Sheetmetal Brake
Today I took delivery of my new box-pan sheet metal brake. I purchased it new from a machine company in Dallas (Fabricating Machinery, Inc.). This machine is a Tennsmith U22-48. It is designed to bend a maximum of 22 gauge steel (about .029″ thick). It will do much more than this with aluminum. The max bend width is 48″. It weighs 280 pounds. I was just barely able to get it off the pallet that it was shipped on. I’ll probably leave it on the floor until I feel inspired to make a bench for it and lift it with an engine hoist.
Why did I need this to build an RV9A? I didn’t. However, I intend to fully enjoy this build process and having the right tools (albeit overkill) enhances the enjoyment for me. I am thinking about fabricating a center console out of sheet aluminum.
I have one tip for the wise: Make sure you have a very, very understanding wife before you start having stuff delivered that can’t be moved without other heavy machinery!
