>Most shops have a sheer which will cut the larger peices to
>sizer and a brake which will bend them. You may consider a
>lighter guage  for the top since touindicate you will not
>have that much pressure there.

The other trick which allows a lighter gauge top cover, and may also allow a
lighter gauge bottom chassis piece, is to brace across the top corners of
the bottom piece (front to back) with some aluminium rod. Normally just
turning a hexagon or round section rod to length in a lathe, and then drill
and tap the ends for a suitable size screw. I think this will probably give
you enough rigidity for getting the hoses on & off the fittings, but if a
lot of effort is needed then the overall weight of the box may need to be
increased, or fix the box to some surface. If a lot of hose changing is
necessary then it is probably better to consider using the rapid change
fittings that air guns and the like use, or as used in the hydraulics
industry.

My personal preference is to use a hexagon section rod, as this then gives a
flat surface that can be used as a mounting for PCBs, allowing heavy
components to be mounted in the bottom of the chassis, and the PCB above
them with components hanging down if need be. The hexagon rod holds easier
in the lathe chuck for facing off the ends, and the drill/tap operation, and
the flat surfaces are easier to drill (and tap if need be) for the PCB
fixings.

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