Tim Wescott wrote:
This machine:

http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...oll_WT_Import_

is claimed to be good for up to 20 gauge mild steel.

It seems that 5052-H32 aluminum is the stuff to use, if you're going to
use aluminum.

What thickness of this stuff should I expect a "20 ga mild steel"
shear/brake/etc combo to handle?

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Make sure that this model will take a full 12 inch sheet of metal. I
remember reading somewhere that
a guy bought the Grizzly version of this machine and discovered that
it could only handle 11.7 inches.
Since sheet metal usually comes in increments of 12" this might be a
problem with this machine. I bought
the 30" model from ENCO because of this limitation. I use it for
making radio chassis and cutting PC board.
ENCO has good deals on sheets of aluminium in their monthly sales
catalog. The 30" inch model is way larger
than I need, it would have been nice to find a true 12" shear.

Jeff