# Why is L-flashing impossible to find?!



## tibberous (Mar 25, 2010)

Shouldn't Lowes, or Home Depot, or ANY PLACE IN 50 MILES sell this? Because roll flashing is worthless without a $1000 sheet metal break, which apparently no one around me rents.

You'd think with as much crap as HD and Lowes carry, they'd have a product you need to finish a roof. 

Anyone know where to find this, or what I should be search for? I've called lumber yards, roofing supply, siding supply -- little rough even finding companies since most companies idea of having a website is 4 pages of filler text or an auto-listing on merchant circle.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Any siding company can bend some up for you in just a few min.


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

I have bent a lot of roll flashing using a home made brake. This includes copper and aluminum. I got my idea on how to make the brake from Fine Homebuilding magazine, which had a very nice article on making your own brake for bending sheet metal. Of course if you are in business commercially you are going to want a commercial brake, but I made two window Z flash tops, an L flash for my deck ledger (32 feet long), and flashing for my French doors using a brake that consisted of nothing more than a long, straight piece of 3/4 plywood and a 2x4 ripped to have a flat edge.

I don't know what you are trying to make, but this simple technique, which as I say I copied from Fine Homebuilding, worked very nicely.


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## MJW (Feb 7, 2006)

tibberous said:


> Because roll flashing is worthless



You are right. Maybe what you are looking for is dormer flashing. It comes in 10 ft. lengths and is 10 times stronger than coil. Look at a lumber yard, not a homeowner store.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If your calling around and asking for flasing that's the reason no one says they have it.
It's called soffit fascia not flashing.


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

Do you have an extension ladder? It's also a 'poor-man's break'. Didn't know that, did you?

Put the ladder, horizonally, on something sturdy, high enough that there is clearance for the metal you are bending.
Cut the metal to lenght.
Cut it to width.
Mark your metal where you want to bend it..
Slide the metal between the ladder sections. Avoid the area of the rung hooks.
Get on the ladder or at least hold it with enough weight so the metal stays in place.
Using the heel of your hand, start at one end of the metal and run your heel along it bending it about 5-10 degrees. Repeat as necessary until the desired shape is reached.
Use a short piece of 2x4 and a mallet or hammer to 'tighten' the crease for a sharp look.


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## OldNBroken (Jun 11, 2008)

You still use that method Frank? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Like others have said, if it's light gage many many siding contractors, gutter contractors, roofing contractors at least have a portable malco in their shops and can quickly bend you some up. Roofing suppliers would stock it also.

Sorry, mine isn't very portable but I'll sell it to you for $60K. :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

OldNBroken said:


> You still use that method Frank? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


 Nah. I just recently cut a 10' Tapco 19 down into 6' and 2-1/2' breaks. I kept another and also have an 8' er. And a Chicago. Oops, I forgot, and a 4' Tinsmith bench, I think it is....Not sure. You can't have too many!

The 2-1/2 makes a nice box break though it's no substitute for the real thing.


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## OldNBroken (Jun 11, 2008)

You are priceless sir. I would love to spend some time on a project with you sometime. I think that 3000 mile commute wouldn't work well though. 

I've got a Shopfox 4' box brake we load on the roof for detail work. It's pretty handy to have around. The handiest things I don't regret buying is the malco ER-3 and the wuko mini bender and discO bender. Expensive little tools but worth every penny. Have you ever checked out the Malco ER-3? I think you might find it very useful. 

Everything else is done at the shop. Then again, my projects generally require a lot more fabricating than yours. It's nice when everything is computerized.


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## tinner666 (Mar 14, 2005)

I keep planning on getting one. I will one day. The 2-1/2" is light and can be taken anywhere, but I'd love the er-3 too.


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