Northern Virginia Roll Call

Tidewater Machine

 

This is the piece I'm looking at buying. At 0.025" thick I would imagine it would be easy to bend that angle.

http://amzn.to/2DvsACY

or this at 0.063 for a little more beef

http://amzn.to/2Dcvkr0

 

I may be able to help you out with that as long as the angled edges will be made along to the 18-24" edges

 

Thinner will be easier to bend, but also easier to accidentally damage. The 0.063" won't be that much harder to bend. Does the 24" width account for the bends?

 

I believe Lowes sells those as well

 

Does it have to be diamond plate? I cam help bend and cut sheet aluminum but that may be too thick and break upon bending. You better have it bent at a machine shop

 

No the the bends will be on the long edge and the space between the front and back cross pieces of the Voodoo Rack is 39 1/4", so that is the measurement where the bends will occur. I could also just bolt a flat piece to the top of the rack but figured this might look cleaner.

 

It doesn't have to be diamond plate but I thought that would look nice once I hit it with some bedliner. Is the diamond plate harder to bend?

 

Lol I'm heading over there in just a bit to see them in person. Cheaper on Amazon though even with it shipped.

 

Yeah, it'll be harder to bend. The point of the diamond plate texture is to make the plate rigid.

 

Diamond plate will be harder to bend without breaking because it is thicker. The type of aluminum will make a difference too...better to ask a machine shop tho

 

Just checked out that 0.063 piece at Lowe's and seems like it might be a bit wobbly at highway speeds and I'd like to avoid having to add some kind of center brace. Might have to find a thicker piece and just bolt it to the top of the rack to keep it simple.

 

Congrats man, Coast Guard right? You might have seen ilubbtimmyhos?

 

Yup! Got out of boot camp on the 11th and already at my unit breaking in lol

 

I suggest looking into the diy workshop in crystal city. I have been wanting to join but I don't have the time or the projects to justify it.

 

I think that place closed a few months ago

 

wow I used to work in cc but moved to Alexandria back in October that's crazy that the company closed. it seemed like a cool concept

 

did you ever have lunch at Crystal City cafe

 

Yeah it’s an awesome concept just so expensive and a pain to be able to use all the tools. Understandable to have to take a class to use the bigger tools like lathes and and what not but I think you had to pay for the classes on top of membership. Lots of overhead when you have to pay thousands of dollars for the tools and lease, especially in Arlington/dc

 

I think you mean CCR.

http://crystalcityrestaurant.com