How To Bend Copper Sheet Metal

Determine your minimum bend by measuring the distance from your closest feature i e.

How to bend copper sheet metal.

In order to bend adjacent sides you will need a box and pan brake. To remove irregularity or improve uneven bends place a hardwood piece lengthwise along the bend and hit the bend with increased strength using a heavy duty hammer or mallet. Here s a good rule of thumb for most materials. A cutout or the edge of your flange to your bend.

Clamping your sheet metal to the straightedge is a must. Otherwise the sheet metal is almost certain to shift as you bend it resulting in a bad bend. Now you can bend one side after another has been bent without damaging the first bend. Choose a bend radius that matches your minimum bend.

If you have any questions or want to discuss your design contact us. 20 gauge copper can be cut with heavy duty snips or sheet metal shears. Monkeys spinning monkeys by kevin macleod. While you can bend this copper with your hands to get a sharp 90 degree bend you must use a sheet metal brake.

In other words if you re bending 1 8 sheet use a tool with a 1 8 radius to form the inside of the bend. Yes you can rig it by bending the metal over an edge like a board but the bend is not the same. To clamp efficiently lay your sheet metal on the top surface of your straightedge with the drawn line perfectly aligned with the outside edge of the sheet metal. In some cases as with thicker sheet of metal you may need to use a sheet metal brake to apply your bend.

The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming. It s often used for various construction art and craft projects diy projects electrical applications research and development and much more.