On Oct 29, 4:39 pm, Trevor Jones wrote:
Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Oct 29, 11:59 am, Randy Replogle wrote:
...

If you do a lot you may want to start from scratch with 6061-T6 sheet.
It machines much better. Of course, they'd have to be painted.
Randy

5052 is better if you want to stiffen thin panels with a flange on the
edges. It will bend to a tighter radius without cracking, for example
0.050" 5052 can be bent on a 3-in-1 combo machine with no or very thin
padding over the male dies. 0.062" 6061 would probably crack.

Most of the panels I've made were for in-house test stand use and a
wire brush or Scotchbrite finish was more than adequate.

Jim Wilkins

6061-T6 would likely crack.


I did a bunch of work that involved bending complicated brackets out
of 1" flat bar, 1/8" thick. After several frustrating attempts, I
went to my local metal supplier, who looked at me with an enlightened
grin and walked over to his 8' hydraulic shear. He took a sheet of
1/8" 5052 (aluminum sheet metal, basically), and sheared 1" strips off
the long edge. I took them home and, not surprisingly, they worked
perfectly. I went back recently and got about 100' sheared for me for
future projets.

ww88