Sigh....
Ok, it wasn't much of a home made metal brake, but it worked great till the last crazy idea...
It is amazing how much force it takes to bend a 4 foot long piece of
0.06" thick aluminum sheet metal.. Guess its time to rebuild a bigger and better version, but first I have to finish the project I'm working on now..So, here's the question, Anyone know of anyone with a metal brake near Tampa, Florida area or South that might like to barter some powder coating, welding, telescope building, shop floor sweeping work in exchange for bending 6 piece of 48 x 2 x 0.06" aluminum?
(Oh and the broke brake story... First it started bowing, so I clamped the crude out of it with addition angle iron. Then the hinges bent, which I beat back into position and welded in additional support. The grande finally led to the handle bending, which caused me to lose my grip and smack my elbow into one of the clamps I added to hold the angle iron in place, then in moment of angered stupidity, I kicked it, it fell over and promptly cut my OA torch hoses in half... To add insult to injury, the piece of sheet metal was just as flat as when I started! )
Take Care, James Lerch
Press on: nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Calvin Coolidge