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[Vinny]

I bought my press a few years ago for this purpose but never bought the rest of the stuff I needed. While I wanted something a little wider, this will handle most of what I need to do.

[Hawkeye]

I made one like that some years ago. Only 9 1/2", but it sure comes in handy when you need to bend something hefty.

[Vinny]

When I got my mill, it came with some endmill holders (B&S 9).  Missing were 3/4 and 1".  It also came with a 3/4 adapter for the 1-1/4 holder so that temporarily solved that problem.  I'm making a mount for my mobile antenna, the temporary one I used was just that, temporary.  This time around I planned on doing it right.  

One of the things I needed was a 2-1/8" milling cutter.  I eventually found one on ebay but I needed an arbor.  So I made one of them out of a piece of 1" stainless I had (got a bunch of cheap drops from Speedy last year).  Problem was, you guessed it, 1" arbor - I still don't have a 1" holder.  I was able to find a sleeve to go from 1" to 1-1/4" but that just didn't hold it right and after the first try cutting the rounded end opening for the antenna I was certain it wasn't going to work.

I had one bookmarked on ebay so I looked at it and it was Travers that was selling it.  Same price on their website so I went for the free shipping on ebay (plus I get ebay bucks - kinda like cash back).  

So the first pic is the new holder, still in the bag, the second pic is the holder, in the mill, with the aforementioned arbor and milling cutter.

[Vinny]

That brake works too good!   I also understand why Tarheel uses stainless steel for their mounts.   1/8" aluminum doesn't bend well.

[Dr Stan]

Some aluminum is quite bendable. Other not so much. For an example look at a soda or beer can. Starts out as a flat sheet , ends up as a can that can hold a liquid under pressure.

[awemawson]

Might need annealing before bending if in the hard state.

[rleete]

6061 will work harden with a sharp bend like that. Cracking is inevitable. Use a larger bend radius, or different grade.

[TomG]

Any aluminum will bend Vinny, you just have to provide a large enough radius on the dies. Your 1/8" tempered aluminum will require at least a 3/16"R.

Tom

[Hawkeye]

I got a bunch of aircraft aluminum sheet off-cuts from a friend in the industry. He knew all the numbers and their properties. Tried bending some pieces - they snapped. My friend told me that that grade needed to be annealed - heated to just below melting point, then quenched. After that, you have 25 minutes to do whatever you need to do. Then it hardens again. Pretty cool stuff.

[Dr Stan]

$248.03 including sales tax and shipping.  Received an offer from the seller for 5% off plus shipping.  Counter offered 10% off including shipping which he accepted.  8" jaw width and will be used on my new to me horizontal mill.  Really didn't need it yet, but the offer was too good to pass up.  Shipping weight was 111lbs or 50.4 kg.  Haven't had the time to inspect it, but I strongly suspect it will more than meet my needs.  Will certainly make machining an arbor support much easier.  Got to get busy designing one which I'll fab up from aluminum and insert a bronze bushing.  BTW, this is the seller's photo.  Mine is sitting on the base of the mill.  

I'm also going to buy one of these:


and mount it on top of the ram so I can load/unload the vice and the vertical attachment and reduce the strain on my back.  May get a second one for mounting the 12" chuck on my lathe.  It too is a beast.