How big of a bending brake to build?

by Dan Noble

Sep 26, 2018

First post!  I'm getting organized to start a from plans Cruzer build.  You know the drill, finish ALL of the honey do list, clean out the area I'll be working in, build a table and so on.  All of this will take time.  While I'm doing all of that I'm chipping away at buying the tools I don't already have.  But I'm planning on making my own bending brake.  The Dave Clay no weld kind.  I don't weld, at least not yet.  How big does my brake need to be in order to handle maybe 90% of the bends?  My EAA chapter has a good brake and I live within relatively easy driving distance of Zenith.  So it would be easy for me to buy the really hard to make parts from them rather than struggle to make an iffy example myself.  Not making a monster brake is as much an effort at saving shop space as it is trying to save money by not buying the rediculously expensive steel.  Thoughts?  Thanks!

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  • up

    Clint L Gosch

    Hi Dan,  I made a 9'  "David Clay" brake.  I made all my parts on it.  Longest piece on my STOL build was 8.5' (Stabilizer spar 0.040"). I clamped a hardwood forming shoe between the L's, allowed me so easily swap bend radius for thicker material.  Worked quite well as long as you take your time getting everything lined up properly before bending.  It will never make perfectly straight bends on thick and long material, but everything I built was acceptable.  If you have access to a good brake for long bends, build the homebuilt help brake and save the shop space.   Good luck!

    Sep 29, 2018

    • up

      Brian Thomas

      I am using a 30-inch harbor freight brake loaned to me by a friend for the small stuff.  I am lucky to have access to an 8-foot brake, although only during normal business hours.

      Thinking about aircraft, there are a lot of fuselage parts that would work on a 4-foot brake.

      Having said all that, you will probably make more than a few parts more than once - it's just part of the scratch building process.

      Sep 30, 2018

      • up

        Dan Noble

        Thanks for the feedback guys.  I appreciate it greatly.  I got a huge score this weekend by picking up all the layout tools I need for a song.  The process continues!  

        Oct 1, 2018