..or recommendations please
Going to be doing some cardboard aided design on beetle bodywork (internal panels) and would like to be able to fold my own steel (have a sheet of
1.2mm arriving tomorrow).
I'd like to get something up to a metre long (though suspect I may only need 2/3rds that) and have seen ebay items for around £130. Has anyone
got/used of these things and are they ok. I could indeed build one but would rather spend my time sorting the bug 
Cheers
I have a SP folder which must be 30 years old that is similar, however if I had space I would look out for an old free standing folder
what would be the longest fold in one go be?
As I did all my bodywork in alui. a lot softer with two lengths of 25mm RHS bolted together to make a square edged 8
and slide the metal into the slot, and tighten the bolts at each end
Pop the whole lot into or clamped to a workmate and with a club hammer and piece of wood bent the lip over
worked fine, and that was with a fold of over a meter long
steve
I built a metal folding machine from heavy angle iron. This will take material up to 30" long. It tends to flex in the middle so I put a g clamp
on it to stop the flex. It works great with fairly thin material but struggles with long heavy duty material.
Unless you intend to do a lot of bending I would look for a metalworking shop who will bend it for you. A good folder is expensive and bulky. The
cheaper ones from machine mart etc are not that much use.
quote:
Originally posted by macc man
I built a metal folding machine from heavy angle iron. This will take material up to 30" long. It tends to flex in the middle so I put a g clamp on it to stop the flex. It works great with fairly thin material but struggles with long heavy duty material.
Unless you intend to do a lot of bending I would look for a metalworking shop who will bend it for you. A good folder is expensive and bulky. The cheaper ones from machine mart etc are not that much use.
randomly this came up tonight after reading this thread earlier,
https://www.facebook.com/SuppercoolStuff/videos/252950159158052
colin furze has also made one
... or you can make you own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggy1DHwAh_0
It is fun to watch too 
I never grudge money spent on tools, well second hand tools anyway.
I bought a s/h Sahinler 1.25 x 16g finger folder about 10 years ago for £450.
Over the years I have made various bottom bed sections and now have quite a collection. Also made the odd shorter top fingers
so that I can bend thicker bar. 50 x 6mm is well within reach. My U shaped chassis suspension brackets I bent in 4mm plate.
So what did it really cost ? I bet that come my retirement when I sell my treasure it will still be worth what I payed, if not more.
As for space, how many garages are brimmed full of freezers, lawnmowers that no longer work, and the kids bikes that they rode
when they were a foot shorter.
I know of one bloke in the village who has converted his dining room into a machine shop and does a very nice trade in making orreries.
Paul G
Is the bloke still married?? I know I wouldn't be.
It's a fair point about the garage and it's a battle I have periodically with the wife. I've relented to two fridge/freezers and
storing some smaller stuff.
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
Is the bloke still married?? I know I wouldn't be.
It's a fair point about the garage and it's a battle I have periodically with the wife. I've relented to two fridge/freezers and storing some smaller stuff.
I think I'm going to need to make lots of stuff (see Binky, but for my Beetle ) so a) don't want to make b) needs to be a sensible size
and c) forgot what that was….