How To Bend Stainless Steel Sheet By Hand

The slack between the wipe die and the punch plays an important role in getting a good result.

How to bend stainless steel sheet by hand.

I surreptitiously push on the section to determine if i can bend it. The stainless tubing can be bent using a ram bender by securing it in place on both ends and ramming the tubing in the center. I buy steel tube in 20 feet sections. Using protective gloves hold the free end of the metal sheet with one hand and with the other hand use a mallet or hammer to begin bending the sheet down and around the curved radius of the wood form.

This method tends to damage the tubing however. You can buy steel bars in the optimal length for hand bending from some online retailers or buy longer bars either online or from your local hardware store and cut off a piece of the desired length. The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming. Then use your bend allowance to draw your second bend line the intervening distance between your bend lines bend radius.

As a result the wipe die also determines the bend s inner radius. I predicted that i needed about 3 feet of leverage to bend the thin wall square tube i found. Step 2 put on your safety glasses. Now that you know your bend allowance take your protractor and draw a clear line with your marker across the point at which you will bend your sheet metal.

I can feel the tubing start to give and by sighting along the tube i can see how much the tube has bent. 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. Place a second bend mark on the edge of the stainless steel sheet parallel to the edge you just marked. Here s a good rule of thumb for most materials.

Measure and mark the bend location along one edge of the stainless steel sheet with the tape measure and awl. To cut the steel bar use a pair of bolt cutters preferably about 24 inches 60 cm long. Start at one end and slowly work down to the other.