Worlds simplest, cheapest sheet metal brake

[David LaFerney]

A picture being worth a thousand words...



You can leave it like that (I do) but if you want a really nice edge just fold it twice:


Saw the thread about top flashings and thought somebody might find this useful.

[concrete-bees]

Very Useful !!!!!! thanks for posting

[tommyt]

good Post
People can take that with some thought and make custom bottom oil pans and Top sugar or syrup feeders


Tommyt

[Steve10]

David, Excellent post. Can you explain how you make that nice edge with your handy tool? It looks nice.

[Josh Carmack]

Something that may help make a more defined corner is to plane down the 2X4 to a sharp corner, that is if you have a planer at your disposal. Using a harder material will work as well, such as two layers of MDF glued together with the slot cut through them, it'll give you a sharp and hard corner to brake with.

With that said, I like the idea very much, it may have solved my problem of needing a bigger brake.

[danno]

Thanks
One question. The slot looks very narrow. Did you use a blade without carbide tips?

[David LaFerney]

It's just a regular 2x4 with a regular kerf from my table saw. It's much easier to use if the kerf is exactly as deep as the bend you want to make so that the metal bottoms out. So in this case about 3/4 inch.

To make the hem just make the first bend as far as you can (about 45 degrees) with the tool, then with the work piece laying on a hard flat surface use the outside of the 2x4 to flatten it all the way down. Then just make another bend on the same edge.

It's kind of a single purpose tool, but so easy to make that isn't a problem. Once you have a couple of these made just like you want you can make your top flashings faster than you can with a regular brake.

You could make a very versatile version with 2 thinner pieces of hardwood and vice grips to clamp them, but this is awfully quick and easy.

[berkshire bee]

Dave, Thanks for the tip. I have an 18" brake I pulled out of a machine shop dumpster, and it's seen a lot of use. I've been looking for something a little bigger. I have some 2x4's laying around that are already paid for.