I've been working on the 4' Zenith-designed bending brake for a couple of days on and off. I think it's going to work great for fabricating most of the parts. I've looked through the plans pretty extensively, and an 8' brake is only needed for a handful of parts. I'll get those from Zenith. I've been a woodworker for most of my life, but working with steel is a whole new animal. I'm learning a lot just building the thing. Bring on that soft aluminum! I'm priming all parts with Ospho, then I'll paint them. Haven't decided on a color yet.
Brake parts cut to size, hinge relief slots trimmed. The powdery-looking coating is dried Ospho.
Fabricated hinge 1 of 4. The hinges are roughly 4" square.
Drilled and tapped table and clamp. First hole I ever tapped in steel. Yeeha.