Cheap Sheet Metal brake

In places like San Francisco they have "modern" machine-shops-for-geeks with CNC mills, rapid prototyping machines, lathes, drill presses, etc. that operate on a subscription basis. Something like $100/mo + the cost of supplies, which at least for those with decent jobs is viable if not cheap. It seems to take a really big city to make this viable, though -- I think Seattle has them, whereas I don't recall Portland having one... but perhaps by now they do.

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sounds very cheap, machines aren't cheap and keeping them running with a bunch of guys who may or may not know what they are doing could be a full time job.

And I guess you would have to sign a whole heap of papers stating that if you lose bodyparts it is your own fault, you have been warned :)

if you just want something made theres places like http://www.emachineshop.= com/ they have a very easy to use cad program, draw a part see it rendered in 3D, click to calculate prices and order. not so cheap though

-Lasse

=A0 =A0 =A0 ...Jim Thompson

I like this design that uses a special polyurethane block instead of a v-die

-Lasse

"Joel Koltner" wrote in news:PisYm.255062$ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-03.dc.easynews.com:

that reminds me of the Auto Hobby Shops that the US Air Force had on base. You got a clean,safe place to work on your car,they had all the tools. In the civilian world,liability is a huge problem,thus no civilian auto hobby shops.

There was one at the Ft Rucker, AL. Army base.

Portland, OR does have one. Has everything, including a laser cutter. Rent by the hour, day, month. Not to expensive. Check it out at:

-bill

:I need a CHEAP sheet metal brake for some hobby projects. : :Up to 24" would be nice. : :Anyone have experiences/recommendations? : :Thanks! : : ...Jim Thompson

If you only want to bend up thin tinplate or aluminium sheet then the cheap units will do at a pinch. But for more ambitious and accurate work you will need a solidly built unit with some add-ons - and these don't come cheap.

The minimum I would opt for is a unit like this model

$280 from Amazon with free shipping. vs. $360 with shipping from Utter.

Amazon must negotiate some amazing discounts from carriers.

Strictly a brake, no shear function, but decent value.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

ith

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That sounds spectacular. I will have to look into that (South and Central FL). Is that on a month per month basis ? Yearly subscription contract?....(salivating.........:)

y do.

Back in the 70's - 80's, my high school had electronics, wood-shop, auto-shop and welding, with night classes for a song. It's all gone now.. I had a lot of fun then, during and after HS.

Have you taken a closer look at their average prices on other tools and replacement blades? Example

I can buy 2 complete multitools with blades like that, for the price of what they're asking for with 2 replacement blades.

Wow., I think i'll stay with Harbor freight!, or is this what to be expected at the start of the New Year when the Obama crew jack up the Taxes on business and people!

need

They must. I bought a Delta Unisaw (>650# shipping weight) from them for several hundred less than the closest competitor, with free shipping. "Shipping" wasn't just push-it-off-the-tail, either. The driver unloaded it from the truck and moved it from the road up my driveway and into my garage.

At least it has fingers. The HF brake's usefulness is severely limited by the lack of fingers. I looked at one in an HF store Tuesday. I have no idea what I'd use it for.

Nice! ...Jim Thompson

=A0 =A0 =A0...Jim Thompson

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=46rom what i have read VietNam is getting it's act together, ala their=20 sponsor China. Not a lot of data, not all necessarily reliable.

Now this helps me understand how blessed my high school years were, I had all of that plus the equivalents for wood shop (including a 48=20 inch planer) and welding (gas/electric-rod/GMAW&GTAW) available if=20 i took those courses, and drafting with PMP arms. In the 1960s. Oops, i don't think the HS had punch presses.

news: snipped-for-privacy@o19g2000vbj.googlegroups.com.

base.

I used the same in the navy in the early 1970s. Hell of a good deal.

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auto

I neglected the Auto shop with six repair bays with vehicle lifts. As i said in the 1960s. Also the science department, in my biology=20 class we did solvent transport chromatography, in two dimensions. In chemistry we built and ran HS experiment grade reflex 'stills.

Don't bother telling me, there are junior colleges that would consider=20 murder and mayhem to obtain this level of equipment even now.

Yep, Back when I was in junior high school (middle school for you young bucks)... 1952-1955, males were required to take "shop": drafting (*), wood working, and sheet metal. Females had to take home economics ;-)

My high school was divided into three sections: college preparatory, technical (you name it... electrician training, aircraft maintenance, machine shop, welding, drafting...), and distributive education (secretaries, store clerks, etc.)

All now prohibited under political correctness.

This was in the "backward" state of West Virginia ;-)

(*) I couldn't fit any high school shop into my college prep schedule, so I took drafting in the summer of 1955. Entered the Southern WV Craftsmen's Fair... and won ALL categories in drafting ;-) ...Jim Thompson