[artdutra04]

If your maximum thickness is going to be 0.125", then it sounds like you are going to be working with sheet metal forming tools. As such, 6061 and 7075 are actually pretty bad when it comes to "cold" sheet metal fabrication. 5052 would be a better bet, especially if you want to put any bends or edge flanges on it.

If you just want to cut the edges, look for a sheet metal shear; you can find one in your price range that can shear pieces three to four feet wide. However, trying to shear a piece that thick across the entire length of a shear may be too much for a manual one. In that case, you will need to find a local machine shop that specializes in sheet metal turret/punch, laserjet, or waterjet fabrication.