How Do You Bend Sheet Metal By Hand

Make your own sheet metal break.

How do you bend sheet metal by hand.

The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming. Using the edge of your workbench a length of wood two clamps and a mallet you can fashion a rudimentary bending brake. Here s a good rule of thumb for most materials. How to bend sheet metal.

You can use a tape measure or ruler to measure the thickness of your sheet. Calculate your bend allowance. Next place the wood parallel and slightly behind the bending line. Determine the thickness of your sheet.

Clamp the wood on top of the metal to the workbench. 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. Step 1 measure and marking your sheet metal. Before attempting to make your bend you ll need to measure and mark the place where you want to.

Mark a bend line and place the sheet metal on the edge of your bench. Step 3 align materials. Having the right tools on hand will help this process go smoothly and quickly. Start at one end and slowly work down to the other.

Step 2 choose a straightedge. Preparing to bend sheet metal with a vise 1.