face plate bent

[ND13]

The face plate on my PSound is bent a tad on one corner. It was this way when I got it and is just a cosmetic thing, but I'd like to try and straighten it out. It's a rack mount face and seems to be made out of billet aluminum. Am I right in that assumption? I was thinking that if I removed it and put it in a vice and SLOWLY turned the vice, it would be okay, but I know how fragile aluminum can be. Of course I'd wrap it so not to mar up the finish. It would probably be better if I could heat it up, but then the finish would most likely discolor.

I doubt that I could find a replacement.

Any advice???

[steveinaz]

If the bend is mild, the vise trick should work fine. I would not heat it up. Cover the finish in masking tape, then use some other form of smooth covering.

[ND13]

Yeah, I wasn't going to heat it. It's weird, you'd think that it would have cracked when it was bent, but it didn't. Do you know if I'm right about it being aluminum??

[audiobliss]

Aluminum is fairly soft, no? I would expect it to bend a bit before breaking/cracking. I would try the vise idea, but most definitely be sure you wrap that sucker up good! I bet the bend isn't too noticeable to those who don't know it's there. If the teeth on the vice come through a towel or something and scratch up that faceplate, it's going to be very noticeable. I'd hate to trade a mild bend for scratches!

[steveinaz]

Yeah, I wasn't going to heat it. It's weird, you'd think that it would have cracked when it was bent, but it didn't. Do you know if I'm right about it being aluminum??

Don't know for sure brother, I would suspect it's aluminum...

[danger boy]

call a local aluminum shop and see what they recommend. it would be sad if you somehow did more damage to it trying to fix the bend.

[reeltrouble1]

Its Unique, a battle scar, be proud of it. Cover it with a Purple Heart or Forget about It.

RT1

[Skynut]

How thick is it?
I don't think you will get it totally flat in a vice. There will be some spring back.
If you can put part of it in a vice as close to the bend as possible then use something to push the other part in the direction you want it to go.
You might want to use wood in the jaws of the vice after you put tape on the aluminimum, this will help keep the jaws from marring the surface through the tape.
Also you might just smack it lightly with a rubber mallet.

Definatley be careful to not make it more obvious than it is now.

[SCompRacer]

Heating the faceplate would add to your problems. Aside from discoloring, handling it at the temp you would need would be tricky since heat quickly travels through it.

Here are some pics of a TFM-45 I repaired. I used some thin dense felt between some scrap, hardwood in a bench vice. Note that once you straighten it, the aluminum will buckle or may even crack/tear.

[ND13]

That's about the same as mine. Even in the same place. I'm not sure I even want to try it or not. Wanted some feedback before I decide.

Edit-The bend in your's might be a little worse than mine the more that I look at it.

[Skynut]

I work with metal all the time and if it were me I would go for it however, I work with metal all the time and I also will not "freak out" too much if I blow it.
If you are not comfortable working with metal then you might want to leave it rather than to chance doing damage.
The aluminium on the face plate is probably hardened to some point and may not "want" to bend back without fracturing. Heating can cause discoloration as previously mentioned.
If it bothers you that much go for it and if you really don't notice it that much now then leave it.

It would be a bummer if it got all buggered up during the repair.
I have buggered up metal trying to make it do something it did not want to do.

[Polkersince85]

If it is aluminum, it is probably anodized. Scratch it and you are done. If you must try to bend it back, remove the plate from the unit, cover it with tape and use hardwood blocks in the vise. be sure you apply pressure ACROSS the bend. Trying to hold the bent corner only may bend the whole plate. Personally, I would just leave it if you can't see it from the road. Tell your grandkids about how the UPS lady dropped it from the truck.

[audiobliss]

Tell your grandkids about how the UPS lady dropped it from the truck.

...and how you dived from 13 feet away and caught it, only to trip on the cat walking up the stairs on the way inside. :D