Before I go cobbling together some 2x4s and hingesg, will this type of
brake have enough 'authority' to bend a 3/8" flange on a 2ft piece for
.035 4130? Just in case I didn't hav

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Dear Ernest,

I suggest you file the required bend-radius onto a piece of angle iron, clamp
the work to it and tap it over with a hammer. You'll be done long before
you've built a wooden brake and figured out how to clamp the work to it.

Wooden brakes work best with aluminum & copper. They can do thin gauge steel
stock but the typically tighter bending radius tends to crush the leading
corner of the clamp, forcing you to use hardwood or steel. Indeed, If you
want to bend steel it's generally best to start with steel -- using angle iron
or CRS for your leaf & bed, with a heavy duty steel piano hinge welded to them.

-R.S.Hoover