Subject: Re: Very basic question from a newbie

From: [email-masked] (Felice Luftschein & Nicholas Carter)
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 1996 19:25:52 GMT

In article <01bbe5f9$11e29520$7477da80@mycroft> "Mike Scott" <[email-masked]> writes:

>Hello everybody,
>I dont know a darned thing about metalworking, unfortunately, but
>what I want to do is bend a piece of sheet metal into a box shape
>with a flange on the bottom for attaching a screen across the base.
>Is there some kind of  tool I can get to help me make nice right angle 
>bends, or should I not even try and do it myself?

well, depending on the metal, thickness, size of box, it may be completely 
impossible or very easy. If it's thin steel and a 10" x 10" box with a 
1/2" flange, you could do it with some angle iron, a vise and a hammer.
I would suggest that the first thing you do is read some high school texts on 
sheet metal work and layout, your library may have them. 
good luck!

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From: [email-masked] (Jens)
Date: Sun, 08 Dec 1996 22:45:36 -0800

>bends, or should I not even try and do it myself?

If this is a 'one-off' and you are not into metal working I would
suggest to go to your local sheet metal fabricator and have him bend
the case on his finger break. Might cost you ten bucks (if you have
the shape cut out already) but you'll get it done right and you don't
need to mess around with it. 

Jens

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From: Steve Wellcome <[email-masked]>
Date: 11 Dec 1996 13:36:21 GMT

Yep, the tool you need is called a sheet metal brake.  They're
pretty expensive to buy, unfortunately, more than you might 
guess.  Dave Gingery has published some plans to build one, 
however, that would probably be big enough for what you'd want.
Check in the Lindsay catalog (see FAQ for address).  There
were also plans for one published in a back issue of Projects
in Metal, I think.

Of course, since you don't know anything about metalworking (yet),
you'll have to learn about metalworking before you can build
the sheet metal brake....  ;-)  Welcome to the project-to-build-
the project-so-I-can-build-the-project-I-really-want syndrome!

It might be easier to come up with the several hundred dollars
it would take to buy a small commercial brake.

Of course, if the parts you're talking about are fairly small, 
you can get by fairly well by clamping the sheet between a couple
pieces of angle iron in a big vise, perhaps with some extra 
C-clamps on the outboard ends of the angle irons to keep them
together, and banging the sheetmetal over with a rubber mallet.

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From: Steve Wellcome <[email-masked]>
Date: 11 Dec 1996 13:36:43 GMT

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From: Mark Winlund <[email-masked]>
Date: 12 Dec 1996 04:02:56 GMT

Prices are skyrocketing, at least here.... a 24" bar folder (old) went for $500 at 
an auction last week. (I know, because I bought it.) An old finger brake, 16 ga. 
went for $2300. Everybody's busy & has money to burn.

Regards, Mark

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From: [email-masked] (Jens)
Date: Wed, 11 Dec 1996 12:01:33 -0800

Mark Winlund <[email-masked]> wrote:

> An old finger brake, 16 ga. 

That is obscene !!! You can buy a 4 ft 16 ga breake for that price NEW
!!! (And that is in CANADIAN dollars too)

Jens

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan M. Elson)
Date: 14 Dec 1996 05:31:14 GMT

Jens ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Mark Winlund <[email-masked]> wrote:

: > An old finger brake, 16 ga. 
: >went for $2300. Everybody's busy & has money to burn.

: That is obscene !!! You can buy a 4 ft 16 ga breake for that price NEW
: !!! (And that is in CANADIAN dollars too)

This spring I got a Chicago 3' finger brake in good condition (with stand)
for $350.  (That's US dollars).  Certainly the smaller brakes are not
as highly desired, but that $2300 must have been at an auction.
					Jon