press brake suggestions

[jooky]

I have a couple home projects comming up that would involve building a few aluminum boxes. I plan to to use 3/32 thick aluminum and the widest box would be 4 foot wide.
So the boxes would be 5 sided boxes around 4 foot long X 2 foot wide X 1 foot tall. That would be the largest item I ever plan to bend. I am wondering what is the cheapest bender I could get away with?

I'm hot sure about the conversion from mild steel to aluminum... would this work?

http://www.toolamerica.net/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/748649/vpcsid/0/SFV/25699

 

[ledon]

The maximum thickness for aluminum could be as high as 1/8". Since aluminum is so much more pliant. This would depend on the length of the bend and how you set the machine up.

 

[IFRs]

You will have to choose the aluminum alloy carefully. Many will be too brittle for this brake, expecially when bending with the grain. A box and pan brake does not make a sufficient radius bend for the high strength aluminums. Minimum bend radius can be as much as 3x thickness although 1x thickness is usually OK. WIth the softer alloys 3xxx and some 5xxx you may be able to bend with the tight radius of the box and pan although I would still worry about bending with the grain.

 

[ShaggyPE]

Typically when we design in aluminum sheet (for enclosures) we us 5052-H32.