I bought a slab of nice aluminum foor my autometer guages, I need to do a couple bends. Yes I can go to a shop and have them bend it and probably plasma cut the holes. Could I put padded boards against the point I want bent and put really heavy weight on it, say... my chevelle... haha... and grab the sucker and bend it to the point I want? It seems really shady, but in reality... wouldnt it work fine? Its thick, but not too thick. Just thick enough to be to heavy by bare hand to bend. Thanks... smile.gif

Myself working with alum every day you will get a better bend in a brake but if you must we have taken steel angel and put it on your bend line and work it with a dead blow hammer. graemlins/clonk.gif

If you are going for a tight radius forget it! But if you use 2 boards with your piece in the middle you can use a dead blow hammer and apply pressure at the top of work piece and as you bend it, gently hit it to get your curve. It is a little more involved than this but this is a basic idea.

Phil,speaking from my personal experience with trying to bend 18 and 20 gauge mild steel when I was fabricating patch panels,its a real bear to get nice clean sharp bends to go where you want them to.I would strongly reccomend that you find a shop with a bending brake and pay them a few bucks to do it right.They could probably cut out your gauge holes with a fly cutter or hole saw and do a much cleaner cut than a plasma cutter.You'll be looking at those gauges a lot,and if it doesn't look good you'll kick yourself later. graemlins/clonk.gif Besides,aluminum scratches pretty easy and trying to jury-rig some way too hold it still while you attempt to bend it would probably skunk it up. graemlins/angry.gif go for quality when ever you can.Good luck ....Don :cool:

I tell you what,give me some mesurments and a lay out what thickness I will bend it up and send it to you.

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Yeah I started to cut the holes, the need to be finished up and the bending... I think I will fly down to a shop somewhere and have them bend it up, You know its late and there is no place open at nite and you just want something finished? Ah, no rushing smile.gif To the shop I will go! tongue.gif

You can probaly get a 3 foot brake from Harbor freight for about 40 bucks.I bought a cheap brake when I backhalfed my car.I also use it for other things around the house.It was worth the money.

i used the hole saw 2 inch, I dont know why i went 2 inch, the holes are 2 5/8 and the speedo is 3 3/8 So i have 2 inch starter holes and im using a drill bit grinder to get the rest down, I just finished 1 out of 5 holes and my hands are killing me. Definately doing it the long way....

Oh yeah, I dont know if it is just sacramento but it seems like it sucker here for steel and metal fabrication shops. Every shop gives me a different number for a place to cut out a hole bigger than 3 inches, I dont see how thats a big project. So they say plasma cut it, which is $120 an hour!! No way... I already spent enough money this week... maybe I called the wrong places. :eek:

Hey I'll say it again I will make you one I work in a sheetmetal shop for Fedex we have all the tooling. graemlins/waving.gif

Reeeeally :eek: do tell!

69SSRat! I worked on it all day and almost completed it, it all went to hell. Does your offer still stand! :D

I'm there graemlins/thumbsup.gif for YA!!