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Need help finding a 16' press to bend a Alum Hull

goldhunter_2

goldhunter_2

Well-known member
Need help finding a 16' press/brake to bend a .125 Alum Hull. I am building a new Mud boat basiclly the same hull as my airboat except narrower 6cyl cadillac motor with a surface drive unit, problem I am having is I have a few bends that are 16' long and some that are 24" in form the side of the sheet. I am in Port St Lucie Fl I have found 5086 Alum in sheets 8X20 down in Ft ladrudale but need help finding someone who can bend this hull for me. anyone know where I could find someone, the closer the better? :?:
 
try hamant air boats ( AIRBOATS INC) here in melbourne they have a big brake to bend with give them a call and see 1-800-840-6998
 
IF they won't do it I know of another place I'll have to drive by and get the # and see if they can do it I was told that they just got about a 20 ft brake
 
I talked to that place earlier the guy said he thinks there brake is big enough but not sure if they will do it for me, they just build hulls for there boats He said he would have to talk with Doug and let him call me back later got my fingers crossed :D
 
Nope just talked to them agian, they said there brake is 12' he said there is a way to do it but they would have to reset there machine different and it would take to much time to do said I was better finding someone witha 16' press/brake so if you happen to see teh number for teh other place please let me know

Thanks
 
Classic/Panther has about a 20' brake & does work for us every now & then.
call 1-800-AIRBOAT & ask for Bud Bell.
 
There is one other alternative. This is how we use to build our homemade decked airboats that we used for huntin on our 14,000 acre lease here in Manchac, Louisiana. You build a square jig inside the sheet, just to the outside of where the sides are gonna start to come up. Then weld a Eyelet on both side equal to each other. Go to either Harbor Frieght or your local hardware store and buy 2 Come-Alongs and hook em up to both eylets and start cranking to break your sides up, plus you get the really smooth all round chimes this way. Once up weld the sides to your outside jig piece, and remove your center jig section, and your done with breaking the sides. I've built 1 boat like this cause I learned how from watching my dad and the other old-timers do it this way. Plus its cheaper for me to learn how to do it myself then to pay someone to do it for me.
 
I'll call panther tommorrow and see what they say, thanks


Thanks for the idea. I have hand bent, cut an bent, or cut cut panels and reweld I was really just wanting to have a faster build on the hull plus much easier becuase the motor setup and building the surface drive unit is going to take a good bit of time. I don't really want a round chine I want the breaks/bends for strengh as this hull will take a pretty good beating maybe more then most of ya'll airboat
 
Duckhunter, what you're talking about sounds very interesting....unfortunately it made 0 sense to me :shock:

Do you have any pictures or drawings to illustrate what you're doing?
 
Red drawf ,
If I understand him correctly he is talking about makeing a wood set of Jigs the shape you want the boat at each point. for exaple the transom you drill a drill in the sides above every bend and put a eye bolt there on both sides . with the wooden jig secure and centered he is winching them toeghter then placeing the metal transom there (with the wood jig still in place) and tack welding it to hold the side of the hull. after it is tack welded then he is removing the wooden jig and welding up the seems and the holes

Hopefully that helps, this method works fine but once you get over like .90 it's pretty hard to do right at least in my opion
 
Thats basically how I do it, but I use a square frame jig out of aluminum and just tack it in place and pull the sides up. And I use a piece of wood for the transom thats in the same shape or form that the transom is gonna be. I've built 2 full deck all 1/8" .125 airboats like this, and I've done one open hull with a 3/16" .190 bottom with the 1/8" .125 sides, Somethings just take a little practice and skills, plus I've watched my dad and Uncle build over 20 airboats this exact same way, so I've had some practice.
 
Thats basically how I do it, but I use a square frame jig out of aluminum and just tack it in place and pull the sides up. And I use a piece of wood for the transom thats in the same shape or form that the transom is gonna be. I've built 2 full deck all 1/8" .125 airboats like this, and I've done one open hull with a 3/16" .190 bottom with the 1/8" .125 sides, Somethings just take a little practice and skills, plus I've watched my dad and Uncle build over 20 airboats this exact same way, so I've had some practice.
 
Talked to Bud down at panther today :D :D they got a 18' press and said $95 per hour for the press and someone to run it. I''ll try to pick up my alum in ft lardurdale next week bring it home and lay it out then see when they can fit me in to do the bending :D

Thanks for the help!!!! :D :D :D :D :D
 
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