Thinking through bending sheet metal gives my brain a workout for whatever reason! I have what I thought was a very simple bend but cannot figure out how to do it on my brake. I’m just learning about it so take it easy on me! 
It’s a french cleat from a piece of 18Ga.
I’m hoping @TinWhisperer looks at it and gives me an idea! Here is the fusion file and a link to the project if you don’t use fusion
Spray can rack v8.f3d (342.1 KB)
All depends on what you have for a brake. If a swag offroad type. Best chance is to bend the bottom edge furthest form the paint can holes first. Then flip the sheet over and bend the next bend in from the first. 3rd rotate the part 180 degrees and bend the edge closest to the holes. Then bend the last one. Depending dimensions sheet may hit the press or die on the last bend but being 16 ga chances are it will flex enough to let you bend it. The small piece looks like you are trying to do an offset bend wich would take an offset die to do it with one brake. You can do it with 2 bends but would need to have a space between bends .
Thanks the piece with the holes (the main body) is not where I’m confused it’s the small bracket (cleat) that has an offset bend. I have a magnetic box/pan brake. I’ve tried bending the cleat but can’t get it yet.
Try making the piece wider allowing a 1/2 to 3/4" between bends. Experiment with a PC of scrap.
Ya I am experimenting with scrap, I want the piece to be no more than 1.25 inches though. I’m not sure the brake is going to get it done…
There are various types of french cleat bars available at McMaster-Carr
Try using 3 strips of metal
place 1 strip on magnet
now put job piece on so that bend sits above first piece edge
put 3rd piece on over other side away from 1st piece to edge lines up with bend for cleat
Now fit clamp bar over top & give full bending power
Magnet should pull clamp bar down creating bent cleat.
Mag brakes have 6 tons of clamping force so should do job.
See how that goes.
Morning @ScottNH
For the bigger piece I would start by bending the two outside lips first. (Orange)
The dot is the side of the material that would be in the brake and the line the brake itself
Next I would feed all the material in up to the (yellow) line dot Inside the brake.
Then pull the material ahead to the (green) line and do your final Bend.
This would bend up fairly easily in my leaf break with this method.
As far as the small offset or z bar, the way I go about bending these on my break is I kink both lines very slightly to start and then keep flipping it around while working up the bends to their final position.
But a small kink on both lines to start I find is the key
Some of these larger pieces I’ll use the French cleat hanger system on.
These ones were 14 gauge and I did put a series of relief holes to make it Bend a little easier.
Awesome thanks! Those a very interesting pieces for sure!
The big piece was not such a puzzle the offset small piece is the one giving me issues. I don’t want to bend the bigger one until I figure out the little one because I’ll just bend the top flange up instead of down and screw directly to the wall. But what fun would that be? Gotta do it the hard way!
I just saw the Video on this page.
It will show you how to do it
Great find on that video! It’s interesting, I tried doing it that way but the magnet just flattened the workpiece out on the second bend. I see in the video though after watching that piece several times that the bending extension bar has been removed. I think that’s the key! Thanks for passing that video along there were a lot of great tips in there! I love this brake, I don’t know much about sheetmetal work (nothing really) but I can make really nice and repeatable bends with this thing! It makes the stuff I cut on my CF Pro into a finished product quickly and efficiently!
Here is the latest offering.
Compressed air powered bending cylinders.
