Quick build Kit and Sheet Metal Fabrication

[TJ_Slice]

I've been doing some forum searches as I prepare to equip my workshop. Specifically, I am looking at sheet metal shears & brakes.

I'll come across posts that give good advice, but then realize they are specifically talking about a scratch build.

The consensus seems to get as a big a brake and shear as you can afford. Is that really necessary with the current kits? Isn't the majority of the sheet metal fabrication going to be for antennas, radio racks, etc? It seems like 24" units would be big enough.

Alternatively, I have been designing parts and 3D printing for over 10 years. I am contemplating doing 3D printed prototypes and then using one of the online services, such as SendCutSend, to fabricate the final design.

Any thoughts?

[jaredyates]

I have occasionally needed a brake that can handle 48" pieces, but it is so seldom with a kit that I have been able to beg and borrow use of someone else's. If you build exactly as intended and don't deviate from the stock build, you probably wouldn't need one. It is handy to have a little 18" brake bolted to a work bench to make brackets and such.

Some of the longer things that I can remember bending: Rudder cable covers in the cabin area, Replacement instrument panel during upgrade, Skylight trim parts, that type of thing.

Tools I have also borrowed one time on from local building friends: Blasting cabinet, lathe, roller, mill.

[Utah-Jay]

I started with only access to 36” brake and shear

48” is needed for the boot and engine cowl

go big if you css as n afford it

[svyolo]

I got by with a cheap HF 36" brake. In two places I had to splice together shorter pieces to make a longer one (eng cowl U channels and lower door skins). I used a "Track" saw to cut AL, which works brilliant. A shear would be nice, and I would want one for a scratch build. I didn't miss one on my QB kit.

[Nev]

I didn't have a brake at the time of my build. The top of my wooden workbench has gaps between the planks, so anytime I needed to bend aluminum sheet I slid them vertically between planks and applied force to bend them. It worked surprisingly well for the cowls and other all other sheet metal parts. The only part that required a brake was the instrument panel which I sent a .dxb file to a local company and they cut with a water-Jet and bent with their in-house brake. Some of the smaller parts can easily be bent in a Vice between blocks of wood. I've since built my own 36" brake, but it's more of a "nice to have" than a necessity. Same for the shear - nearly all of my sheet metal cutting was done with a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder, and surprisingly effective and quick.

[Dpearson]

I have a cheap 18" brake that is serving me well for bracketry and small parts after adding a 1" square steel tube to the underside of the leaf (the part that moves) to stiffen it up. (Side note: the wing crates are a great source of raw material for such modifications. I had plenty of leftover steel after building a wing rotisserie.) Here are photos of what I did. The Russ Erb CD provided the inspiration - he had a similar brake and did a few other mods to his which I may duplicate. For anything larger I'm able to get help from my local EAA chapter.

[Jhankins]

I got my kit in 2021 and did not need a brake for the instrument panel or any other kit supplied piece. I did buy a 30” harbor freight brake for some custom work and it has worked fabulously for material up to .040” thick. The only time I’ve needed a longer brake thus far is for custom made side boot cowl extensions, the piece that covers the fuselage area below the pilot/co-pilot door sill and connects to the belly pan. In my kit, and as I understand in others, the supplied piece of AL only covers half the length (fore to aft) of the door sill area, this is per the plans and Bobs design. I made a full length custom piece because it is a high traffic area, wanting to avoid any unnecessary potential fabric damage.

[TJ_Slice]

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll start with something inexpensive, and see how it goes from there.