Tapco Tools Brake Donation Will Support Students and Construction Trades in Iowa

Tapco Tools donation

For nearly 30 years, North Iowa Area Community College’s (NIACC) Building Trades Diploma Program has been jumpstarting students into a career in construction. Westlake Royal Building Products is helping boost their efforts with a Tapco Tools brake donation to train the students in the craft of custom exterior trim.

Designed for students interested in a career in residential, commercial, or industrial construction, NIACC’s one-year Building Trades Diploma Program combines classroom instruction (to teach safety, blueprint reading, and craft work processes), manipulative lab projects (a mock jobsite setting where students learn at their own pace), and eight-week mentored jobsite internships. “NIACC Building Trades students will have opportunities for nationally recognized certifications including NCCER, OSHA, and other optional industry-related certifications,” the school explains. “The Building Trades Lab is a state-of-the-art facility where students learn in an individualized, competency-based setting, mastering skills by constructing manipulative projects.”

Though most of the students are just starting their careers—recent high school grads or high school students earning dual credit—the school has participants of all ages. The Diploma Program spans 37 semester hours across three semesters. A Certificate Program (two semesters) and a Fundamentals of Construction (45 hours) also are available, among other related courses.

Part of the program’s current hands-on training is work on a local Habitat for Humanity house. A few years ago, the students participated in an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Gregg Helmich, a building trades instructor who leads the NIACC program, says that sometimes graduates go directly into the construction workforce, often by being hired through their internships. For others, it’s a springboard to other programs or more intensive training opportunities. Either way, he notes, the diploma typically leads to a higher starting wage, which helps them stick with it.

Tapco Tools Brake Donation Will Have Immediate Impact

During the 2023 International Builders’ Show, Westlake Royal Building Products handed off the Tapco Tools brake donation, a PRO 14 brake, to Helmich for the NIACC Building Trades Diploma Program. The PRO 14 allows for easy, efficient crafting of high-quality custom trim pieces for siding and roofing applications, including soffit, fascia, brickmold, sill trim, window casing, chimney flashing, and more.

Tapco Tools also donated a Snap Stand; a Side-Winder, which secures the coil to the brake; a PRO Cut-Off for safer, single-pass cutting; and a Brake Buddy, which allows the user to elevate trim work with more style and originality.

“The sky’s the limit to be able to use this in different ways,” Helmich says. “Students love to get hands-on—a video can only do so much.”

Along with fundamentals of custom bending, Helmich says the brake connects students with building science principles. “We’re embracing the building science community … often it asks for flashings that aren’t available in stores, so using the brake is great to create kickout flashing and other things to keep water away,” he explains.

For recruiting purposes, the brakes and other innovative tools come in handy for design/build events at local high schools, where students can see how a simple roll of coil becomes an intricate piece of trim.

The NIACC program has had another Tapco Tools brake for about 20 years that is still going strong. The new brake will allow for the original brake to be used by the program’s regional academies without sacrificing budget.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Helmich says. “It humbles me and gives me an attitude of gratitude to the company to be able to see the value and the importance of skills education.”

The feeling is mutual: “The NIACC Building Trades Diploma Program is doing important work in training the next generation of contractors and preserving the construction craft,” said Adam Clark, Product Manager at Westlake Royal Building Products. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to support their efforts with a new Tapco Tools brake, and we look forward to seeing the students learn and grow in the trades.”

How On-Site Trim Fabrication Can Save Contractors Money

Tapco Tools Brake Buddy

With the cost of materials continuing to be volatile, you may be looking for ways to save money on the jobsite. On-site trim fabrication using a Tapco Tools brake and trim coil can not only provide those savings, but can also be a way to bring in extra money.

Tapco Tools offers a range of brakes suitable for everything from small remodeling shops to commercial projects, helping you achieve a high-quality finish no matter the size of the job. A full line of accessories provides even more versatility.

For example, the Brake Buddy allows you to elevate your on-site trim fabrication with more style and originality, including producing brickmold trim and decorative ribs in just seconds. Suitable for any Tapco Tools portable brake, the Brake Buddy features a measurement guide and quick-twist handle that provide for quick adjustments and simple, efficient operation.

Tapco Tools Brake Buddy
Brake Buddy

For cutting, the Pro Cut Off for Tapco Tools Pro Series brakes provides factory-quality, single-pass cuts of heavy-duty sheet metal, eliminating the need for utility knives and shears. It features an easy-adjust mechanism for versatility and an ergonomic grip for smooth operation.

How Much Can a Brake Save in Material Costs

Crafting your own trim can save up to 36% of the cost of premade trim. Here’s a breakdown:

This spring, the cost of a 6” by 12’ aluminum cedar texture fascia trim from a big box store came to $14.98.

To craft that same fascia in a Tapco Tools brake and the Brake Buddy would cost $9.52 per piece. This includes a 24” by 50” trim coil at $119, which provides 12.5 6” fascia per roll. This results in a savings of $5.46 per piece vs. premade trim.

In addition, bending trim can take place off site and indoors, allowing contractors to work well past dark during winter months or to generate extra income.

Click here to find the right brake for your operation.

Video: How to Make Common Trim Bends on a Tapco Tools Brake

Tapco Tools trim bend

Brakes and saw tables from Tapco Tools offer the utmost precision to create high-quality trim bends for the finished look of custom exterior trim. As the industry leader in premium professional-grade contractor brakes for more than 50 years, our tools and accessories are efficient, durable, portable, and easy to use. Plus, we back it up with robust training and unparalleled customer support.

Here’s a step-by-step look at some of the most common trim bends you can complete on a Tapco Tools brake.

The 4 Most Basic Shapes of Trim Bends:

Some of the most common bends on a brake that can get you nearly anywhere you need to go are hemming an edge, a sill seam, simple (3/4”) step flashing, and tight (1/2”) step flashing.


J-Channel and L-Bends

Making a J-channel on a Tapco brake is straightforward, and creating a window head flashing is a very similar process.

Bending Bay Window Corner Posts

Often, installers will try to stretch a vinyl siding corner at a 22- or 45-degree bay window. Here’s a better solution.

Ready to learn more about trim bends? View more how-to videos on our YouTube channel and click here to find the right brake for your operation.

Videos: M2X and S2X Gauges Speed Up Trim Bends

Tapco Tools, M2X, custom trim, contractor brakes

Tapco Tools’ professional-grade brakes help contractors achieve a high-quality, finished look for custom exterior trim projects. And two accessories—the M2X and S2X—make these tools even more efficient and easy to use.

M2X Measuring Tool Allows for 50% Faster Bends

As its name suggests, the M2X gauge measures two times as fast while eliminating the need for a tape measure and pencil marks for bending.

The M2X measuring tool consists of an onboard measuring tape and two easy-to-attach, moveable brackets with corresponding measurement markings. Where once users had to measure, mark the bends (often front and back), and then move the trim to those marked positions, now they can simply place the material on the brake and move it to the scale on the M2X gauge accessory. The result is as much as 50% faster bending—and no pencil marks or snip-cut marks on the finished product.

Check out this video for an overview of the M2X at work:

Ready to learn more? See how to install the M2X:

S2X Material Stop Gauge Speeds Repeat Trim Cuts and Bends

Like the M2X, the S2X material stop gauge is aptly named: It allows for cuts and repeat bends in trim two times faster than traditional methods.

The S2X gauge includes two orange anodized aluminum material stops on two long bar/pivot assemblies adhered with white measuring tape and orange cut-off tape. Slide the stops along the bars to the desired measurement and secure in place with thumb screws; when material is inserted into the brake, the accessory stops the material at the precise spot for an accurate cut or repeat bends—no tape measures or pencil marks required. Along with time savings, the gauge can better ensure accuracy and, subsequently, cleaner installation.

Check out this video for an overview of the S2X gauge:

Ready to learn more? See how to assemble and install the S2X:

Explore the M2X, S2X, and other Tapco Tools gauges here. For a virtual demo, contact us.