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How can i reuse\fix\alter an existing metal CP
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etumor:

--- Quote from: Hoagie_one on July 06, 2004, 04:29:50 pm ---where does one start looking for such a service?

--- End quote ---

It isn't easy.  I started by going to http://local.google.com and running searches for "metal workers" and "metal fabricators" and "metal shops" and so forth.  But that isn't where I eventually found the guy.  I would call every single place I found on google and explain to them what I needed done ("I need a 24x18 inch sheet of aluminum bent in three places").  Most of them just told me they couldn't do it (it turned out most of the places I found make custom car parts).  But I kept calling around.  A few said they could do it if I didn't need it to be "precision," (if the angles could be a little off).  A few said they could do it perfectly, but quoted a high price tag.

But some of the places that I called understood what I was looking for and referred me to other places.  This is how I eventually found the guy who quoted me the great price.  I just brought him in the panel I needed, and said "copy that."  He was quick too -- I ordered two of them, and he had them 24 hours later.  Cool guy, was very curious about what I was doing, so I explained it to him.

It wasn't an easy search, but it paid off in the end.  I'm planning on getting several more panels made by the same guy.

-Jeff "etumor"
Hoagie_one:
i wonder if this guy could do some for me, assuming i cover shipping and whatnot
etumor:

--- Quote from: Hoagie_one on July 06, 2004, 04:43:33 pm ---i wonder if this guy could do some for me, assuming i cover shipping and whatnot

--- End quote ---

I don't have his contact info handy, but you should probably try to find somebody local anyway, since the cost of shipping him an old control panel and him shipping you back the new ones would end up eating up any savings that you would get by using the same guy that I found.

Don't be afraid to do a little leg work!  What I described before was done during my lunch break on two separate days, with no tools other than a phone and an internet connection.  The hardest part was explaining over and over again what I needed to people who didn't understand.

On the other hand, if "local" to you is Huntington Beach, California, then you may be in business.

-Jeff "etumor"
Hoagie_one:
OK, thx.
SoundDoc:
Check your local yellowpages for Sheet Metal Work or Sheet Metal Shops. If you don't find any, check out Heating Contractors, many have their own sheet metal shops. Their your best bet.
Our sister company is a sheet metal/HVAC shop. You should be able to get that piece fabed locally fairly easy. I've had our sister company bend up 1/4" aluminum plate in all kinds of crazy shapes before, yours is a very simple bend.
1/16" steel would be the cheapest and still fairly robust, or even 1/8" alluminum would be nice and easy to work with.

sd
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