Sunday, March 11, 2012

How much diamond plate


Do I need So at this point I started to look at the out side of the camper to see the bends and shape that the aluminum and also the plastic end cap on the rear of the camper That is the part of the camper that has been well loved.



The measurements for the length of each of the panels is easy it is just from end to end. The height is a little bit tricky the top and the bottom edges both bend into a 90 degree angle. I was not really confident the two times that I measured them. So I came up with a plan to help me and it also helped in another step. I went to Lowes and got two thin strips of aluminum brought it them back home and I bent them to fit right over the panel making somewhat of a template. Then without my wife knowing I took her cloth tape measuring tap that she uses for sewing and just ran it from one end of the template to the other end having it bend if the metal giving me the right measurement for the height.  

I then decided that I was also going to cover each corner with diamond plate having it bent into a 90 degree angle. This part was easy it is going to be 4 inches wide so when bent down the middle there would be  2 inches on both sides of the bent corner and the height is the same as the wall panels. Next I wanted to make sure that I would be able to shape it to the back end. So I went back to Lowes and got a strip of metal that was already bent to a 90 degree angle. At home I took the template of the rear of the camper put a cut in one side of the angle right where I wanted to bend it and did so.




With all this information in hand I looked a sheet metal shop (say that three times fast)and ordered the diamond plate.  After diamond plate came in I took it a welder so that they would bend the metal how I needed it bent. That is also were the templates I made came in handy again. I just gave the welder the diamond plate and the templates and they were able to the work with no problems.  As of right now I have a total of about 149 dollars invested in this project.

Before I end here I did want to see what the supervisor was doing during these first steps of the project.