Aviation Sheetmetal Work

"Dan" wrote in message ...
Brian Whatcott wrote:
wrote:
... buying a lot of metal-working tools doesn't mean
you'll be turning out usable parts. ... So
instead of day-dreaming about a 48" metal brake from Harbor Freight
that you'll probably never buy anyway, why not pick up a piece of
angle iron and start LEARNING how to do metal-work....

-R.S.Hoover


There is another outcome possible at Harbor Freight - other than the
day-dream ending. Like me, you may BUY a tool.
I am thinking of the tube bender I bought. I KNEW that the usual tube
bender that features a ram pushing a forming tool against a pipe while
two side rollers hold it in place - is a disaster - it is about
guaranteed to collapse the wall unless the tube is loaded with sand, ice,
eutectic - whatever. So I bought the BETTER type tube bender on sale.
This has a roller that pulls the tube round a die - this provides the
motivation to stretch the tube wall on the outside, rather than ripple
the tube wall on the inside of the turn.

So fine: I bought it, and I bought a tube drilling jig, to make those
nicely fitted tube joints at 90deg, 45 deg etc....and plenty of other
things too.

What's wrong with that? I haven't used these tools at all. Not once.
And now I covet a machine lathe too (there could hardly be a more bargain
deal for $400 after all). Trouble is, Momma would have conniptions if I
put it in my study, and I would not dream of putting a machine lathe in
an unheated workshop where the ways might attract a layer of rust.
That would about break my heart.....

Brian W

One of the advantages in living alone in a house is one of my bedrooms
is my machine shop. It's more comfortable than a garage and cheaper than a
climate controlled shop.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired
Dan: One of the disadvantages I would have is sometimes my wife comes out
takes a look at what I'm doing and says " Wouldn't it be better to do it
this way?" She doesn't have any training or knowledge about machining but
she does have a totally fresh view from some other planet and sometimes she
catches me cold. It has happened a lot more than just a few times.

Stu