Do you guys etch your panels before you bend them?

Wondering if you all cut a small grove into the panel on the bend line or if you just bend the aluminum without it. Guess it would depend on the hardness a bit.
 
Darrin:
Depending on what alloy you plan to use you can bend to a very tight radius without cracks. I would think that scoring the panel might cause a split, and ruin your job in the long run.
If you are using alloy such as 6061 sheet you may need to go to a radius of 2 or 3 times the thickness to get a crack free bend....5052 0r 3003 will bend almost zero radius crack free.
Do a test bend on some stuff before you make up a whole panel and you will be fine.
Cheers
Phil
 
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