Metal folding & bending tools

[rodent279]

Think I may have asked this question before, but it can't find the thread 

 

What tools are available for bending & folding metal in brass & white metal kits, and for scratch building?

 

I'm building an O gauge class 25, which has substantial sections of brass requiring folding, and I've got a class 76 that needs scratch built bogies, which I'm thinking of doing in brass.

[dpgibbons]

Hold and fold tools are available in many sizes as illustrated here. They are not so good for the long folds sometimes needed in 7mm, as the larger ones don't exert a consistent pressure across the clamping area.

[PatB]

During my etched kit building phase, I used two methods. For long folds, I had a couple of lengths of heavy brass angle, which I put over my vice jaws to act as bending bars. In theory they would be a little fiddly to set up so they're accurately level and parallel, but I found that with my particular vice and angle combination, they settled into place naturally.

 

For smaller folds, I found a brilliant tool on a tool stall at a show. It's a pair of pliers, but with very broad (50 mm or so) smooth jaws. Very quick and handy for small stuff. I think they were about $20 or so. They're a bit like this, but the jaws are wider relative to the rest of the tool. My own aren't accessible for a photo at the mo.