Used Finger Brake Questions

I have a Diacro 24" with only one finger. I'm currently milling new fingers from a36, planning on carburizing them.....
 
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Cool! Does your brake have the white tabs in the pic???
Robert
 
Yes it has the tabs. Some of them don't. Thanks for taking the time to post.
Poor toothless brake...make some teeth for that poor guy :)
Robert
 
Well I contacted Chicago Dreis and Krumpf and they wante $66 PER INCH for my 48" brake in any radius. You dont want to use a36, use something like 4140 or tool steel, and get them properly heat treated. If they are not heat treated properly, they chip, if too soft it will deform. Our Trumpf brakes have finger dies that are heat treated on the tip only, which looks like flame hardened to me. I have a tool maker that is willing to make cutters so I can make different radiuses. I just need a large enough mill. I need different radiuses since I do different types of sheet aluminum and the radius is critical to prevent cracking. We have a 24" box brake at work that is made in Sweden, $3600 before the fingers, used bakes are not cheap, good brakes are not cheap, but you can rebuild any good name brand if you can find a good deal. Chineses stuff is butter soft cast that usually does not meet the specified rating because they bend or break. My Chicago is welded plate steel, not cast. Tim
 
I am surprised the fingers need to be hardened to bend aluminum.
Robert
 
We have to hold a .004 tolerance or less on our bends and they do thousands of bends per year, the hardening keeps the wear to a minimum and keeps the machine holding tolerance.
 
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I have a 24" Diacro in my sights. However, I just found a Jet 48" x 12 gauge. I feel like the Jet will not be as well made but has a much greater capacity. I am leaning towards the Jet primarily so I can bend thicker aluminum. Any comments?
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Robert
 
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Looks like a nice bender. 12g capacity it should be well built.
 
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