Technical FB marketplace score of the day

This shop appeared to be cleaning out equipment they weren’t using. Shop said the had a press brake and didn’t need this one anymore. It had just recently been moved outside. I really don’t think they cared about the value. The shop said they just wanted someone to use it.
Loading was easy with their fork lift.
I probably don’t need one that large but I do have a truck bed floor I plan to build. This will allow me to bend the flanges instead of using angle. I’ve got some inner rockers to build that just over 4’ so now I can make ‘em in one piece.

 

Definitely a great score! I can't think of too many guys who actually build cars that would not want it (if they could fit it somewhere).

I love FB Marketplace, my avatar car as well as 2 OT cars & tons of parts have come from there. Killer deals can be had if you know what things are worth, but if it is hard to find stuff I just bite the bullet & pay to get something good!

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

For $900 I would buy that and build an addition to my shop. Kinda brings the price up a bit that way, though.

 

That's a great deal but would take up an inordinate amount of space in my shop. I've been looking for a 48" box and pan brake but everything is basically the same price new as used.

 

Same here for the box/pan brakes.
I may set this under a shed starched to the shop.

 

Couldn’t pass up the price. I’m planning on an addition anyway. Plus I need to clean out all the crap

 

I vote for the tow truck errr bus.... Nice!

 

Nice! Guess you can bend up custom frame rails now.

Bob

 

I wished. It’s 16 gauge capacity.
But I have some pieces I need to bend that’s longer than 4’.

 

I'm curious. What category (ies) do you look under? I found my 51 Shoebox parts car listed under antiques. Just wondering what all categories these big pieces of machinery might be under.

 

For Marketplace I just look up whatever.
Like “sheet metal” or “bender”
When you look at enough junk, stuff you like starts popping up.
This break just showed up when clicked on marketplace. I didn’t search it.
Search “rat rod”. Most people think anything old with some rust is a rodent. You’d be surprised what shows up.

 

got the box pan I’ve been needing.
Or hope so anyway.
Tag says made in USA. But no thickness listed.
It was 15 minutes from home and $200. So I took a chance.

 

Made in USA is a steal for 2 bills!

That looks just like my Enco brake I bought new 15 years ago, right down to the color scheme.

But I thought these were referred to as Finger Brakes?

 

Edited above for some clarification?

 

never heard of theses folks. It’s all welded, no castings.
But at $200 and that close I’ll take a chance.
If it bends 20 gauge I’m good. I’ve got the other brake for 16.
We have enough circle track guys around here to sell it to if I don’t like it

 

Considering the remaining patina on the bus...perhaps a better moniker would be "Reverend Tony from the Church of Metallurgy".
I hit cars with...salvation.

 

I drove a school bus for 7 years. I really enjoyed driving the bus but they would make me pick up kids and they would really spoil the vibe.

 

Awesome great find.

 

Great deals Anthony! Since I'm an admitted tool-aholic, I always enjoy seeing stuff like that. I have found that buying stuff like that, but keeping ones eye open for even more desirable ones works best for me. Not saying yours are not desirable, just saying that often one with more capacity or length or fingers comes along. If you get a good buy, you have one to resell....often at a profit as prices rise and stuff gets harder to come by. I started with a small/cheap leaf brake bought at a swap meet. By buying and selling I have had everything from a 14' Chicago leaf, 10' Chicago leaf thru several 4' finger brakes. I got rid of the big stuff when I quit fooling with airplanes and have settled on a 4' Enco finger with 12 gage capacity as the best all round one for me. I also recently purchased a small Eastwood finger brake for making small brackets. Let me say its really handy for small stuff, just wait for a sale when buying as I have seen large variation in pricing. The point with me and brakes is that by buying/watching/reselling/and buying......a guy can end up with little to nothing in these tools. They ALWAYS retain their value and usually are worth more than you paid at some later date.

I really like this little brake.......

4' 12gage Finger by Enco I really like this. Only thing I would consider changing for would be a 6' one. Problem is that as they get longer they usually also lose thickness capacity or get really large. The 10' Chicago I had would do 16 gage, but when I put some in it that was 8' long I could not bend it by myself or even with the wifes help. Had to get creative to bend something that thick (.060) and that long.
Now to my good purchase. Not a brake, but a shear. I had a Jet 4' stomp shear that I bought brand new about 10 years ago and babied it. Was like new and sold it for about what I gave for it. Bought a National 4' 10 gage (about .140) electro-hydraulic shear. Was NOT cheap, but was still a great deal. Really good condition and one owner shop that was spotless. They made stainless food tables and the guy needed a 6' one. He had several other National brand tools as well. Wanted $8500 for it. A new one is about $14K last time I checked. Anyway he was back in the boondocks and didn't get much interest. Offered him $6K and he said $6500 minimum. Now I know this is outside the scope of most home builders, but as long as it works, it will always be worth what I paid. Now I also have a special reason for buying this. All my tools will be passed on to my son. He has severe arthritus in one knee and will be having a knee replacement in the coming months. The last thing I wanted to leave behind was a "stomp" shear. So I bit the bullet and when this came along, I jumped on it. I have to say that I really love this thing, and the extra thickness capacity is great for brackets and things. Older ones can be found much more cheaply, if someone keeps their eyes open. Probably about $2k/$3K.....but boy is it easy to use.

 

Friend has the hydraulic sheer. Nice piece.
I have a stomp.
The finger brake I bought isn’t exactly what I wanted but it’ll do.

 

That "Harris and Sons Mach and Fab" label caught my eye due to the Ft Wayne address shown on it. I've lived here a lot of years and have never heard of the company. That label goes back more than several years though since our area code changed from 219 to 260.

Are you thinking that they manufactured this brake? Never knew of anyone locally that built this kind of equipment. Wonder if maybe this was a tag they applied to some of their fabrication work that was built on this equipment. They don't seem to be in business anymore in this area, at least not under that name.

 

Possible. Its all fabricated. No castings.
Sticking their label on an imported piece is a possibility

google says its dissolved

 

Local shop here has an 8' under a lean-to, right next to a 4'. They do eat up room inside the shop.

 

Reminds me of my Beverly B-3 shear. It was the last item to sell at an auction. Nobody seemed to know what it was. I gave $3 for it.

 

Dang. That’s tops on my mental wish list.
that’s the one tool a knockoff hasn’t got close on

 

This jewel popped up.
14 gauge pneumatic

 

I cleaned and painted it. Works like new.

 

I always was happy with just hand operation on a brake. Sometimes I need to creep up on an angle. Personally I would be afraid of something in that condition, as pivot points do wear when something is used in a production setting and also left in poor weather conditions. Might need a lot of TLC. I'd rather spend a little more on a somewhat better condition one. You know how these "projects" can eat money and time. As for making do with what you managed to get, thats part of the process as far as I'm concerned. Most of the time you can get good use out of something, but just keep in the back of your mind that if a better one comes along, jump on it and sell whut ya got. I mean if I had been blessed with unlimited money instead of just good looks, I'd have first class tools all the way..................Jus shi**in ya about the good looks too. But by buying and selling you can get some good stuff pretty reasonably. Yer a smart guy, just keep ploddin along and by the time you are as old as me you will have more tools than you can remember how to use........or at least where ya put them.

 

Nice score..if those of you wanting to build a brake i saw 6’ brake locally built using old grader blades sourced at local scrap yard.