whateg01
03-06-2011, 12:37 AM
Well, I have a project that I need to get done, so I don't have time to build or search out tools. I bought a HF 3-in-1 roll/shear/brake. It was on sale, and I used a 20% coupon, so it was less than $350 out the door. I know it needs a little TLC, but I will do my best to stay within its limits. If I do that, hopefully, I won't be having to search out or make replacement parts.
That said, to get the 300# machine out of the back of my truck, I decided to partially disassemble it. Worked great! And I'm glad I did, because it helped me identify a few areas that need some work before I put it to use.
Hopefully, this will serve as a guide for those purchasing this machine, as well. I will get some pictures posted, but for now, words will have to do. I would be interested in how my findings compare to the Jet, Grizzly, Wholesale Tool, Enco, etc. flavors.
1) First thing I noticed while disassembling the machine is that the only mating surface that is bare metal is the area where the shear/lower brake die rides. All others are painted on both sides. I'm sure that it doesn't turn a diamond into a lump of coal, but I'm cleaning the paint off of all of those machined surfaces so that the pieces fit as squarely as the surfaces allow.
2) The second thing is that the part that the shear/lower brake die rides on has at least one mis-drilled hole. While cleaning surfaces, I noticed that one bolt was missing. When I used another bolt to see if it would fit so I could buy another, it would not thread in. It is visibly mis-aligned. I removed the bar altogether and took some measurements. Three of the hole pairs (1 in the uprights and 2 on the ends of the cross piece) are spaced the same. The fourth is about 0.080" too wide. Easy enough to work around, but I think I'll call HF and see if they will send me a replacement. Unfortunately, to replace it means I'll have to completely disassemble that end.
3) The truss that supports the moving shear has a bolt that pushes on the cross piece. The truss is not threaded. It simply has a hole with a bolt through it. On the backside of the truss is a nut on that bolt. Then the end of the bolt presses directly on the back of the cross piece. I will at least place a piece of steel there to distribute that force a bit and prevent the bolt starting any cracks. I will likely weld a piece of 3/8" pipe to that steel and then use a piece of all-thread and 2 nuts to apply force. I am not sure how secure the ends of the truss are. It is held in place by a bolt at each end which is in a threaded hole in the cross piece.
4) The lower brake die is something that many have complained about, it seems. The problem typically is that only very sharp bends can be performed on the brake. That is relatively easy to fix. But, I also found that the edges of the lower are very rough. The working surface was apparently machined first, then the front and back were machined, leaving a burr on the working surface. I can probably just take a file and knock it down. I'll see if the rest of it is too rough too. I can imagine the marks it must leave on a work piece.
I intend not to use the existing brake dies anyway most of the time. I need the lower die to be segmented or relieved so that I can put a bend in part of an edge. It's a little hard to describe. I have a leaf brake now that has a lowered bed and a custom clamping bar. The leaf is also custom, but allows for different inserts. My existing brake will accomplish the bends that I need to do, but if I can do this on a press brake, I think it will save me some time. So, I will fab up a new lower die that will clamp to the top of the existing lower die. Then I can make a new upper, as well that will work with it to do what I want.
So far, that is all I can find that "really" needs improvement. I am sure that I have mis-labeled something. I don't know the technical names for these pieces as they differ in function from those in discrete tools. Again, I'll get pics up here. Hopefully they will help. Again, toss your ideas and experiences up here, too. I hear from some that these are not worth the money. And I hear from others that they are a godsend. Some have only seen broken machines. Others say it does everything as advertised with no issues. I guess now's the time to place your bets on how mine fairs.
Dave
That said, to get the 300# machine out of the back of my truck, I decided to partially disassemble it. Worked great! And I'm glad I did, because it helped me identify a few areas that need some work before I put it to use.
Hopefully, this will serve as a guide for those purchasing this machine, as well. I will get some pictures posted, but for now, words will have to do. I would be interested in how my findings compare to the Jet, Grizzly, Wholesale Tool, Enco, etc. flavors.
1) First thing I noticed while disassembling the machine is that the only mating surface that is bare metal is the area where the shear/lower brake die rides. All others are painted on both sides. I'm sure that it doesn't turn a diamond into a lump of coal, but I'm cleaning the paint off of all of those machined surfaces so that the pieces fit as squarely as the surfaces allow.
2) The second thing is that the part that the shear/lower brake die rides on has at least one mis-drilled hole. While cleaning surfaces, I noticed that one bolt was missing. When I used another bolt to see if it would fit so I could buy another, it would not thread in. It is visibly mis-aligned. I removed the bar altogether and took some measurements. Three of the hole pairs (1 in the uprights and 2 on the ends of the cross piece) are spaced the same. The fourth is about 0.080" too wide. Easy enough to work around, but I think I'll call HF and see if they will send me a replacement. Unfortunately, to replace it means I'll have to completely disassemble that end.
3) The truss that supports the moving shear has a bolt that pushes on the cross piece. The truss is not threaded. It simply has a hole with a bolt through it. On the backside of the truss is a nut on that bolt. Then the end of the bolt presses directly on the back of the cross piece. I will at least place a piece of steel there to distribute that force a bit and prevent the bolt starting any cracks. I will likely weld a piece of 3/8" pipe to that steel and then use a piece of all-thread and 2 nuts to apply force. I am not sure how secure the ends of the truss are. It is held in place by a bolt at each end which is in a threaded hole in the cross piece.
4) The lower brake die is something that many have complained about, it seems. The problem typically is that only very sharp bends can be performed on the brake. That is relatively easy to fix. But, I also found that the edges of the lower are very rough. The working surface was apparently machined first, then the front and back were machined, leaving a burr on the working surface. I can probably just take a file and knock it down. I'll see if the rest of it is too rough too. I can imagine the marks it must leave on a work piece.
I intend not to use the existing brake dies anyway most of the time. I need the lower die to be segmented or relieved so that I can put a bend in part of an edge. It's a little hard to describe. I have a leaf brake now that has a lowered bed and a custom clamping bar. The leaf is also custom, but allows for different inserts. My existing brake will accomplish the bends that I need to do, but if I can do this on a press brake, I think it will save me some time. So, I will fab up a new lower die that will clamp to the top of the existing lower die. Then I can make a new upper, as well that will work with it to do what I want.
So far, that is all I can find that "really" needs improvement. I am sure that I have mis-labeled something. I don't know the technical names for these pieces as they differ in function from those in discrete tools. Again, I'll get pics up here. Hopefully they will help. Again, toss your ideas and experiences up here, too. I hear from some that these are not worth the money. And I hear from others that they are a godsend. Some have only seen broken machines. Others say it does everything as advertised with no issues. I guess now's the time to place your bets on how mine fairs.
Dave