Plate Brkt reinforcment

[garage nut]

Again the heat is driving me off the boat so time to make a bracket to fit the radio. the radio was previously surface mounted, but I would not like to cut a hole in the new center console untill such time I have confirmed the radio works. Also technology has moved on and now it is possible to connect your radio to your GPS and if you send out a distress call your GPS coordinates are also sent, so perhaps time for an upgrade

I have seen these little simple tools, just a nice big "V" in a solid block of steel. Once the plate brkt about 1 to 1.2mm sheet steel is bent, you simply take a chisel and create a dent into the "V" right on the corner of the bracket. It gives it a lot of stiffens.

[thx569]

Again the heat is driving me off the boat so time to make a bracket to fit the radio. the radio was previously surface mounted, but I would not like to cut a hole in the new center console untill such time I have confirmed the radio works. Also technology has moved on and now it is possible to connect your radio to your GPS and if you send out a distress call your GPS coordinates are also sent, so perhaps time for an upgrade

I have seen these little simple tools, just a nice big "V" in a solid block of steel. Once the plate brkt about 1 to 1.2mm sheet steel is bent, you simply take a chisel and create a dent into the "V" right on the corner of the bracket. It gives it a lot of stiffens.

Thanks for that simple solution.. Sometimes I over think my problems with elaborate tools that take too much time and money

[Ralphxyz]

Thanks, so simple

Ralph

[Toolmaker51]

Yep, punched gussets, dimples and all their other AKA's very common feature in stamping dies. Your car can have hundreds of them.
You'll see them in construction ties, garage door hardware, brackets etc. Expedient money saver in dies, presses and material by compensating with thinner material. A pointed punch is common, but the strongest is rounded, little more than a dowel and pocket equal to dowel diameter + material thickness with 10%. Some are rubber die blocks, but most are tool steel. Block doesn't need full contact at width, then the notch eases, blends or 'fairs' into each perpendicular face. An ideal contour is not pinched, with minimal thickness lost to deformation.
An engineering spec can delineate male or female, not so easily described looking at a part, but how they desire form achieved in the dieset. The opposite can be described as a 'knuckle'. You've seen these in footlocker corners, and feet of different articles. Simple as a short ball-nosed rod, into a pocket sized as mentioned above.

[nhengineer]

Probably a 'dulled' chisel, eh Mr. G. Nut? Those 'gussets' are quite effective but man are they tough to draw in SolidWorks. Every time I need to make one I have to go back to the tutorial to figure out how to do it. This is one of the few times, using your idea, it is actually easier to make it in the shop than in engineering.

[Sleykin]

Cool Idea. If you had a lot of them to do you could weld a bar with a bump on it to just slide the part in and hit it. Think fullering tools...

[Toolmaker51]

Cool Idea. If you had a lot of them to do you could weld a bar with a bump on it to just slide the part in and hit it. Think fullering tools...

Bar with a bump = punch. Receptacle for the hit = die.
Yessir. Achieved with different mechanical means and name; but fullering none the less...

[hemmjo]

Probably a 'dulled' chisel, eh Mr. G. Nut? Those 'gussets' are quite effective but man are they tough to draw in SolidWorks. Every time I need to make one I have to go back to the tutorial to figure out how to do it. This is one of the few times, using your idea, it is actually easier to make it in the shop than in engineering.

This happens all the time. Not trying to take away from engineers, but too many times a final design is a product of what and engineer or architect can DRAW.

My Dad was a machinist for Curtis/Wright, bought by North American Aviation, which then became North America Rockwell, then Rockwell International, now part of Boeing. He missed WWII because he was too busy building airplanes.

I loved hearing stories of things he worked on and problems he had to solve. So many times, engineering would send down a drawing that was so difficult to machine, but, easy to draw.

When making things, I always try to engineer first for sizes and locations of critical features, but once in the shop the design is more often than not changed due to material availability and machine capability.

The engineers and guys in the shop HAVE to work together. Neither position, is superior to the other.

[Toolmaker51]

Here is a simplistic viewpoint.
It doesn't classify as a legitimate debate; but whenever hearing a comment relating to "only made possible by technology", can't help but reflect on how history (both recent & farther back) shoots holes in that.
Manually speaking, all there were until not so long ago; mechanical adding machines, slide rules, log & sine tables, known properties of tensile & shear strength, understanding of incalculable numbers of manufacturing processes, not to mention limitless intuition & experience... Plenty more, too extensive for memorization. Not exactly a requirement to have that ability; knowing how and where to retrieve information is still paramount.

All on drafting vellum via lead pencils and ink

Arming for WWII is a perfect example, as is the beginning of space program, major construction projects Empire State Building, Golden Gate or any other bridge, Interstate Highway System, Hoover or Grand Coulee Dams, landline phone systems (inc not so lowly rotary phone), precision measurement...try to find beginning of that list.

[Toolmaker51]

(paraphrased a bit)

This happens all the time. Not trying to take away from engineers, but too many times a final design is a product of what and engineer or architect can DRAW.

I loved hearing stories of things he worked on and problems he had to solve. So many times, engineering would send down a drawing that was so difficult to machine, but, easy to draw.

When making things, I always try to engineer first for sizes and locations of critical features, but once in the shop the design is more often than not changed due to material availability and machine capability.

The engineers and guys in the shop HAVE to work together. Neither position, is superior to the other.

-------------------
I can remember reading this decades ago.
The Designer's Poem (not mine, author unknown)

The designer sat at his drafting board A wealth of knowledge in his head was stored Like "What can be done on a radial drill Or a turret lathe or a vertical mill?”

But above all things a knack he had Of driving gentle machinists mad. So he mused as he thoughtfully scratched his bean "Just how can I make this thing hard to machine?

If I make this perfect body straight The job had ought to come out first rate But would be so easy to turn and bore.
That it would never make a machinist sore.

So I'll put a compound taper there. And a couple of angles to make them swear. And brass would work for this little gear.
But its too damned easy to work I fear.

So just to make the machinist squeal I'll make him mill it from tungsten steel.
And I'll put these holes that hold the cap Down underneath where they can't be tapped.

Now if they can make this it'll just be luck Cause it can't be held by dog or chuck And it can't be planed and it cant be ground.
So I feel my design is unusually sound.

And he shouted in glee, "Success at last! This dam thing can't even be cast.