5
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Traditional Bending Techniques
Helpful Hints for Trim Work
5. For some shapes you will be removing the piece and either
spinning it front to back or flipping it face up or face down to
make the next bend. Use proper care to avoid damaging the
piece especially on windy days.
6. Don’t fit your trim parts too tight. This will complicate the joints
where parts overlap. A one inch (1") lap joint is enough to allow
for expansion and contraction.
Trim should be lapped so that laps are facing
away from traffic areas.
7. When face nailing try to nail the trim parts on an area that will
make the nails less conspicuous. Fasten at laps. Also when face
nailing, use just enough nails to secure trim; DO NOT DRIVE
NAILS TOO TIGHT or you will dimple the trim.
8.
Remember
,
when designing shapes you are hanging a cover
over the wood parts, not laminating a skin-tight surface. This is
called “Floating Your Trim”. Allow for irregularities in the wood
because your formed trim shapes are straighter than the wood
trim moldings or boards you are covering.
9. With practice, you’ll learn to overbend or underbend certain
sections to achieve a pressure fit of your trim parts which will,
in turn, require fewer nails and give your job a more finished
appearance.
10. Follow the suggested sequence of bends for the example given or
you may be “trapped” and unable to complete a shape. Tailor the
same steps to your own custom shapes.
1. Measure the total length of the particular trim area to be cov-
ered and divide by the length of your Brake to determine the
number and length of trim pieces needed.
2. Determine the dimensions of each section of the desired trim
shape by measuring that particular profile to be covered. As
an aid, make a pattern by bending a 1" strip of coil to get your
exact profile.
3. Transfer the dimensions in Hint #2 to each end of a piece of trim
coil by making a
1
⁄
4
" slit in the metal with a pair of shears. These
marks now become the bending points and are visible from
either side. On longer lengths fold the coil over as shown and
snip both ends at once. This saves time and ensures accuracy.
4. Lock the pre-marked coil blank into the Brake with the cut marks
located directly under the outer edge of the Stainless Bending
Edge. Lock Brake. To cut off the coil with a razor knife, score the
metal against the Stainless Bending Edge. Now bend the metal up
and push back down by hand until the exposed section breaks off.
It may require 2 or 3 repetitions. When breaking material repeat-
edly, bending to just 45° will avoid rounding the edge.
1. This shape is basic to all other shapes made with the “Windy” SP
Port-O-Brake
®
. Take time to practice before you proceed with
other shapes.
2. To begin, cut off a piece of coil 4 inches wide by about one foot
long (as shown at right).
3. Place your tape measure on the coil and mark the coil with a
pencil at
3
/
4
" and again at the 1
1
/
2
" mark beyond that. Make sure
opposite sides are marked.
4. Now snip these marks as shown to the right so that they will
be visible on both sides of the coil (for some shapes you will be
turning your material both face up and face down).
5. Place sheet of coil into Brake with finished side down leaving
only first set of
3
/
4
" marks hanging out. (Generally, insert the
largest part of the material into the Brake first.) Bend is at
this mark so lock your brake on these marks and bend 90°.
6. Unlock the Brake and slide the material to the second set of
marks . Bend 90° again to complete the shape.
Bending a Sample J-Channel
Siding
Nailing Flange
Exposed
Trim
Covering
Material: Aluminum coil 4”
wide by the desired length
(For this example 12” long)
1. Numbers show the sequence of bends; thus
would be the first bend and the second.
2. “Finish Side Up” indicates that the finished or exposed
side of the trim is to be put into the Brake Facing Up.
3. “Finish Side Down” indicates that the finished or
exposed side of the trim is to be put into the brake
facing down.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL EXAMPLES
