From: muratlanne@gmail.com   
      
   "Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:v4q2pi$skkt$1@dont-email.me...   
      
   After Jim's suggestions to make my own tool box I started looking at low   
   volume (as in physical space) methods of creating all the pivot points.   
   The actual hinges of the box lids may need to be actual hinges.  I'm not   
   sure I have the ability with the tools I currently own to make slip   
   rolled hinges from the sheet metal.  They would need to be rolled quite   
   small.  I do have a spot welder so it might be a good place to look into   
   learning to use it.   
      
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   I'd like to own a separate shear and finger brake but I lack the space, so   
   when I ran a well equipped company model shop I experimented to see how   
   little I could get away with at home. It came down to a 30" shear/brake/roll   
   and hand tools like "seamer" pliers, a clone of the Roper #5 punch and   
   layout tools. Punching is much neater than drilling sheetmetal, and the   
   punch has a point to help align it in a layout dimple. Intersecting corners   
   in a box should end in a small punched hole. A corner notcher is nice to   
   have when folding trays and boxes, I bought one at auction, but it's not   
   essential.   
   .   
   I've formed a hinge barrel around a rod in the bottom of a U bend by   
   squeezing/hammering the folded flap shut, tightly up against the rod. This   
   is easier and stronger than trying to roll up only the edge and leaves space   
   for the spotwelds. I think the grooves in the 3-in-1's slip rollers could do   
   it more neatly than I did with blocks of scrap, if I had planned the   
   sequence of operations better. It helps to try your intended bends etc on   
   scrap to be sure of machine clearances and limits. For instance I can't form   
   a flange less than 1/2" wide with the press brake because a narrower one   
   will slide down into the lower die. If I bend a narrower flange over an edge   
   with a soft hammer the metal must be moved a little at a time from end to   
   end or else it will stretch and warp the flange. Hammering on a piece of   
   wood held against the flange works better than pounding directly on it, and   
   sharpens the corner.   
      
   For the tray link pivots I might make the links thick enough to tap for   
   short or cut-off machine screws, use hobby store brass tube as the pivot   
   bushing and lightly peen or Loctite the end of the threads into the link.   
   The OD of #5 screws is 1/8",  #6 is 9/64" and #10 is 3/16". #8 may be   
   slightly over 5/32", a tap will fit it. The heel of my small anvil is handy   
   for riveting 3D shapes.   
      
   Sheet metal can be sheared with a cold chisel along the top edges of   
   hardened vise jaws, preferably reversed to put their smooth back sides   
   against the work. This is useful for cutouts. It can be milled by screwing   
   it to plywood around the edges and through any/all existing holes.   
      
   Good luck!   
      
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