BEST SHEET METAL BRAKE FOR AUTOMOTIVE BEGINNERS

If you plan to start working on automotive sheet metal like rusty floor pans, you’re going to need a brake.

Sheet Metal Brake Versa 20 inch Eastwood Blue Color

Our first sheet metal repair project was getting rid of all the rust on our BMW E30 project car.

BMW E30 Firewall and Floor Board Rust Damage

Rusty E30 Firewall and Floor Board

We didn’t have a sheet metal brake at the time, so we clamped sheet metal onto our welding table and started hammering away.

Our bends didn’t come out as expected, so we started looking for a sheet metal brake.

Shaping sheet metal with a hammer

Manual Sheet Metal Bend Shaping

We almost bought a cheap brake from Harbor Freight, but research showed that you’ll need to modify it. The E30 has enough work, so we decided to look for something else.

THAT’S WHEN WE CAME ACROSS THE EASTWOOD VERSA 20

What’s nice is the Versa has mounting holes that fit standard welding table bore-holes. You’ll just have to find a set of bolts. You could use lag bolts to mount onto a wooden bench.

Mounting Eastwood Versa to Welding Table

Eastwood Sheet Metal Brake Mounting Points

Another mounting option for the brake is clamping it into a shop vise. If you occasionally use the Versa bend and want to store it somewhere else to save some space this is the way to go.

Eastwood Versa Brake Vise Mount

Eastwood Sheet Metal Brake Mounted to Vise

The Eastwood Versa Sheet Metal Brake also comes with a built-in clamping system that holds your sheet metal in place. There’s no need to add extra clamps to the brake.

What we love most about the Eastwood brake is you don't have to modify it.

Eastwood Sheet Metal Brake Clamp Tightening

Versa Brake Clamping System

After the sheet metal is secure, just grab the large handles and start to bend. You can go up to 90 degrees if you wish.

Bending Sheet Metal in Versa 20

It takes one lift on the two bars and the sheet metal bends come out super crisp. Here’s what the 90-degree bend looks like on 20 gauge thickness sheet metal.

Eastwood Versa Brake Bend Results

Versa Bend 90 Degree Results

You can also bend up to 18 gauge sheet metal. The bend isn’t as crisp as the 20 gauge, but it still comes out pretty nice for thicker gauge sheet metal. The extension plate is removable too. This allows for an additive 1/2 wide bend which can added after you’ve done one 90-degree bend.

Eastwood Versa Double Bends

SAVE 10% w/code THEBUILD10 on www.eastwood.com

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Javier Solis

Hi, my name is Javier Solis. I've held various IT positions in the last 25 years including work in Higher Education and as a former tower climber. I'm now a Sr. Product Manager at Extreme Networks who gets to build stuff. I'm also married to a wonder wife and have two awesome kids. Questions and comments are ALWAYS welcome.

https://www.allaboutthebuild.com
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