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. Measure and mark the bend location along one edge of the stainless steel sheet with the tape measure and awl. 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. I predicted that i needed about 3 feet of leverage to bend the thin wall square tube i found.

The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming. 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. 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. Place a second bend mark on the edge of the stainless steel sheet parallel to the edge you just marked.

I surreptitiously push on the section to determine if i can bend it. As a result the wipe die also determines the bend s inner radius. 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. To cut the steel bar use a pair of bolt cutters preferably about 24 inches 60 cm long.

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. Start at one end and slowly work down to the other. This method tends to damage the tubing however. Here s a good rule of thumb for most materials.

Wipe bending or edge bending is another way to bend sheet metal edges. Then use your bend allowance to draw your second bend line the intervening distance between your bend lines bend radius. It is important to make sure that the sheet is properly pushed onto the wipe die.