Warped top plate during build - did I do something wrong?

[canonken]

Putting together my Reduction.  Plate and wood base fit perfectly...until I installed the transformer.  How there is a gentle warp in the plate (a bow that runs long-ways).  This mean when I set the plate into the wood housing, it is not sitting flat and flush.  Think warped cookie/baking sheet.

At the suggestion of someone else, I loosened the transformer bolts, but that didn't change anything.  I tried to bend the plate (wearing gloves, being careful) but that does not seem to do anything (and worried too much force could cause bigger issues, if it is even something I could bend without tools).

This happened to anyone before?  Frustrating to have it 'floating' and not sitting in the wood base.

Thanks!

[Paul Birkeland]

Give the plate a few weeks to settle down.  When aluminum is extruded it is rolled up into huge rolls and may have a slight curve to it.  This will tend to go away the longer the sheet is laying flat.

[canonken]

Thanks Paul!

It was strange it was fine when I got it, but now has it.  It's a slight bow but enough to notice.

Would you advice AGAINST trying to bend it? 

[Paul Birkeland]

I wouldn't recommend trying to bend it back. 

[pplater]

‘Canonken’ of TZ fame???

[canonken]

‘Canonken’ of TZ fame???

Haha yes!

And to think FP Journe made movements out of this stuff. No wonder they switched to solid gold.

[pplater]

Good to see you here; hope you are enjoying the Bottlehead ride as much as I am. It’s a lot easier than watchmaking and a whoooole lot cheaper than collecting!!!

Cheers,
pplater.

[aragorn723]

Give the plate a few weeks to settle down.  When aluminum is extruded it is rolled up into huge rolls and may have a slight curve to it.  This will tend to go away the longer the sheet is laying flat.

Might be some residual stress in the material.  We run into the same thing in the steel industry (in flat rolled steel, basically in giant rolls like what Paul is describing).

Dave

[canonken]

Good to see you here; hope you are enjoying the Bottlehead ride as much as I am. It’s a lot easier than watchmaking and a whoooole lot cheaper than collecting!!!

Cheers,
pplater.

Very true!  Got a Weller soldering station and fume fan for Christmas, and have this, some other things to build!

[EricS]

I had this same thing happen to me.  My aluminum was flat until I had it powder coated.  I guess the baking process accentuated some of the stress in the aluminum sheet.   After some time, it is flatening out just as PB indicated.   If it really bothers you and doesn't settle out on its own after a few months, install a few wooden blocks on the inside of the chassis and sink a screw into it through the top plate.  This will cinch it down for sure. 

[Doc B.]

A warp in a panel that is powder coated might be from it being sand blasted on only one side before coating. I did that to some panels before I took them for coating many years ago.

[EricS]

That could be, but I don't know all of the details concerning sand blasting.  The powder coat was applied to both sides.  Either way, the bend is reducing in magnitude over time.  The U-channel the i bolted to the bottom of the plate removed most of the warp, and the weight of the parts is further reducing the warp.  I'm really not concerned about this anymore...