[@rpmunlimited397]

Nice job, every thing that was done could be done with a hand grinder and stick welder if any one was just starting out

[@khaledrahmouni9433]

from algeria 🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿🇩🇿good work

[@techworksinfo]

Good work bro

[@fern8580]

5:13 this will sound stupid to you, but many of us have just discovered this metal sawing machine, best regards from France & Canada !

[@Thomas-ts2gl]

You just need to make it wider and add guide pins to align it. Nicely done,

[@AlphaBobFloridaOverlord]

Very clever design and great inspiration! Thanks!

[@Reman1975]

I made something similar years back. Knowing that alignment could be an issue I made it with the addition of a 2mm thick spring steel locating plate that went up the front of the female louver die and into a slot on the male half. It's hard to describe, But where your's has it's shearing edges, Mine had a metal plate sticking up on the female half where the louvers opening was to be made, and a recess machined onto the male half up to where your shearing edge is, And a thick metal plate bolted to the back to make a through slot for the alignment plate to move in. I hope that explains it well enough for you to get what I'm on about. The only downside was that it wasn't really a proper louver "Punch" as you had to pre cut the slots in the metal before you could use the tool to shape the louvers. On the plus side, Using it was pretty much idiot proof (*Almost), And as you were only shaping rather than shearing the metal it required a lot less force. You'd mark out the slots and drill the endpoints with a 2mm bit. Join up the holes with a 2mm slotting disc on an angle grinder (Using a piece of angle iron clamped down as a guide). Then put the female half of the tool on a solid bench, Drop the metal to be louvered on top and get the locating plate through the slot cut in it, Then fit the male half over the locating plate and CAREFULLY smack it with a ruddy great hammer. :) It worked fine about 99.9% of the time, And the times it didn't work was down to the moronic gorillas who were USING the tool rather than any mechanical fault with the thing itself. :D That thing was made from scrap we had around the place, and only took me about a day to put together, But it had already made that company a fair bit of money by the time I left.......... I should have nicked it when I quit !!!! LOL ! (*ALMOST idiot proof means it didn't stop complacent idiots missing the tool with the hammer and smacking it full force into a customers bonnet (I'm British...... Oh OK, "Hood" then) !!! OR managing to press the louvers in going every wrong way imaginable (The openings facing back rather then forward, Or being pressed outward rather than inward)....... Seems you can't outwit a determined moron. LOL !!!!)

[@josephwarren3498]

Excellent job.

[@jdwisdom9433]

Yeah, this is the one for me even though I have hundreds of louvers to make. "One Piece at a Time" J Cash

[@punkinsgarageandpaint8299]

I love this home made tool. Hope you make more. Plus all this is affordable for someone on a budget. Do you have more videos of home made tools? If not please make some!!!!

[@BobbyIronsights]

agreed

[@repalmore]

I wonder if dropping a piece of metal that would bring the floor of the bottom die up would help? You might have to make the top die shallow as well but it's a thought.

[@gregbowen9546]

Very cool idea, great job!

[@rodrigoscapellato9939]

Félicitations là encore, je suis rudo depuis la première vidéo que j'ai vue deux fois pour en commencer une ici au Brésil et dommage que je ne parle pas je ne comprends pas l'anglais je ne vois que les vidéos que vous expliquez donc j'obtiens quelque chose mais si c'était traduit ce serait génial. félicitations

[@hadritoys]

Awesome sharing sir

[@ed777tx-edward8]

Nice, louvers work. Had my 55 chevie with a 57 283 done. Even here in El Paso I could pull the fan and eliminate overheating. Helps in the quarter mile. Are the dies available ready made? Good video enjoyed a lot.

[@eazyrider6122]

Abottle jack and just some pieces of steel laying around?. What about a fully equipped machine shop that i saw?.

[@Andrew-qo6br]

The 'fancy tools' only make things faster, (arguably) not necessarily better. I have seen people without shoes, sitting on a dirt floor, using their feet as a vise, making better/nicer items than I can with basic machines/tools that cost more than they make in a year.

[@Handbuilt1]

Where does you talent ends ? .... nicely done !

[@jaceanddad567]

very nice project

[@richa9719]

I have a set of those exact pliers 2:50. Do you know anything about them? Odd tool, the way it works.

[@skunkjobb]

Parallel jaw pliers, they are still made today but not very common.

[@omsairam9728]

Very nice punch

[@gunner678]

Very neat, nice job. Well done!

[@Centrikk]

Cant take a lot of pressure to do these im thinking a long lever, like a bolt cutter design would be much faster. Modifying one of these cheap electric hydraulic wood cleavers might also be an idea for things like this.

[@JDeWittDIY]

You could experiment with placing a shim of the correct thickness in the bottom half of the die to give the flat finished surface to the workpiece in one step instead of the two-step process.

[@stevenw4549]

Nice job. I had this idea as well but I've only built it in my head. Was going to do it the exact same way. Yours look better then another guys video does. The flattening with that plate at the end makes a huge difference. Hope to make one some day. Thank you for the video. I feel ventilated. LOL

[@ww321]

I think you can put a small strip of urethane inside the lower die and slip the second pressing.

[@davidhall1779]

Nice work.

[@philortega6516]

Nice job,and great skills kid.

[@jeffpittel6926]

Just curious,,,you have a Bridgeport type mill,,,why not make the female die using the mill and round nose end mill?

[@richochett404]

probably because everyone doesnt have a bridgeport and he wanted to show that it could be done with simple tools.

[@danshields3654]

@@richochett404I am not commenting to bash the young man give him alot of credit for what he does we need more young people to take an interest in this type of stuff. He was using more than simple tools that alot of DIYers have at home.Take away about $20000 worth of tools and then it would be simple.

[@grnsouth1204]

@@danshields3654 Other than the welder everything can be done here with hand tools.

[@kenfoss5590]

Put some springs on the jack to retract it

[@MurlocRacing]

look closely he has springs on it.

[@williamtellify]

never use the side of your grinding wheel, there not desisn for side thrust, most accidents happened ( wheels fly apart) from over loading side ways. be safe.

[@jairogomezmarin928]

Excelente 👍 gracias por compartir tus conocimientos saludos cordiales desde Cali Colombia 🇦🇲✌️

[@asdrubalvergara4385]

por fin uno q hable español

[@asdrubalvergara4385]

esta muy buena la idea pero esta muy acelerado el video

[@jeffbaker655]

Good job mate, at least you are having a go. Dont take any notice of all these arm chair engineers.

[@MrLaTEchno]

.....damn never seen that Handhold-saw that's a Beauty my friend. For your project nice job for a tool to use for one, two. times us .Like you mention self to many parts are to flex...lol. Thnxs for the share.

[@ces7515]

Excellent really helpful. Nice job. Btw for future reference it's dangerous to use the side of a grinding wheel 🤓

[@guillermonieri4203]

Very creative. Thank you.

[@android01978]

Couldn’t you put a plate in the bottom of the concave half and reduce the height of the convex half so you don’t need the wood pieces and can do it in one step? If the wood pieces are there for doing multiple close together or close to another feature, I guess leaving the convex half protruding makes sense but still think that adding to the concave half would mean you can just do the one press. Awesome job though!

[@samirkhan9039]

Good work

[@perjian1697]

How about making 2 alignment holes in the top and 2 in the bottom and using something removable such as a pin to help with initial setup?

[@ChipsAndSparksGarage]

Very nice! Could you put some hard rubber in the bottom of the female die, to flatten the louver, instead of step 2?