Automobile Information & Articles

Attach the Vise Mount Metal Brake
Open the vise approximately 4". Place the dies onto the vise jaws with the brackets in place; slowly close the vise to clamp the dies together. The brackets and dies should not be able to move vertically. Tighten the four thumbscrews firmly to hold the brackets to the vise jaws. It is helpful to use a pair of pliers or an adjustable wrench to snug the thumbscrews. The Vise Mount Brake is now ready for use.

Preparing metal for bending
The Vise Mount Metal Brake does not require a guide fence of depth gauge. Use layout fluid and carbide tip scribers to lay out the bends you plan to make. All bends are made on scribed lines and positioned by sight. Bends are made on the lines.

Fabricating Pieces
The Vise Mount Metal Brake has been designed to bend 20 gauge mild steel or 18-gauge aluminum or thinner material. It is possible to bend narrow strips of 18-gauge mild steel, though greater effort will be required. A soft faced hammer or a "cheater" pipe can be used to turn the vise handle to press the dies together. Practice a few bends on some scrap metal to develop a feel for the tool and to understand its capabilities.

Accessory Dies
Using the accessory die kit, greatly expands the flexibility of the Vise Mount Metal Brake.The optional dies can be installed in series to make 1", 2", 3", 4", and 5" width bends. The dies should be installed on the bracket with the long slotted hole. Install the optional dies in the center of the bracket. With the optional dies it is possible to fabricate small boxes and pans such as those pictured above.

Other Suggested Products
31021-Panel Flanger Set: This set of two flangers (one with standard width jaws and one with Extra-wide 2 ½ " jaws) produce neat 1 1/16" offset flanges for joining Patch panels neatly.

28012-Mini Nibbler: Unique design requires less cutting effort than conventional snips for precision metal work.