Box pan folder help

[I'm getting on a bit]

Ok so I might get one, or what about a three in one machine

All advice appreciated

 

[Gareth0123]

I am considering buying a 3-in-1.

Stakesys 1000mm 3-in-1 is out in front at the moment, but only because I have received excellent service from them in the past. Including just last week a set of 3/4" Nominal bore Schedule 40 dies for my manual tube roller delivered next day from stock at no extra charge.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Don't buy the Warco one, there was a post about someone buying one and then taking it back as it was so poorly made as to be unusable.

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

Thanks for the replys

The three in one machines only bend up to 90 degrees

But individual ones go to 135 degrees

One of the things I am undecided about

 

[MattF]

Don't buy the Warco one, there was a post about someone buying one and then taking it back as it was so poorly made as to be unusable.

Hasn't Wallace practically rebuilt one of those from scratch too?

 

[Wallace]

Don't buy the Warco one, there was a post about someone buying one and then taking it back as it was so poorly made as to be unusable.

Me! In this thread.

Hasn't Wallace practically rebuilt one of those from scratch too?

Started to but took it back, there's only so much I can tolerate. It was the bog eyed Chronos Ring Roller I rebuilt here. Must do an update on that as I made something with it a few weeks back.

 

[MattF]

Ah, I was getting mixed up with which unit you'd rebuilt. How's the ring roller behaving now?

 

[oddbob]

I've got the small 300mm Axminster version (had it for five or six years). They are poorly made, but do the job ...mostly. They do suffer from trying to be all things to all men. In hind site, I would've been better off buying individual bits of kit.

So, its shortcomings; The top blade on the shear isn't rigid enough. It barely cuts at full capacity when cutting anywhere near full width. I actually gave up using the shear after a couple weeks of swearing at it and bought a traditional bench/plate shear. The top vee tool is designed not to bottom out on the bottom tool, so you don't get a particularly sharp fold, but it works well enough and will fold well over capacity on narrower bits'n'pieces. Similarly the top roller on the rolls isn't located very well. It needed a bit of tinkering to get it running anything like smoothly, but works well enough now.

 

[Wallace]

Fully agree with you there oddbob, the one I bought was 750mm and for the area they take up they should be a promising little machine in a small workshop. The clamp on the shear wasn't man enough to hold a full length of sheet so it would move and gave a (very nice!) banana cut even on alloy. The brake was out of line and produced a twisted bend and the rolls at 750mm are too flexible. I ended up with a 600mm Gabro box & pan bender, a Gabro Notcher and a 300mm vice mounted slip roll from RDG Tools and a lot less space.

 

[GKQ]

Got this plan for a sheet folder.
http://www.ch601.org/tools/bendbrake/brakeplans.pdf

Graham

 

[Kent]

Buy an old Box/Pan folder if you have room. just make sure nobody has re-welded it as its hard to keep the true. Bending too thick over two tight a rad and getting a couple of mates to swing on the weights is what does it. A lot of fab shops rely on brake press only these days and there are still a few good ones sitting unused and taking up space as a result, also a lot of the old shops that failed to keep pace are shutting down and sending their kit to the auctions, especially post 1090.

 

[I'm getting on a bit]

Interesting replies saw a nice one from Poland on the bay £1400 + vat

Think I might make one.

If anyone has some links to plans "decent" that would be great

 

[eSCHEn]

Someone on here made a lovely little one with removable fingers so you could adjust the bend width. For the life of me I cannae remember who though

@TIG Paul - was it you mate?

 

[bigbadbugga]

I have the one from Chester, very happy with it.

I've cut 1.2mm fill width with it, and folded the same. (It needed a bit of adjustment to get 90deg)

Not used the rollers a great deal but made a few curves with it to try it out and found it worked well.

Mine is the 30" (760mm) one.

http://www.chesterhobbystore.com/multiformers-6047-p.asp

 

[Paul G]

I searched for ages for a small box & pan.
I went to look at the more promising ones. I would take a strip of 1.5mm mild, 1mm stainless, and 1.5mm ally if it was rated at 16g.
Most failed the test. Some folded, but with a 1mm rad at the ends and 4 or 5 in the middle.

But everything comes to he that waits, and sure enough I heard of a bloke that had what turned out to be a gem.

It wins in every way. It's 1260 (49-1/2") wide rated at 16g and it really does do it. Rather than counter balance weights on arms
that take up loads of room behind it has spring with hydraulic damping mounted vertically on the end.
Another huge plus is the sheet clamping action is worked with your foot, leaving both hands free to position the sheet.
Takes up so little floor space that all I had to do was move the mouse traps over and it fitted in.

Better than an Edwards.

This one I found for sale on Google. Google "Sahinler Box and pan"
Paul G

 

[Kent]

I searched for ages for a small box & pan.
I went to look at the more promising ones. I would take a strip of 1.5mm mild, 1mm stainless, and 1.5mm ally if it was rated at 16g.
Most failed the test. Some folded, but with a 1mm rad at the ends and 4 or 5 in the middle.

But everything comes to he that waits, and sure enough I heard of a bloke that had what turned out to be a gem.

It wins in every way. It's 1260 (49-1/2") wide rated at 16g and it really does do it. Rather than counter balance weights on arms
that take up loads of room behind it has spring with hydraulic damping mounted vertically on the end.
Another huge plus is the sheet clamping action is worked with your foot, leaving both hands free to position the sheet.
Takes up so little floor space that all I had to do was move the mouse traps over and it fitted in.

Better than an Edwards.

This one I found for sale on Google. Google "Sahinler Box and pan"
Paul G

View attachment 66164

I like the sound of that

 

[Paul G]

Just to show it's versatility some 5 x 30 flat, with adjusted bed & modded fingers.

Paul G

 

[Wallace]

^^Insert jealous icon here!

 

[steve t]

lovely bit of kit, just missed a 6' box and pan folder, serves me right for procrastinating.

 

[Kent]

lovely bit of kit, just missed a 6' box and pan folder, serves me right for procrastinating.

I have been thinking over procrastinating but not fully made my mind up yet