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Sheet Metal Fabricator needed


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I've designed a mount for using my netbook in the truck, the only problem being I don't have any access to the machinery required to make it.

So what I'm after is someone on here who has experience in sheet metal work with Ali and has the tools to make a nice job, who I can send the CAD model too and they post me back the finished article!

Beer tokens are available :).

It is all made from 4mm Ali.

The attached picture is a screen-shot from Catia of the mount:

EDIT: forgot to mention, if there is any chance it can be with me by the 23rd for the Seven sisters trip, it would be GREAT :D

post-5198-0-73638400-1314572323_thumb.jpg

Edited by landroversforever
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You don't want much eh? :P

Can't you have a go at making something simpler your self? It's going in your Landy, so does it really have to look that bling?

You could make that shape in 2 pieces that could be bent in a vice (just remembered you don't have one of those. Got one at work?) and pop rivetted together. You get the idea?

Print shapes onto paper, draw/scribe around them, or just mark out straight onto the metal, and cut out with the Angel Grinder :D

Comeon Ross - give it a go.

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I can do it for you, the best way would be to send dxf to laser cutters of the blank(have you allowed for bend allowance?)I could then fold it

Maybe put into production!

I have only built it as a finished item, so I don't have any models and therefore drawings as a blank. Not sure how I would 'unfold' it to get the blank as I'm not sure how much dimensions will change when folded.

You don't want much eh? :P

Can't you have a go at making something simpler your self? It's going in your Landy, so does it really have to look that bling?

You could make that shape in 2 pieces that could be bent in a vice (just remembered you don't have one of those. Got one at work?) and pop rivetted together. You get the idea?

Print shapes onto paper, draw/scribe around them, or just mark out straight onto the metal, and cut out with the Angel Grinder :D

Comeon Ross - give it a go.

Can't fold ali in a vice and have it look good :P. The tart in me wants it to look good, the simple and neat design from a single piece is what satisfies that.

I made something very similar in persex. Easy to work with home tools and bend with a hot air gun. In black looks very professional.

Change from a tenner as well.

I hadn't thought about perspex... will have a think about it :).

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  • 11 years later...
On 8/29/2011 at 3:59 AM, landroversforever said:

I've designed a mount for using my netbook in the truck, the only problem being I don't have any access to the machinery required to make it.

So what I'm after is someone on here who has experience in sheet metal work with Ali and has the tools to make a nice job, who I can send the CAD model too and they post me back the finished article!

Beer tokens are available :).

It is all made from 4mm Ali.

The attached picture is a screen-shot from Catia of the mount:

EDIT: forgot to mention, if there is any chance it can be with me by the 23rd for the Seven sisters trip, it would be GREAT :D

post-5198-0-73638400-1314572323_thumb.jpg

Just wondering who on here does sheet metal fabrication? You know making panels for vehicles on cars and hvac and stuff. would like to get into it a little. Just wondering what special tools do u need to do so and for those who own a business what is a majority if your work?

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Blast from the past! Never ended up making that and threw together a wooden version for the netbook to sit on for seven sisters.

As for sheet metal work like that... have a search for retropower and watch their videos. they've got lots on panel shaping etc. For what tools, again, just watching various metal work youtube channels will give you an idea. If you're wanting to get into it further and more of the panel beating stuff - have a look at local colleges/schools for evening classes. Or find a friendly shop nearby that might be willing to show you stuff at the weekends in turn for a bit of help. 

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10 hours ago, saxere74 said:

Just wondering who on here does sheet metal fabrication?

There's a few folks doing it on here for projects, if you mean professionally I'm not so sure.

The answer to your question about tools depends massively on what you're trying to do - some folks get by with not much more than an angle grinder and a MIG welder, others have CNC laser cutters and 100 ton press brakes.

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12 hours ago, saxere74 said:

Just wondering who on here does sheet metal fabrication? You know making panels for vehicles on cars and hvac and stuff. would like to get into it a little. Just wondering what special tools do u need to do so and for those who own a business what is a majority if your work?

I do some sheet metal work, if you have a look at my lightweight vent panel and bulkhead build thread you will see, panel forming with hammers, folders and pressing. I don't have any specific specialist equiment, just the norm, press, hammers,  fo!der etc however I do have a decent imagination and this is my most powerful tool, 80% of what you want to do can be achieved with a little out the box thinking, or you tube

Hardwood is useful to shape easily and then form your metal around, above all you will need patience as you will almost always not get it right first time although once you are forming acceptable panels it becomes deeply satisfying

Any future questions please ask regards Stephen

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Alternatively, many Laser Cutters will fold as well.

While I have the facilities for folding, I rarely bother to do it myself.  The cost difference between cutting alone & cutting then folding is pretty small.

For little stuff, I have one of these & it's fantastic!  https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-adjustable-vice-jaw-bender-100mm-300371

For medium (6mm thick up to 300mm) I have a press with tooling

Anything bigger, or too complicated to figure out how to bend it, I just cut slots on the bends.  Then it's hard to stop the bend landing on the exact line you need.

image.png.383007402625d2cb9cc2aa27026b20a4.png

This approach worked on a bit of 20mm thick steel.  Still needed a sledge hammer to bend it - but it bent perfectly.

If the bend needs the strength, you can put a nice fillet weld in the gap.  I made the gaps on the above wider than they need, to make them obvious.  If you make them 1/2 the material thickness, wide - the inner edges touch one another.

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12 hours ago, simonr said:

Alternatively, many Laser Cutters will fold as well.

While I have the facilities for folding, I rarely bother to do it myself.  The cost difference between cutting alone & cutting then folding is pretty small.

For little stuff, I have one of these & it's fantastic!  https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-adjustable-vice-jaw-bender-100mm-300371

For medium (6mm thick up to 300mm) I have a press with tooling

Anything bigger, or too complicated to figure out how to bend it, I just cut slots on the bends.  Then it's hard to stop the bend landing on the exact line you need.

image.png.383007402625d2cb9cc2aa27026b20a4.png

This approach worked on a bit of 20mm thick steel.  Still needed a sledge hammer to bend it - but it bent perfectly.

If the bend needs the strength, you can put a nice fillet weld in the gap.  I made the gaps on the above wider than they need, to make them obvious.  If you make them 1/2 the material thickness, wide - the inner edges touch one another.

The slots - another simple yet elegant solution, love it.

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As with any business you need at least one of these two  - a client base or a product.

With a client base you need the ability and capability to produce what they want, at a quality that is acceptable, at a competitive price. Being a "jobbing shop", where the customer comes to you and asks you to make something, gives you a potentially wider customer base but also many more companies competing for the same work. 

Intelligent machines make a huge difference but are very expensive and you need to be able to work with them.  CAD is great with sheat metal, especially 3D if you can do it. However, the great thing with this is there are lots of companies that can do this sort of work and usually at reasonable prices. 

With laser cutting, if you have only one part you will pay a premium.  If you have lots of single parts from the same material it will cost less for the individual part as it will come from the same sheet.

Folding is different. Each part will have to be set up for folding, so a repetitive part will cost less per item.

So onto specialist products.  For this you will need a way to market and sell your product. This in itself needs its own budget and may also mean your product is sold nationality rather than locally. If you sell systems/projects etc then you may need to travel to meetings to sell your product. 

I have worked in a few companies that were based on sheet metal products and also jobbing shops. Any questions you have I will gladly answer the best I can, but obviously only based on my own experience. 

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45 minutes ago, Mossberg said:

As with any business you need at least one of these two  - a client base or a product.

With a client base you need the ability and capability to produce what they want, at a quality that is acceptable, at a competitive price. Being a "jobbing shop", where the customer comes to you and asks you to make something, gives you a potentially wider customer base but also many more companies competing for the same work. 

Intelligent machines make a huge difference but are very expensive and you need to be able to work with them.  CAD is great with sheat metal, especially 3D if you can do it. However, the great thing with this is there are lots of companies that can do this sort of work and usually at reasonable prices. 

With laser cutting, if you have only one part you will pay a premium.  If you have lots of single parts from the same material it will cost less for the individual part as it will come from the same sheet.

Folding is different. Each part will have to be set up for folding, so a repetitive part will cost less per item.

So onto specialist products.  For this you will need a way to market and sell your product. This in itself needs its own budget and may also mean your product is sold nationality rather than locally. If you sell systems/projects etc then you may need to travel to meetings to sell your product. 

I have worked in a few companies that were based on sheet metal products and also jobbing shops hjyhardware. Any questions you have I will gladly answer the best I can, but obviously only based on my own experience. 

thank you so much for your suggestion

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https://www.youtube.com/c/TheFabricatorSeries

This chap is excellent for what you're asking - he has done a lot of videos breaking down jobs he does, how much he charges, what his costs / consumables are, etc. and his welding advice is excellent too.

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/Urchfab

Urchfab is also pretty good, and again he's no-nonsense, not trying to sell you bling tools you don't need.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/27/2022 at 4:49 PM, FridgeFreezer said:

if you mean professionally I'm not so sure

I believe there are a couple of professional fabricators lurking on here.

I set up my own business based on off road motorsport back in Nov 2019, we predominantly manufacture in tube and Sheetmetal.
It's something that we find in the business there are loads of companies "getting by" but they dont really get into the nitty gritty of sheetmetal work and the results show. 

Anyone can have parts CNC cut and folded etc, but there's much more to it than that and I firmly believe it starts with the basic design, whether you use a fag packet or 3d CAD etc. 

If anyone has any questions they would like to ask with regards to sheetmetal etc then i'm happy to help.

 

Mods, if this is out of place please feel free to delete etc. I could have some images to share but I'm not 100% on the rules of posting as a business owner so for now I've left them out

 

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