# aluminum brake questions



## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

hey guys,

who on here has daily use of a brake?

i need to get me a brake,,,,,,, heres where i am at with what i think i need am i missing anything or maybe a better /cheaper one out there?


first of all i put in 2 calls monday and they never got back to me, i finally called back today and was told i am witha customer let me get back to you,

bradco said go thru our book and give us all the numbers, nice reply huh i sell myself their tools hahaha

erie material, was the one that was with a customer so he was actually doing the prices then i figure, cause he called me back 30 minutes later.

i am thinking tapco pro 19 , with the following accesories, cut off wheel coil stock holder ,legs and wheels,,, is there anything else you guys think i will need to make my life easier,

i am only using it for a window job then will probably put it in storage,but could also end up selling it figuring the accessories would help sell it faster if i go that route, and no i don't rent tools so we don't need to go there,,,,,,,


my budget is around 2 grand if that helps anyone care to add their 2 cents thanks again


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

I use one pretty much all the time. Mine is a Black Max 10'6" mounted solid in my work trailer. I have this mainly because I bend not only aluminum but a lot of steel coil all the time. 

The Pro 14 would probably work just fine for you too, narrower then the 19 is all. If you are just doing aluminum coil I would not waste the money on the cut off tool, utility knife works just fine on aluminum and faster too. I only use my cutoff tool on steel. Same goes for stand and coil holder, nice but not really needed. Unless you just need to spend the money. My brake is on one side of my trailer and a cutting bench on the other so that works great for me.


Oh also check with Alside Supply I see there are some in NY , they normally handle Tapco Brakes.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

i hear good things about these guys

http://www.industrialladder.com/listSubCategories.do?categoryID=53


yea you don't need the 19,but i would recommend the snap stand and wheels


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## rock16 (Feb 25, 2010)

I like the stand it also fits the tapco cut table and it is nice to be able to move the brake around. Like randy the cutoff tool and coil stock holder get very little use.
For steel coil the port o slitter is a tool I wouldn't do without.


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## rock16 (Feb 25, 2010)

> My brake is on one side of my trailer and a cutting bench on the other so that works great for me.


I did that with a Max and had to take it out. I couldn't flip the pieces inside the trailer so I went back to dragging it out to use it.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

thanks guys, i do appreciate your knowledge,

the reason behind the 19 its only a hundred more, as for the extras i have a blank check hahaha,not to mention if i sold it it would sell faster with no knife marks and have the extras to go with it imo,

the rentals around here are rather beat up and if i have it too long it makes ya think buying it would be cheaper than renting in the long run,,, i really hate having to bend metal but more often than not i need to bend some here and there and to go to a sheet metal shop isn't cheap anymore,,

yea we have an alside here i will definately call them,,i have to get one asap so i can get windows going,,,,,,,,,,

thanks for all the advice much appreciated


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

rock16 said:


> I did that with a Max and had to take it out. I couldn't flip the pieces inside the trailer so I went back to dragging it out to use it.


With the weight of the Max (170lbs)no way do I want to be moving it around. Lots easier too to bend steel with it bolted down solid. Yea It is a pain sometimes flipping the long pieces , but I am pretty much use to it and it does not really bother me, just learned to deal with it. Able to bend steel roofing coil in mine because it is solid too. Not something think could do outside.


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## J L (Nov 16, 2009)

We've got a tapco Pro19. We use it maybe once a month. Every now and again we'll get a window replacement job where we have to cap the windows. We'll bend out custom flashing on decks against brick siding (we grind out a mortar joint and make flashing to go in the groove, down the face of the brick, and across the ledger), and we get calls to replace 1-2 pieces of fascia that have blown off of houses. 

We keep it setting on a work bench in our shop ready to use. If we're doing a full job with it, it goes in the trailer and we set it on a set of horses. Otherwise, we bend what we need at the shop.

We don't have any of those fancy accessories. I couldn't justify the cost of them for how little we use it. The wheeled stand would be nice though.


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## rock16 (Feb 25, 2010)

Randy Bush said:


> With the weight of the Max (170lbs)no way do I want to be moving it around. Lots easier too to bend steel with it bolted down solid. Yea It is a pain sometimes flipping the long pieces , but I am pretty much use to it and it does not really bother me, just learned to deal with it. Able to bend steel roofing coil in mine because it is solid too. Not something think could do outside.


I understand why you mounted it, those are pretty much the same reasons I did. Even the steel coil you mentioned because we do all of our flashing from steel coil. It just didn't work out as good as I hoped.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

FRAME2FINISH said:


> the reason behind the 19 its only a hundred more, as for the extras i have a blank check hahaha,not to mention if i sold it it would sell faster with no knife marks and have the extras to go with it imo,


I'm with you on the "only a hundred more", but I think you'll find that most guys looking to buy a used brake are doing so in order to save money--and those extras are going to jack the price up so it's not an attractive deal to most.

You'll wind up getting offers for the brake only.


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

Tinstaafl said:


> I'm with you on the "only a hundred more", but I think you'll find that most guys looking to buy a used brake are doing so in order to save money--and those extras are going to jack the price up so it's not an attractive deal to most.
> 
> You'll wind up getting offers for the brake only.


Agreed, Alot of guys are not really buying them for the long haul, they have some capping to do but don't want to pay guys like me who do it every day for a living, So they want to get into one for as cheap as they can.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

it's just pretty rare that you would ever ''need'' the deeper throat,
storage and moving around is a little easier with the 14


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

Tom Struble said:


> it's just pretty rare to never that you would ever ''need'' the deeper throat,
> storage and moving around is a little easier with the 14


I find though it is much easier to rip a small piece off then a wide one. I was ripping some 40" wide stuff the other day it believe me the deep throat was nice.


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

I have a brand new condition Pro 19 that I'd be willing to part with, with or without the slitter.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

I have an older (10 years) 10'6" Tapco. I bought it with the cutting wheel and the coil holder. I can't even see myself using it without the cutting wheel. The coil holder I sold to another CT member because I never ever used it.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

thanks lone, i will have mine in my van by the end of the day though, i need to get bending it's kind of holding up progress, there are alot of miles between us too haha i am old and not feeling a road trip, so old in fact driving the 100 miles to work sucks balls.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

Randy Bush said:


> I find though it is much easier to rip a small piece off then a wide one. I was ripping some 40" wide stuff the other day it believe me the deep throat was nice.


only you steel driving men are ripping 50'' sheets:laughing:


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## Spencer (Jul 6, 2005)

I've got the pro 19 with all the fixins. It works good for me.

How many of you guys use your cut-off tool when the edge will be exposed. I find that the cutoff tool works great in conjunction with the sidewinder cutting things to length and for edges that won't be exposed. But when it comes to capping a 4x4 post that tool does a piss poor job. A knife is the only way to go in that case. 

How do you guys do it?


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

FRAME2FINISH said:


> thanks lone, i will have mine in my van by the end of the day though, i need to get bending it's kind of holding up progress, there are alot of miles between us too haha i am old and not feeling a road trip, so old in fact driving the 100 miles to work sucks balls.


Your not too old if your saying sucks balls.


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## rock16 (Feb 25, 2010)

The Brake buddy is a good accessory to have also. You can do some pretty slick shapes with it.


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

Tom Struble said:


> i just use regular snips and reverse the tab on the left,this is a good technique if you find your material slipping in the middle,you can mark the middle and kinda ''control'' the slippage


Tom, if your material is slipping in the middle you can adjust the tension on the old brakes with those nylon screws. Don't know about the new style ones though.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

mine you can't Katoman,i use this when i'm making U shaped bends that are smaller than the hinge


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

i made a quick vid, don't mind my music it seems to keep me from killing people, oh and make sure you remove the cutter from the brake when bending , it will brake the wheels easy


http://youtu.be/p95OcKvnKck


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

where's the link?


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

> This video contains content from Warner Chappell, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.


Huh?


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

Tinstaafl said:


> Huh?


Yeah, WTF?:laughing:


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

can you see it now? i changed the name trying to outsmart them?i guess they own tapco name maybe? i can see it , no worry your not missing much,


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## Lyle Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

Still can't see it. Maybe due to music in background that is playing?


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

try this one,

http://youtu.be/iuPCn5p5mEk


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

Nope. You're going to have to eliminate the audio track or you will keep getting rejected for copyright infringement.


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## FRAME2FINISH (Aug 31, 2010)

sob's can you see my other vids on my other thread?


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## rock16 (Feb 25, 2010)

Spencer said:


> Anyone got any links to that port o slitter in action. Might be worth the investment someday....???


I searched all over the google and couldnt find a thing. So I made a quick vid at the job the other day.


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## Spencer (Jul 6, 2005)

Rock, thats pretty awesome. Thanks for posting the video.

I stumbled across this, pretty interesting. I think tapco needs to come up with these maximizer deals for their breaks. Or maybe they have them???


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## Paulie (Feb 11, 2009)

FRAME2FINISH said:


> try this one,
> 
> http://youtu.be/iuPCn5p5mEk


Was that you Frame2? Hmmm.


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

Spencer said:


> Rock, thats pretty awesome. Thanks for posting the video.
> 
> I stumbled across this, pretty interesting. I think tapco needs to come up with these maximizer deals for their breaks. Or maybe they have them???



Tapco does have one that goes on the inside , but it is not as nice as these. Have not tried to use mine in a long time , but think 5 or 6 in is as small or narrow as you can cut using them. Have thought of redoing mine so can cut narrower, just have gotten to it. :no:


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## Spencer (Jul 6, 2005)

Yeah, I do have the stops that go on the inside but like you said, they are pretty much useless under five to six inches. I'm guessing there will be more innovations coming our way in terms of metal bending which keeps life interesting.

Got to love ingenuity. Keeps the pocket book empty...


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

I got to use my Pro19 today.:clap:

Unfortunately, I only had to rip 4 strips at 3/4" wide.


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

I have a pro something (14 I think) Ill be using all week. I love BREAKING METAL...


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## Randy Bush (Mar 7, 2011)

ohiohomedoctor said:


> I have a pro something (14 I think) Ill be using all week. I love BREAKING METAL...


So you break metal on your brake?:whistling I kind of like to keep my piece of metal in one piece. :clap: I love seeing how creative I can get in bending metal on my brake. :thumbsup:


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## ohiohomedoctor (Dec 26, 2010)

Randy Bush said:


> So you break metal on your brake?:whistling I kind of like to keep my piece of metal in one piece. :clap: I love seeing how creative I can get in bending metal on my brake. :thumbsup:


Ill post a pic of some of our broken metal tomorrow.


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