What did you do TO your Gladiator today? [ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS, NO GUN TALK]

[WILDHOBO]

My local shop can do anything I need, or at least to this point has. Send-Cut-Send can form parts but has some limitations, but not sure what. I usually only send small parts to them like brackets and mounts. I save the larger stuff for the local shop.

The fun for me is doing it myself. I’m looking into a 48” or wider brake.

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[BlueScapegoat]

Great idea. Love it. Do places like that bend as well? I can cut, and bend up to 12” wide stuff, but if I wanted to do larger stuff, I’d be looking for a used really wide brake.

My local shop can do anything I need, or at least to this point has. Send-Cut-Send can form parts but has some limitations, but not sure what. I usually only send small parts to them like brackets and mounts. I save the larger stuff for the local shop.

I just bought myself a brake for my baby 12 ton press. It's about 12" wide but really if I want to bend something like 1/4" I'm probably limited to 2" width. I'm just straight up out of room at my current place. But I also utilize sendcutsend, they're great. And you don't need to know CAD if it's a simple shape and drill pattern, you can do it on their site. And there are always coupon codes, SuperfastMatt is pretty much continuously sponsored by them and a great watch on youtube. There have been times I've just ordered plates of steel or aluminum from them because it was cheaper than it'd be to drive to the local metal place once I factor in the fuel. Definitely not always the case but this world is devoid of logic anymore.

I've got a plasma cutter and I'd love to build a table for it and have a bunch of metal on hand, but again, I just don't have the room right now.

 

[Freems]

I need to do more of that. Works great, and I sometimes forget that it’s a great option. I’ve been looking at the costs of the rocket protection plates out there. It’s insane how much vendors want for a flat piece of aluminum or steel with one single bend in it. I’m strongly considering buying some sheet metal and making my own. I can avoid huge laser cut vendor logos, and contour the top line exactly as I want it.

There you go…by a Amazon plasma cutter, a good straight edge, you‘ve got the bucket on your tractor for the long bending force, you‘ll need a SWAG off road press break for your shop press (buy the kit, it’s an easy weld) for the short bends, with theses items and some time, you‘ll be set to make some serious protection for the sled.

 

[Freems]

The fun for me is doing it myself. I’m looking into a 48” or wider brake.

Yep…I built this one, it’s a 48”, I use it a lot more than I thought I would.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I just bought myself a brake for my baby 12 ton press. It's about 12" wide but really if I want to bend something like 1/4" I'm probably limited to 2" width. I'm just straight up out of room at my current place. But I also utilize sendcutsend, they're great. And you don't need to know CAD if it's a simple shape and drill pattern, you can do it on their site. And there are always coupon codes, SuperfastMatt is pretty much continuously sponsored by them and a great watch on youtube. There have been times I've just ordered plates of steel or aluminum from them because it was cheaper than it'd be to drive to the local metal place once I factor in the fuel. Definitely not always the case but this world is devoid of logic anymore.

I've got a plasma cutter and I'd love to build a table for it and have a bunch of metal on hand, but again, I just don't have the room right now.

I have that same 12” press brake I’m guessing. Or at least similar. As you said, awesome for small things. But to do something long would require creativity and small width tabs and multiple bends. It would be reallly hard to get something to turn out well.

 

[WILDHOBO]

There you go…by a Amazon plasma cutter, a good straight edge, you‘ve got the bucket on your tractor for the long bending force, you‘ll need a SWAG off road press break for your shop press (buy the kit, it’s an easy weld) for the short bends, with theses items and some time, you‘ll be set to make some serious protection for the sled.

I never even thought of using the tractor bucket. Hmm.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Yep…I built this one, it’s a 48”, I use it a lot more than I thought I would.

You built your own brake?! Damned impressive.

 

[Freems]

I have that same 12” press brake I’m guessing. Or at least similar. As you said, awesome for small things. But to do something long would require creativity and small width tabs and multiple bends. It would be reallly hard to get something to turn out well.

SWAG off road has a finger break for the multiple bends, it comes in a kit as well. I’ve got the 20 ton HF press, I can do 16” width. I also bought an air over hydraulic 20 ton jack for it…that was HF, it takes most of the work out of the bending and it’s fast. I’ve done 5/8” mild steel with it. You’ll never have to buy brackets again.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

Yep…I built this one, it’s a 48”, I use it a lot more than I thought I would.

I've been thinking of building something similar, or just buying one from HF that fits in my hydraulic press. The HF one can only do 12", but I can't think of any time I needed to do anything longer than that.

 

[WILDHOBO]

SWAG off road has a finger break for the multiple bends, it comes in a kit as well. I’ve got the 20 ton HF press, I can do 16” width. I also bought an air over hydraulic 20 ton jack for it…that was HF, it takes most of the work out of the bending and it’s fast. I’ve done 5/8” mild steel with it. You’ll never have to buy brackets again.

The 12 ton from HF is a pos in my opinion, but it’s been demoted to be a press brake only. Works fine for that. But I’ll be getting a real press before the next gear job. I had to drive to a shop and borrow their press last time. But I’ll keep of for the 12” brake, as it was like $160. So screw it. I’ve only used it a couple times, but love that I can make custom brackets. I used to be limited to cutting pieces of angle iron or c channel to figure out usable brackets.

 

[Freems]

You built your own brake?! Damned impressive.

it’s first duty was bending 10 gauge aluminum diamond plate wear treads for the jetboat

 

[WILDHOBO]

it’s first duty was bending 10 gauge aluminum diamond plate wear treads for the jetboat

So amazing to be able to make things that you previously “hoped” some vendor would sell you for a 200% markup.

 

[Freems]

The 12 ton from HF is a pos in my opinion, but it’s been demoted to be a press brake only. Works fine for that. But I’ll be getting a real press before the next gear job. I had to drive to a shop and borrow their press last time. But I’ll keep of for the 12” brake, as it was like $160. So screw it. I’ve only used it a couple times, but love that I can make custom brackets. I used to be limited to cutting pieces of angle iron or c channel to figure out usable brackets.

The 20 ton is bigger and better suited for my needs, but I also spent some time on it to improve some things…casters, a hand winch to move the press table up and down, added some 1/2” plate on top of the press plate for added strength and no flexing, a movable table below the plate to hold most everything you need while doing work on it. With those upgrades it’s now a keeper for me.

 

[Freems]

So amazing to be able to make things that you previously “hoped” some vendor would sell you for a 200% markup.

Those snakes wanted $350.00 for those two pieces, that’s they day I started building the break.

 

[WILDHOBO]

The 20 ton is bigger and better suited for my needs, but I also spent some time on it to improve some things…casters, a hand winch to move the press table up and down, added some 1/2” plate on top of the press plate for added strength and no flexing, a movable table below the plate to hold most everything you need while doing work on it. With those upgrades it’s now a keeper for me.

Flexing was my issue for sure. Absolutely unsafe to press bearings to a carrier. Maybe I’ll add some reinforcements. Great idea. Thanks.

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