20/20 bracket fab?

No fries

No fries

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2005
Location
Fort Mill
I made a sheet metal bracket yesterday and got to thinking what would have been the best/easier way. In hind sight I might have used the plasma cutter as much of the time was getting the shape right after I made a cardboard template. But I'm not proficient, digging it out and setting up seemed to be too much. But these are the tools I ended up using to making this janky bracket. What would you do and could I have made it quicker, better looking and more simple than my limited Fab skills?
 
Threaded rod is for marking hole transfer today. After i get the hole where it is bolted on top of the valve cover.
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I like your diy transfer punch. I've got 2 plasma tables, 2 CNC mills, several brakes and I would have built it pretty much the same way you did, run it through the vertical band saw, bend it in the vice and drill some holes.
Actually more realistically I would have started it, got the the part where it needed holes drilled, had a dead drill battery, set the part down and not touch the entire project for 4 months.
 
:dumbass:
You mean like this one that was 2 feet away while I used a nibbler and hand shear then ground the shape to the scribe lines I couldn't see with my old age.
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Lol doh....
 
Same here, I've worked on my jeep for the past few years a few hours a month sometimes not for months. I make excuses about not having time due to work, social stuff, and being sick or taking care of my wife after surgery, but reality is I just haven't made the time or the desire to make the time.
I'm trying to get back to working on it and not taking on any more projects till I finish this plus several around the house.
My list of items to get it running are short so I'm trying to finish up before end of the year, but I'm already making excuses that I might not make it, travel to OH for T-Giving, Fishing trip week after next and Cornhole tournament this weekend, Etc.
I need to drag my ass into the garage and just work on it during the week!!
 
No fries said:
What would you do and could I have made it quicker, better looking and more simple than my limited Fab skills?
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The best tool I have ever bought is a CNC plasma table. I make a carboard template of what I want to ensure everything fits. Take a picture of the template, import it into Autocad, and then trace the template. Send it to the CNC plasma and out comes a perfect bracket. What use to take hours now only takes minutes.
 
Joe_U4 said:
The best tool I have ever bought is a CNC plasma table. I make a carboard template of what I want to ensure everything fits. Take a picture of the template, import it into Autocad, and then trace the template. Send it to the CNC plasma and out comes a perfect bracket. What use to take hours now only takes minutes.
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Space and money I'd do this in a heartbeat. Have thought about it but my 2 car garage is already full, man I need to move. That's an awesome way to fabricate for sure. I need to simplify my life..... stop hording shit I'll never use.
 
No fries said:
Space and money I'd do this in a heartbeat. Have thought about it but my 2 car garage is already full, man I need to move. That's an awesome way to fabricate for sure. I need to simplify my life..... stop hording shit I'll never use.
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That makes me wonder... Other than holding the sheet/parts on the table, is there any reason preventing someone from installing a table vertically? Having one vertical next to the wall seems like it would offer a ton of space savings. Arc Droid may already solve this in a huge way, if you can live with the limitations.
 
No fries said:
Space and money I'd do this in a heartbeat. Have thought about it but my 2 car garage is already full, man I need to move. That's an awesome way to fabricate for sure. I need to simplify my life..... stop hording shit I'll never us
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I have a small 2'x2' table that doesn't take up a lot of space but allows me to make 90% of what I need. Used it last night to make a new fairlead. It took longer to make the template than it did to make the bracket. Quicker, more accurate, and allows complex shapes to be made easily.

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No fries said:
Space and money I'd do this in a heartbeat. Have thought about it but my 2 car garage is already full, man I need to move. That's an awesome way to fabricate for sure. I need to simplify my life..... stop hording shit I'll never us
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Can't run a plasma tablet vertically. As parts are cut, the part would start to fall off before the it's done being cut. Also, parts that have sections cut out of the main section would fall and jam between the plasma cutter and the material being cut. You would also have to deal with the cut through spray from the plasma burning the wall.

A huge benefit is a water table. Prevents warpage on thin material and parts come off cool to the touch immediately.
 
Joe_U4 said:
I have a small 2'x2' table that doesn't take up a lot of space but allows me to make 90% of what I need. Used it last night to make a new fairlead. It took longer to make the template than it did to make the bracket. Quicker, more accurate, and allows complex shapes to be made easily.

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Did you cut that by hand or is it CNC?
I have a 55 gal drum cut down for the 911 grate, but don't use it much so there isn't water in it and would have to drag it out.
Also if it is cut by hand do you use the cardboard as your template?
 
No fries said:
Did you cut that by hand or is it CNC?
I have a 55 gal drum cut down for the 911 grate, but don't use it much so there isn't water in it and would have to drag it out.
Also if it is cut by hand do you use the cardboard as your template?
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I snap of picture of the pattern, import it into AutoCAD, and trace it out. Then let the CNC plasma do it's thing.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
is there any reason preventing someone from installing a table vertically
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I personally know of two different people running vertical plasma tables with no issues. One had his table built specify to fit the space he had in a corner of his shop. There are commercially available tables too. Burntables is one company that comes to mind.
 
Joe_U4 said:
I have a small 2'x2' table that doesn't take up a lot of space but allows me to make 90% of what I need. Used it last night to make a new fairlead. It took longer to make the template than it did to make the bracket. Quicker, more accurate, and allows complex shapes to be made easily.

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What table do you have?
 
NCJeeplover said:
I personally know of two different people running vertical plasma tables with no issues. One had his table built specify to fit the space he had in a corner of his shop. There are commercially available tables too. Burntables is one company that comes to mind.
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Was thinking that I had seen someone selling one.

Joe_U4 said:
Can't run a plasma tablet vertically. As parts are cut, the part would start to fall off before the it's done being cut. Also, parts that have sections cut out of the main section would fall and jam between the plasma cutter and the material being cut. You would also have to deal with the cut through spray from the plasma burning the wall.

A huge benefit is a water table. Prevents warpage on thin material and parts come off cool to the touch immediately.
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I had thought about that. Would likely need to end the cuts so the parts dont fall out.

Like I said, Arc Driod has limitations, but likely fits the need of the occasional user with limited space. It can store in a cabinet until you need it, then set it and the plate out and cut.
 
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