Hi atlantis0, I just joined today, I am reading your very interesting note on building a real long press brake. I use to work in the tin shop at a pulp mill here in my home town and we had a large hydraulic press brake and it was a real bugger trying to make conical tapers in sheet steel. We found out it was easier to do it in the manual sheet metal brake than the larger hydraulic brake. Our hydro. brake didn't have the proper offset jaws to bring the back up tight enough to finish the needed final brake to complete the cone. What gauge metal you thinking of, we usually did those in 18-20 gauge, if your planning to build a hydro press brake the jaws needed alone will be very expensive.
skibo