http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=403946&kwtid=267394

I have the flat vice grips ... I've got a 10'6" siding brake in the shed .. I was looking for something small that bends sharp and clean for lips .. was thinking of buying one of these .

No but that is a great price. Looks about right to bend lips... We have a 3 footer at work.

The ideal tool would be a finger brake but I think it might work for you. would be interested on how sharp a bend it does. I think it would handle .026 stainless no problem I would just be curious on how sharp a bend. Here are a few I was considering, but we have several at work so no need yet. Cheaper than what you are looking at if price matters. Might want to check out the want ads or used machinery sites for a small finger brake.
http://www.grizzlyimports.com/products/category.aspx?key=520010

I'll let you know ... just ordered it .. wish I saw yours first Paul ... that small one looks good .

http://www.grizzlyimports.com/products/18-Mini-Mighty-Bender/G9951

story of my life Ed day late and a dollar short. Good luck and let me know

I'll let you know ... just ordered it .. wish I saw yours first Paul ... that small one looks good .

http://www.grizzlyimports.com/products/18-Mini-Mighty-Bender/G9951

It's rated for 22 gauge, pretty light..

It's rated for 22 gauge, pretty light..

Ok ... the one I ordered is rated for 17 gauge . Thanks Fred/Jake .. feel better now .

Ok ... the one I ordered is rated for 17 gauge . Thanks Fred/Jake .. feel better now .

:D

What are you guys using to cut your lips? I've used aircraft shears, but would rather use a band saw or jigsaw. Any advice on what kind of blade? And how about punches. Have seen the standard one, but where do you get the oval punch?

What are you guys using to cut your lips? I've used aircraft shears, but would rather use a band saw or jigsaw. Any advice on what kind of blade? And how about punches. Have seen the standard one, but where do you get the oval punch?

I'm just using a pair of offset red wiss snips .. Whenever I need a piece of sand paper for the lathe ,,instead of ripping off a chunk I cut it with these snips .. makes them sharp .. Then I grind out bumps on a white wheel ,in the bench grinder , doesn't get as hot .. I use a Roper Whitney Co . No.5 Jr hand punch ... Mac chased the oval punch down for this tool once but it was very expensive ,, want to say $175.00.. It was a tool place in Stoughton . special order .. I've been bending with hand seamer type vice grips .. Just got a fine wire wheel I put in my drill press .. nice ,, makes everything look Pichney ...

Hey NIB ... Tagger-Man is my ebay name .. are the eyes upon me ?

I guess thats were I last noticed.I mostly just look over there.I see something I like i think I might make it.
It all fits ur persona,.
Ur the MFn' Kung Fo o Plug Makin..
Snatch the plug from my hand..
TaggaMan..

To cut it i use red snips or the shears.Shape it on the sander or stone.
Drill out hole. dremel to oval.
I like the wire brush idea.I have to try it. I used to sit there an polish em with sandpaper to 1000Somethin grit.Till I could see myself.

G. you can use a band saw but you will go thru blades pretty fast. I have 2 methods of using a band saw. Fine blade is needed for both. You go really slow or really fast. The really slow is pretty obvious the really fast is called friction cutting. I am talking 3000 rpms. The blade will be toast after a few seconds but that is what you want. The blade actually cuts by friction, melting for lack of a better word, the stainless. Cuts like a hot knife thru butter. I have a blade set aside for just that reason. Basically only works for thin stock. Stop by some time and I will show you. I use this method for roughing out the lips to a close width before they hit the milling machine. Problem is your band saw probably won't go that fast so I would probably stick to the snips. I cheat for the shape as I got sick of burning my fingers all the time. That damn stainless really can conduct the heat, even with a cold cup of water close by. Probably didn't offer much help.

Interesting toy. Might have to look into one. I've been using tin snips and a bench grinder to do them, and then a hand clamp to bend or make a jig from hard wood. The latter is basically a couple of slots cut into the wood. Insert the lip until it sits square, and then bend. I picked up one of these:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Portable-Hand-Punch/G8780

to do the holes. Much easier/quicker/safer than using the drill press. Round holes. Do the hole before you bend the lip.

Jigman

How does it do on the .025, 304 stainless? If good I may have to get one and just make up a hardened oval male and female for it. The way I do it now is pretty easy, cheating, but at the shop and I would rather do it at home and save my after work time for other projects. I see they have a heavy duty one too. Matter of fact I think we have one hanging around the shop. I will have to hunt it up. Thanks.

Paul, why not just make a die for the whole lip itself? Sounds like that and a foot press is the way they do it. Is there much to it?

You guys post some interesting stuff. I'm learning a lot about working sheet metal by following this thread.

Paul, why not just make a die for the whole lip itself? Sounds like that and a foot press is the way they do it. Is there much to it?

Yes. We don't have a decent grinder for that type of work. Probably cost you over a thousand to have a tool and die maker make you one. My way is pretty simple for short runs, 20 or 30 that it isn't really worth me to bother. Besides if I can buy them i would probably do that. If I can't I don't mind make 20 or 30.

If you are interested in metal stuff here is how I start
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/profes58/000_1460-1.jpg

Then I bend them in a small finger brake, sort of what ed is looking at. Then I mill out the slot. A pretty simple operation for like I said 20 or 30 lips.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/profes58/000_1456.jpg

OMG, If I drilled a vise like that someone would KILL me :behead:

Other wise looks great...

Yeah. Blame the CNC department for that.

How does it do on the .025, 304 stainless? ....

All I have done with it so far is punch out holes in stainless that is the same thickness of the lips that NJTackle uses. Works real well for that.

Jigman

say what u want about CNC, but i bet it cut those holes in the vice reeaallly fast. I'd like to see you do that with a manual mill!! :angel::tooth::hee:

I like your setup Doc. I can appreciate you accomplished machinist. I can hack thinks out with milling machine and lathe but to really do a good job + - 0001" It takes a pro.
Al,:smokin:

All I have done with it so far is punch out holes in stainless that is the same thickness of the lips that NJTackle uses. Works real well for that.

Jigman
That is what they use, so it must work. Thanks


say what u want about CNC, but i bet it cut those holes in the vice reeaallly fast. I'd like to see you do that with a manual mill!! :angel::tooth::hee:
Rotary table, but I prefer the Accurite. That vise is probably 20 years old so crap happens.

ive only done a very limited amount of machining, and wasn't familiar with a rotary table. what a powerful tool to have!
so in the 1st picture is that a stack of stainless blanks? and u used the rotary table to make what looks like a couple passes?

:topic:I do 6 to 10 square rectangle pieces, to the finished size length and width, clamped under that piece of Alum. mounted on that fixture clamped in the vise. I use a program to mill that radius. 1 rough , 1 finish. Pretty simple stuff here. It is a Bridgeport equipped with the Accurite system. You can still use the machine manually too, which is what I did for the slot after I bent them. Best of both worlds. Probably even better systems out there now I'll bet. I am not a CNC machinist. These were made for people like me.:smash: You could use a rotary table but these systems have replaces a lot of that type of work, although we still sometimes use them. I said rotary table because you asked what I would do with a manual machine. I would use a rotary table. Probably put everyone to sleep with this info.:sleeps: