In order to bend metal sheets in production, additional processing of the workpiece is not necessary. For this, special equipment is used. It may vary in design and principle of operation. Metal bending is considered a separate technological process that requires certain skills and knowledge to perform.
Metal bending
How to bend a sheet of metal evenly
Many people ask the question: how to bend a sheet of metal evenly?
And it is not surprising, because when carrying out construction work it may be necessary to perform a similar procedure. Small diameter pipes are bent using a vice. Very often during construction processes there is a need to bend pipes of quite large diameter. For such work, special machines are needed that bend metal sheets and pipes. The bendable component is not deformed.
Operating principle of the machines
A variety of equipment is used when bending metal parts. These can be machines for bending strips, pipes, sheets. In order to do quality work, it is important to understand how certain mechanisms work.
Manual sheet benders
Designed for bending metal sheets. They differ in the width of the working surface and the depth of the workpiece feed. Work order:
- The master presses the sheet of metal using a special beam.
- Using a bending beam, the sheet is bent to the desired angle.
- The workpiece is wrung out and pulled out of the machine.
At construction sites, garages, and workshops, it is more convenient to use manual sheet benders, but they are only suitable for bending metal sheets whose thickness does not exceed 2 mm.
Hydraulic sheet benders
This is modernized equipment that makes workers' work easier thanks to the use of hydraulic cylinders. Operating principle of the equipment:
- The fluid in the hydraulic cylinder drives the operating mechanism. It pushes the plunger, which changes the position of the cross member with the strikers.
- The sheet begins to bend under the influence of the working part of the machine.
The operation of the cylinders allows you to perform work accurately and quickly.
Electromechanical sheet benders
The operating principle of this equipment is the movement of an electric drive. On the basis of such machines, sheet metal presses are manufactured. Sheet benders equipped with an electric drive are available through and through. With their help, you can process workpieces of different lengths, heights and widths.
How to bend a sheet of metal evenly? Stages:
Tip: when bending parts, its thickness, ductility are taken into account and the radius of curvature is determined.
Metal bending technology
Bending sheet metal involves performing certain actions that cause the material to take the desired shape. The process of bending metal is performed without the help of welding or other connections that reduce the durability and strength of the material.
When folded, the outer layers of the product are stretched, and the inner layers are compressed. The technology is to bend one part relative to the other at the required angle.
During bending, the metal sheet undergoes deformation. Its value depends on the thickness of the product, ductility, bending angle and bending speed. The process itself is performed on equipment, due to which no damage is caused. If a part is bent incorrectly, various defects may occur on its surface, as a result of which the metal receives various damage along the bending line, which can lead to its breakage.
The bending stress must be greater than its stiffness limit. Plastic deformation may occur as a result of bending. Moreover, after the bending operation, the finished structure will retain the shape that was given to it.
Advantages of the process of smooth bending of metal sheets:
- High process productivity.
- As a result of bending, you can obtain a workpiece without a seam.
- The finished structure is highly resistant to corrosion.
- No rust will form at the bend.
- The design is solid.
- High strength.
- Special equipment is quite expensive.
- Manual bending is quite labor-intensive.
Unlike structures made by bending metal, welded structures have a weld that is susceptible to rust and corrosion.
Product bending is done manually or using special devices. Manual bending is a complex and time-consuming procedure that is performed using pliers and a hammer. If you need to evenly bend a sheet of metal of small thickness, use a mallet.
Bending of sheet metal is carried out using rollers, roller machines or a press. To shape the material into a cylinder, hydraulic, manual or electrically conductive rollers are used. Pipes are produced using a similar method.
Sheet metal bending is used for home construction purposes to produce gutters, metal frames, profiles, pipes and other structures. When bending the material with your own hands, you can make pipes of different diameters. Using machines, zinc-coated products are bent. To do this, you should make a machine, preferably using a template.
When bending any product, its parameters should be determined. The length of the structure is calculated taking into account the radius. For workpieces that are bent at right angles, without the formation of roundings, the allowance should be 0.6 mm of the total thickness of the sheet.
You can bend the following metals with your own hands:
The bending radius will depend on the quality of the metal and the bending option.
How to bend a sheet of metal evenly with your own hands?
To make brackets using the bending method, the following tools and materials are used:
- vice;
- a metal sheet;
- frame;
- hammer;
- power saw for metal;
- bar.
In advance, according to the scheme, the length of the workpiece strip is calculated and the bending of the metal sheet is calculated. For each bend, a reserve of 0.5 mm of thickness is made and 1 mm for bending the ends to the side. According to a pre-drawn diagram, the workpiece is cut out and the bending point is marked. In order to bend the material, use a vice with squares.
First, at the bending level, you need to clamp the workpiece in a vice. Then the first bend is made using a hammer. The workpiece is rearranged in a vice and clamped by the frame together with the block, after which a second bend is performed.
How to bend a sheet of metal evenly: making a machine with your own hands
In order to create a device that allows you to bend a metal sheet at home, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:
- corner 80 mm;
- bolts;
- metal beam I-beam 80 mm;
- loops;
- welding machine;
- clamps;
- handles;
- table.
All work begins with preparing the base of a homemade machine from a profile - an 80 mm I-beam. After this, an 80 mm corner is screwed onto the top of the I-beam with two bolts. During bending, it will secure the workpiece. Three hinges from steel doors are welded under the corner, the other halves of which are welded to the corner itself.
To perform bending, two 800 mm handles are welded to the corner, with which you can turn the machine. The sheet bender is pressed to the table using two clamps. The clamping angle is unscrewed. Then the workpiece is laid, and the corner is moved into place.
If necessary, it can be raised without removing it. After this, the material is threaded between the I-beam and the angle. The metal sheet is carefully aligned. The bolts are tightened and by turning the workpiece is bent to the required angle.
A homemade machine is not a universal device, since it is used for bending sheets of small thickness. If there is a need to bend material with a large thickness, you should use machines made in production.
How to bend a galvanized sheet. We make a sheet bending machine with our own hands from scrap materials
In the process of building a house or cottage, there is often a need to equip drains, sewers, and metal frames.
When manufacturing such products, it is necessary to give the flat workpiece the necessary spatial shape. Advice from experienced craftsmen on how to bend a sheet of metal at home will allow you to produce good quality structures that will last a long time. You don’t need a bending machine for the job; we’ll make do with a small set of tools that we have in the workshop.
There is an easy way to do this without special tools like a sheet bender.
Inventors shop at a budget Chinese online store.
Bend a sheet without a bender
Let's look at several options that explain how to bend a sheet of metal at home.
As a hand tool for bending, we use a ruler, chalk or pencil, a vice, 2 wooden blocks, a steel angle and a rubber hammer.
To bend a sheet of metal, it must be laid out on the work table so that the edge that should become curved protrudes beyond the table. First, the bend strip must be marked along a ruler.
The fold marking should match the edge line of your desktop.
Cover the end of the table with a steel corner. Secure the metal sheet on both sides with a vice using wooden blocks. We begin to bend the protruding edge of the sheet, tapping it with a rubber hammer, gradually moving from one corner to another: first in one direction, then in the opposite direction.
We strike with a hammer until the bent edge completely goes down and lies flat on the steel corner, which is fixed at the end of the table. In other words, the angle should be 90 degrees. In this way you can bend sheets up to 2 mm thick.
For example, this is how you can make a box for a simple garden barbecue (the corners, of course, will have to be welded later).
Important tip: If you don't have a rubber hammer, you can use a regular one. Then you will need to beat off the edge through a wooden block or textolite plate. Only in this case there will be no hammer marks left on the bent edge.
Option 2
If you need to quickly bend a thin sheet of metal (0.8-1.2 mm), you can use ordinary pliers as a bending tool. You will also need a ruler, a pencil and a flat wooden block, as well as a rubber or durable wooden hammer. The sequence of actions is as follows:
- on a metal sheet we outline the edge of the future fold using a ruler (the line can be additionally pressed a little with a sharp object);
- We grab the edge of the sheet with pliers so that their ends fall exactly on the marking line;
- gradually moving the pliers along the markings, bend the edge upward;
- repeat until the bend angle approaches 90 degrees;
- To accurately align the angle, we “put” the bent sheet on a wooden block and beat it with a hammer until the exact geometry of the angle is obtained.
In this way, without a sheet bender, you can make, for example, an edge on a tin cast.
Installation of the partition (R = 500 mm) Fig. 8:
- mark the partition on the floor and use a plumb line to transfer it to the ceiling; — using metal scissors, make parallel cuts from the outer flange and the back of the PN profile to the inner flange; - bend the profile in accordance with the required radius and install according to the markings, securing it with dowels with a pitch of no more than 300 mm; — install rack profiles with a pitch of no more than 300 mm, securing them in the guides; — install curved plasterboard sheets, placing them across the rack profiles; - putty the seams.
Your own roller
There may be a need to independently manufacture a pipe from a metal sheet. Homemade pipes can be used for different purposes: as a chimney, air duct, samovar pipe, etc. Craftsmen have come up with many ways to bend sheet metal into a pipe. Let's look at some of the simplest options.
Option 1
Without having a special device for bending metal, you can roll a sheet into the shape of a pipe, using for this purpose either some kind of round blank or a ready-made piece of an old pipe. Most people use a pipe.
So, we lay out a sheet of metal on the surface of the earth or concrete floor. Now let's prepare a template onto which we will wind the metal. We weld two small tubes crosswise to both ends of the old pipe (perpendicular to each other).
Their diameter must be sufficient to insert a crowbar. This will be our bending device. Next, we place the pipe on the edge of the sheet and begin to wrap the sheet around it. This work will require 3 people: one stands on the pipe, the other two use crowbars to rotate the pipe.
Each rotation is performed 90 degrees. The crowbar is rearranged to 0 degrees.
So we gradually twist the entire sheet around the pipe and get several new cylindrical turns. Usually the very edge of the sheet remains straight. To bend it too, you need to use a wooden mallet or a rubber mallet as a metal bending device.
Rolling process
If the steel thickness is more than 7 mm, it is preheated to create the necessary ductility. The procedure itself can be implemented in several variations: with a screw, longitudinal or transverse feed.
Bending technology - basic information
Metal bending is performed without welding seams, which avoids corrosion in the future and produces a product of increased strength. Deformation does not require significant effort and is usually performed in a cold state.
The exception is hard materials such as duralumin or carbon steels. Sheet metal bending technology is developed according to the assigned tasks in such options as:
Metal bending and its main methods
Not many novice craftsmen know how to bend a profile or metal pipe. To do this, it is important to know the technologies for bending various workpieces.
At home, you can bend sheet metal using hand tools. Before you start bending sheet metal with your own hands, you need to accurately calculate the dimensions of the workpiece. It is important to understand that the length of the part to be processed must be greater than that of the finished product. For calculations, ready-made tables are used, which can be found in engineering reference books or on the Internet.
Bending sheet metal at home
Metal pipe bending
When replacing plumbing, it is important to know how to bend water and sewer pipes at home. For this purpose, a manual or mechanized method is used. The process of changing the shape of the pipe represents a force impact on the workpiece.
To bend the pipe without breaks or folds, a cold and hot method is used. The first option is suitable for bending pipes with a small diameter. Large-diameter pipes are initially heated to increase ductility.
Metal bending
To bend the profile, it is necessary to use the rolling method. In this case, there is not enough information on how to bend an aluminum sheet. For this purpose, profile bending machines are used. They can accommodate up to 5 rolls. To make it easier to bend high-strength workpieces, the metal can be preheated. In this case, high frequency current is used.
Basic principles
Metal bending is carried out using various methods. Welding is often used, but temperature exposure can change the shape and properties of the finished product. This reduces performance properties and manufacturing accuracy.
Since when bending metal, the outer layers of the metal stretch, and the inner ones begin to compress, it is necessary to bend part of the rolled metal relative to another by a given angle. The angle can be found using calculations.
The product is deformed to those values that are within the specified limits. They depend on the following parameters:
- Thickness of the metal sheet;
- How much is the bending angle?
- How durable is the material;
- Speed and time of the procedure.
The permissible deformation indicator will depend on them. The next step is to select the type of bending.
Types of equipment
For the modern metal bending process, there are many options for the latest devices. In production, presses are usually used , which can be divided into the following types:
- Rotary, bending metal by moving between special rollers. Suitable for the production of large-sized products in small batches.
- Rotary presses bend the plates using bending beams and two plates. The stationary plate is located at the bottom, and at the top there is a rotating plate. The optimal option for processing sheet metal products with a simple relief and small dimensions.
- Standard pneumatic or hydraulic presses are used for mass or small-scale products made of stainless steel or other metal. Bending is done between the punch and the die. Due to this, even thicker products can be processed. It should be noted that hydraulic presses are used more often than pneumatic ones due to their simpler operation and cost.
Of all the types of equipment described above, the most modern is rotary. It operates automatically, and the worker does not need to calculate the optimal force value in advance.
Rotary presses are also considered automated. Here one sheet is sent to the device, which must be positioned as required by the task. Most often used in small enterprises where they work with metal parts.
Bending and bending of sheet metal using various methods and devices
Bending sheet metal allows you to obtain a product of the desired shape with relatively little effort. Because welding requires more effort, both physical and financial. A sheet of metal can be bent manually or using automation, but the general principles of operation remain the same. It is the features of this process that will be discussed.
Metal bending is carried out using various methods. Welding is often used, but temperature exposure can change the shape and properties of the finished product. This reduces performance properties and manufacturing accuracy.
Since when bending metal, the outer layers of the metal stretch, and the inner ones begin to compress, it is necessary to bend part of the rolled metal relative to another by a given angle. The angle can be found using calculations.
The product is deformed to those values that are within the specified limits. They depend on the following parameters:
- Thickness of the metal sheet;
- How much is the bending angle?
- How durable is the material;
- Speed and time of the procedure.
The permissible deformation indicator will depend on them. The next step is to select the type of bending.
Types of bending of metal products
Metal bending is done manually and using automatic devices. In the first case, the process will be quite labor-intensive, requiring the use of pliers and a hammer, as a result of which this procedure will take a lot of time.
It will be much easier and better to mechanize the process with the help of machines and corresponding devices. The cylinder shape is given to the product by special rollers. With their help, chimneys, gutters, and pipe products are created.
The development of machine tool production has made it possible to achieve bending of material for the manufacture of the most complex products. And the quick replacement of the working tool allows you to reconfigure the machine device as efficiently and quickly as possible.
For the modern metal bending process, there are many options for the latest devices. In production, presses are usually used , which can be divided into the following types:
- Rotary, bending metal by moving between special rollers. Suitable for the production of large-sized products in small batches.
- Rotary presses bend the plates using bending beams and two plates. The stationary plate is located at the bottom, and at the top there is a rotating plate. The optimal option for processing sheet metal products with a simple relief and small dimensions.
- Standard pneumatic or hydraulic presses are used for mass or small-scale products made of stainless steel or other metal. Bending is done between the punch and the die. Due to this, even thicker products can be processed. It should be noted that hydraulic presses are used more often than pneumatic ones due to their simpler operation and cost.
Of all the types of equipment described above, the most modern is rotary. It operates automatically, and the worker does not need to calculate the optimal force value in advance.
Rotary presses are also considered automated. Here one sheet is sent to the device, which must be positioned as required by the task. Most often used in small enterprises where they work with metal parts.
Handmade
This work is usually done with hand scissors . Marks are placed in the right places along which manual bending of the metal will be carried out. The sheet is securely fixed in a vice. The first fold is made with a massive hammer. The product is moved to a new bend location, clamped with a block of wood, and bent in the desired direction.
Upon completion of the work, you must ensure that the product meets the established standards. The check is carried out using a square and, if necessary, defects are eliminated.
Sometimes you need to make a machine at home . This will make bending metal easier and increase productivity. Here you will need a corner, a metal beam, hinges with bolts, clamps, handles, a table and a welding machine. The procedure is as follows:
- The base is made of metal; an I-beam profile is suitable.
- The corner is attached to the top of the beam using bolts.
- Three hinges are welded under the corner using a welding machine.
- We bend the aluminum sheet by turning the corner.
- Two clamps ensure tight pressing of the metal.
- The corner does not have to be removed; you can raise it. Place the product between the profile and the corner. Then a metal sheet is aligned along the edge.
Check the bolts to ensure they are secure. Turn the crossbars and bend them so as to form the desired angle. This will avoid wasting time on angle calculations.
Whatever the devices, the main principles remain the same . By following them, you can obtain products that meet the standards and wishes of the customer.
Handmade
This work is usually done with hand scissors .
Marks are placed in the right places along which manual bending of the metal will be carried out. The sheet is securely fixed in a vice. The first fold is made with a massive hammer. The product is moved to a new bend location, clamped with a block of wood, and bent in the desired direction. Upon completion of the work, you must ensure that the product meets the established standards. The check is carried out using a square and, if necessary, defects are eliminated.
Self-production of the machine
Sometimes you need to make a machine at home . This will make bending metal easier and increase productivity. Here you will need a corner, a metal beam, hinges with bolts, clamps, handles, a table and a welding machine. The procedure is as follows:
- The base is made of metal; an I-beam profile is suitable.
- The corner is attached to the top of the beam using bolts.
- Three hinges are welded under the corner using a welding machine.
- We bend the aluminum sheet by turning the corner.
- Two clamps ensure tight pressing of the metal.
- The corner does not have to be removed; you can raise it. Place the product between the profile and the corner. Then a metal sheet is aligned along the edge.
Check the bolts to ensure they are secure. Turn the crossbars and bend them so as to form the desired angle. This will avoid wasting time on angle calculations.
Whatever the devices, the main principles remain the same . By following them, you can obtain products that meet the standards and wishes of the customer.
How to bend rebar, sheet metal, etc. without having a special tool
If you have already started a major renovation with your own hands, regardless of where it is carried out: at home or in an apartment, then you need to be prepared for many tests. Among other things, a number of issues may arise that are very difficult to solve without the proper experience and special equipment. For example, not everyone knows how to bend a sheet of metal, reinforcement, profile, corner, etc. getting a decent result. In this article we will try to answer “inflexible” questions, while making do with a minimum amount of tools.
How to bend a sheet of metal, galvanized sheet, profile
Very often, when installing metal structures, it is necessary not only to cut steel sheets, but also to give them a curved shape. This can be done at home without spending money on third party services. For example, how to bend a sheet of metal? For this we need a wooden or rubber hammer, pliers, and a table. If a 90-degree bend is expected, then this set of tools should be sufficient. The sheet is simply hung over the edge of the table, after which the desired curvature is achieved by uniform tapping in the bending area. If the workpiece is relatively small, then you can use a vice, in which, using two gripping bars, you can firmly secure a sheet of metal, and only after that bend it with a hammer. If necessary, the bend can be heated with a gas burner, but this method is not applicable to galvanized products!
Bend a sheet of metal
If we are talking about a thin metal sheet, then the bending procedure can be significantly simplified. To do this, the metal is “scratched” at the bend (we use a rule or a metal ruler, and a pointed piece of a hacksaw blade for metal as a cutter). The metal, cut to half its thickness, subsequently easily bends along the outlined line. We can say that we have almost figured out how to bend a sheet of metal.
We bend galvanized steel
How to bend galvanized steel? This can be either a galvanized metal sheet or a finished product, for example, a profile. The sheet is bent in the same way as when bending any other metal sheet. How to bend a profile? You'll have to tinker with him. To obtain a large radius of curvature of a square or rectangular profile, you can use the following method: tightly fill the profile with fine sand, plug both holes with wooden stakes, and only then bend it by gently tapping it with a mallet. To bend a U-shaped profile (this, in principle, also applies to obtaining sheets of curved shape), it is necessary to additionally use a form object, the curvature of which corresponds to the finishing part. To facilitate the bending process, triangular elements can be cut out in the profile.
Then the bent product is “wrapped” around the object by uniform tapping with a hammer. Important! In order for the bend to be as even and correct as possible, the hammer blows should be light and lie as close to each other as possible . How to bend galvanized sheet easier? Using a grinder, we make one or two cuts in the bend area (thereby temporarily weakening the structure), bend the product, and then weld the bend. This approach is important to use when bending profiled pipes and products of complex metal shapes. We remember that you cannot heat galvanized steel to simplify bending!
Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks faces people who are thinking about how to bend a corner. To get a solid product, you will have to sweat, evenly and slowly tapping the surface of the corner, gradually bending it. It is recommended to use a gas burner, which can be used to heat the bend. You can do it easier - use a grinder as in the case described above with a galvanized product. It’s even easier to buy an already curved product, then the question “how to bend a corner” will disappear by itself.
How to bend reinforcement
At home, it is quite possible to bend the reinforcement, however, a lot depends on your physical characteristics and the diameter of the metal rod. How to bend reinforcement? To do this, we need two pieces of steel pipes, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the bent rod. The longer the length of such pipes, the easier it will be to bend the reinforcement (gain in strength due to leverage). All you need to do in order to bend the reinforcement is to insert it into two pipes and, securing one of the pipes (pressing it with your foot or resting it between the pillars), using the second as a lever to give the reinforcement the desired curvature. That's all!
How to bend an iron sheet without a bending machine
In the process of building a house or cottage, there is often a need to equip drains, sewers, and metal frames.
When manufacturing such products, it is necessary to give the flat workpiece the necessary spatial shape. Advice from experienced craftsmen on how to bend a sheet of metal at home will allow you to produce good quality structures that will last a long time. You don’t need a bending machine for the job; we’ll make do with a small set of tools that we have in the workshop.
There is an easy way to do this without special tools like a sheet bender.
How to bend a metal plate at home?
In the process of building a house or cottage, there is often a need to equip drains, sewers, and metal frames.
When manufacturing such products, it is necessary to give the flat workpiece the necessary spatial shape. Advice from experienced craftsmen on how to bend a sheet of metal at home will allow you to produce good quality structures that will last a long time.
Bending technology - basic information
Metal bending is performed without welding seams, which avoids corrosion in the future and produces a product of increased strength. Deformation does not require significant effort and is usually performed in a cold state.
The exception is hard materials such as duralumin or carbon steels. Sheet metal bending technology is developed according to the assigned tasks in such options as:
- radius,
- multi-angle,
- single-angle,
- U-shaped.
A special case is flexion with stretching. This technology is used in the manufacture of parts with large bending radii and small diameters. When making parts with your own hands, the process is combined with operations such as cutting or punching.
Soft types of metals and alloys, such as brass, copper, and aluminum, are well suited for home processing. The production of products by bending is carried out on rolling or rolling machines, or manually.
The last procedure is quite labor-intensive. Bending is done using pliers and a rubber hammer. If the sheet is thin, use a mallet.
How to make a sheet bending machine with your own hands
Various sheet bending operations are an important part of the general work on building or renovating your own home. Without the use of special equipment, it is impossible to perform them efficiently.
For one-time bending of sheet blanks, it is permissible to rent a suitable device from a neighbor or friend. But if such procedures are often performed, it is more advisable to have a manual sheet bending machine of your own making on hand.
If you have certain skills, tools and space, making a homemade sheet bender is not so bad.
Model of a homemade sheet bender
Drawing up technical specifications
Thanks to the capabilities of the Internet, you can quickly find the required set of drawings, and on the channel you can even watch advertising and informational videos about the design and operating principle of the required unit.
However, all these materials are strictly individual, and therefore were intended by their authors for specific sheet-bending operations. Therefore, before building a sheet bending machine with your own hands, you need to make the right choice of its future technical characteristics.
The main ones should be the following:
- maximum width of bent metal, mm;
- maximum thickness of the workpiece, mm;
- desired range of bending angles;
- overall dimensions of the mechanism (length, width, height);
- required bending accuracy.
The direct choice of the limit values of the listed parameters depends on the conditions of use of the machine that will bend sheet metal products.
In particular, when constructing a roof, you will most likely have to deal with galvanized sheet or steel with a thickness of no more than 1 mm.
When processing copper, an even thinner sheet or strip is often used, and when making fences and railings with your own hands, on the contrary, the thickness of the metal can be 2 - 3 mm.
Sheet material bending technology
Let's look at the process using the example of making a lid for a smokehouse. The sheet thickness in our case is 2 mm.
Make markings on the sheet. For each bend, 35 mm is provided; for bending, it is recommended to subtract 4 mm from this size. Accordingly, you need to draw a rectangle 508×308 mm on the sheet, the bends will be 31 mm long. Draw lines under the ruler.
So that the sheet can be easily bent, it is necessary to cut small grooves. Put on safety glasses or a mask and use a grinder to smoothly walk along the lines, cutting depth is approximately one millimeter, but no more. Disc thickness 1 mm.
Change the disk to 2.5 mm and go over the lines again. There are two reasons to use two disks.
- A thin disk is much easier to work with, it gives an even cut, and it’s easier to control the depth.
- The wide disc increases the kerf, which allows you to bend metal without resting on the edges.
Cut through one side of the corner; they are completely cut off after bending.
Start bending the sheet. Place it exactly along the sawing line on the profile, bend one side first, then the opposite.
Tap gradually along the entire length, bend slowly, do not try to make a large angle at once.
Repeat the operations with the remaining edges of the sheet. If the line is not perfect, then place the part on its edge and trim the problem areas. Check the product. Everything is fine - cut off the remaining tails with a grinder.
Boil the cut areas at the corners. Using a grinder, remove scale, metal stains and sharp edges, and give it a marketable appearance.
How to make a pipe from tin without a machine
Home craftsmen have come up with many ways to bend a metal sheet into a pipe without using a machine.
We offer an option using a blank of suitable size. It is made from an old pipe of suitable diameter.
A sheet of metal is laid out on the floor and a piece of the required length is cut from it. To determine the required size, the required pipe diameter is multiplied by 3.14 and added 30 mm for the seam.
A pair of tubes are welded to the blank on both sides, perpendicular to one another. The crowbar should be freely inserted into their holes.
Master's recommendation: by bending a metal sheet using a blank, it is convenient to make pipes no more than a meter in length.
To use the device, the effort of three people is required. The blank is placed on the edge of the sheet. One person stands on top, two others screw the metal onto the blank, turning the crowbar 90 degrees.
How to bend a sheet of metal at home
Metal bending is performed without welding seams, which avoids corrosion in the future and produces a product of increased strength. Deformation does not require significant effort and is usually performed in a cold state.
The exception is hard materials such as duralumin or carbon steels. Sheet metal bending technology is developed according to the assigned tasks in such options as:
A special case is flexion with stretching. This technology is used in the manufacture of parts with large bending radii and small diameters. When making parts with your own hands, the process is combined with operations such as cutting or punching.
Soft types of metals and alloys, such as brass, copper, and aluminum, are well suited for home processing. The production of products by bending is carried out on rolling or rolling machines, or manually.
The last procedure is quite labor-intensive. Bending is done using pliers and a rubber hammer. If the sheet is thin, use a mallet.
How to bend at right angles
To bend a bracket from a metal sheet, you will need a set of tools and accessories, consisting of:
- vice,
- hammer,
- power saws,
- bar,
- frames
The length of the strip is made according to the scheme, with the calculation that there should be a margin of 0.5 mm for each bend, plus another millimeter for folds on both sides. The workpiece is placed in a vice with squares. Clamping it along the fold line, process it with a hammer.
After this, the future bracket is unfolded in a vice, clamped with a frame and a block, and the other side is formed. The workpiece is pulled out, the required length of the sides is measured, making bends along the bottom.
Use a triangle to check the correctness of the angle, correcting inaccuracies with a hammer. When performing both operations, the workpiece is pressed with a block and a frame. The finished staple is filed to the desired size.
How to make a sheet bending machine yourself
To give the metal the desired configuration, tinsmiths use a sheet bending machine. But what should a master do if he doesn’t have special equipment at hand?
In fact, the question of how to bend sheet metal at home is easily resolved. It is enough to use your own ingenuity and basic equipment to make a simple machine.
To make a bender for a metal profile, you will need:
- I-beam 80 mm,
- fasteners (bolts),
- loops,
- corner 80 mm,
- clamps,
- a pair of handles.
You will also need a welding machine and a stable table on which the finished machine is mounted.
The basis of the device is an I-beam, to which a corner is screwed with two bolts, holding the workpiece during the bending process. Three door hinges are attached under it by welding. Their second part is welded directly to the corner.
In order for the machine to easily turn while bending sheet metal, handles are attached to it on both sides. The finished machine is secured to the table with clamps. Before laying the workpiece, the corner is unscrewed or lifted. The sheet is pressed, aligned along the edge and folded, turning the machine by the handles. The homemade device is only suitable for processing workpieces of small thickness.
Bending a metal sheet with a hammer
In order to bend a sheet up to 1.2 mm thick at a right angle, use the simplest tools - pliers (clamps) and a rubber hammer.
The processing is carried out on a flat wooden block. The fold line is drawn using a pencil and ruler. Then the sheet is clamped with pliers so that their ends fall exactly on the marking line.
The edge is gradually bent upward, moving along the fold. Once the angle approaches 90 degrees, the sheet is placed on the block and finally leveled using a hammer.
Narrow parts, such as tin edges, are made in this way.
Tip: Use a rubber or wooden hammer to prevent dents from forming on the metal. If bending is performed with a conventional tool, you need to take a textolite plate as a gasket.
It is convenient to bend sheets up to 2 mm thick on a desktop. The metal is positioned so that the marking line falls on the edge. A steel corner is placed under the material being processed.
The sheet is clamped in a vice using two wooden blocks. Bending is done using a hammer, tapping the metal from one end to the other. At the same time, the edge of the sheet is directed downward so that it ultimately lies completely on the corner fixed along the edge of the table. This method can be used to make products of any width, including boxes or barbecues.
Making pipes without using a machine
Home craftsmen have invented a lot of ways to bend a metal sheet into a pipe without using a machine.
We propose to consider the simplest option using a blank of suitable size. It is made from an old pipe of suitable diameter.
A sheet of metal is laid out on the floor and a piece of the required length is cut from it. To determine the required size, the required pipe diameter is multiplied by 3.14 and added 30 mm for the seam.
A pair of tubes are welded to the blank on both sides, perpendicular to one another. The crowbar should be freely inserted into their holes.
Master's recommendation: by bending a metal sheet using a blank, it is convenient to make pipes no more than a meter in length.
To use the device, the effort of three people is required. The blank is placed on the edge of the sheet. One person stands on top, two others screw the metal onto the blank, turning the crowbar 90 degrees.
Types of sheet benders
There are three types of sheet metal bending machines:
- Simple manual ones, in which metal bending occurs when force is applied in a certain place. These units make it possible to bend sheet material in a straight line at any angle - from a few degrees to almost 360°.
For bending sheet metal
To obtain radial bending of a metal sheet
All these devices are classified as sheet bending machines. The easiest way to make one with your own hands is the unit of the first group, a little more difficult - the third (rollers for sheet metal). So we’ll talk about them - from how to make a sheet bending machine with your own hands.
Simple manual
Shaped metal parts cost a lot of money. Even more than corrugated sheeting or metal tiles, therefore it makes sense to make a simple machine for bending sheet metal, and with its help make as many corners, ebbs and other similar parts as you need, and exclusively to your own dimensions.
If you're worried about appearance, you shouldn't be. On sale today there is sheet metal not only galvanized, but also painted. In all designs, the sheet is fixed tightly, so that when working it does not slide on the table, which means that the paint does not rub off or get scratched. It is also not damaged in places of bending. So the products will look quite decent. If you try, they will look even better than what they sell on the market.
Powerful sheet bending machine from brands
This sheet bending machine will require a flat surface (table), preferably metal, three corners with a shelf width of at least 45 mm, and a metal thickness of at least 3 mm. If you plan to bend long workpieces (more than a meter), it is advisable to take wider shelves and thicker metal. You can use brands, but this is for bending metal sheets of large thickness and length.
You will also need metal door hinges (two pieces), two large diameter screws (10-20 mm), wings on them, and a spring. You will also need a welding machine - weld the hinges and make holes (or a drill with a metal drill bit).
For a homemade sheet bender, a 70 mm brand was used - three pieces of 2.5 m each, two bolts of 20 mm in diameter, a small piece of metal 5 mm thick (for cutting jibs), a spring. Here's the procedure:
- Two brands are folded, and grooves are cut into them at both ends for hinges. The edges of the recesses are beveled at 45°. The third tee is cut in the same way, only the depth of the recess is made a little larger - this will be the clamping bar, so it should move freely.
Cutting notches for hinges
Boil the loops well
Weld pieces of reinforcement to the bolt head
Homemade sheet bender in progress
This option is very powerful - you can bend long workpieces and sheets of considerable thickness. Such scales are not always in demand, but they can always be reduced. The video suggests a similar design of a smaller size, but with a different fastening of the clamping bar. By the way, no one bothers you to also install a spring on the screw - it will be easier to raise the bar. What’s interesting about this design is that you can make beading on it, something that such devices usually cannot do.
From a corner with a different type of clamping bar
This model is welded from a thick-walled angle, the frame is made like an ordinary construction sawhorse, which is welded from the same angle. The handle is from a luggage trolley. The design of the screws is interesting - they are long, the handle is curved in the shape of the letter “L”. Convenient to unscrew/screw.
Small manual sheet bender for DIY production
This homemade sheet metal bending machine has many features:
- The corners are not arranged with shelves facing each other, but are directed in one direction. Because of this, attaching the loop is not the most convenient, but it can be done.
Now let's move on to the design of the clamping bar (pictured above). It is also made from a corner, but is laid on the machine with an upward bend. To ensure that the bar does not bend during operation, reinforcement is welded on - metal jumpers. Small metal platforms are welded at both ends of the strip, in which holes are drilled for bolts.
Another important point is that the edge that faces the bend is cut off to obtain a sharper bend angle.
The bar is set like this
The clamping bar is placed on the machine, and a spring is placed in the place where the nut is installed. The handle is installed in place. If it does not press the bar, it is raised above the surface due to the elastic force of the spring. In this position, the workpiece is tucked under it, positioned, and pressed.
Place a spring under the hole, then a bolt
A good option for home use. It will not be possible to bend thick metal, but tin and galvanized steel can be bent without difficulty.
Inserting a pipe into a pipe: how to correctly mark and cut the joining area without special equipment. tool
It is often necessary to connect two round pipes of the same diameter at 90 degrees. Making such a connection “by eye” does not guarantee the quality and strength of the connection. But using fairly simple markup, anyone can handle this task.
Will need
- two round pipes of the same diameter;
- marker, measuring tape and compass;
- core and hammer;
- bench vice;
- Bulgarian;
- hand file;
- a piece of cardboard;
- scissors, etc.
The process of marking and cutting out the area of transverse joining of two identical round pipes
On the generatrix of one pipe, we core the center of the junction with the other pipe. We will work with pipes with an outer diameter of 60 mm. Absolutely nothing will change if they are of a different size.
We spread the legs of the compass to half the diameter of the pipe, i.e. 30 mm, which is also its radius. We place the leg of the compass at the previously marked point on the surface of the pipe and draw a circle on it.
Through the intended point (the center of the circle) we draw an imaginary section perpendicular to the axis of the pipe. From the points of its intersection with the circle drawn by the compass, we set aside 5 mm.
We draw lines passing through the designated points and smoothly conjugating with the line of the circle.
We cut out the material inside the outer closed line applied to the surface of the pipe using a grinder. We remove burrs and smooth out the remaining irregularities with a hand file.
Around a section of the second pipe, mounted vertically on a sheet of thick paper or cardboard, draw a circle with a marker and cut out a circle bounded by it with scissors.
We fold the cut-out cardboard circle in half along the diameter, mark the fold line, straighten it again and lay it evenly on the end of the pipe with the fold line mark facing outward.
The intersection points of the fold line (diameter) of the circle with the cylindrical surface of the pipe are marked with a marker.
We divide the fold line of the cardboard circle into three equal parts of 20 mm each and bend one of the outer parts of the circle along a line (chord) perpendicular to the diameter and passing through the 20 mm mark of the extreme point.
We cut off the resulting segment along the chord with scissors, apply it to the outer surface of the pipe so that the chord is at the level of the end of the pipe, and its center coincides with the mark previously applied to the pipe.
Holding the cardboard segment in this position, trace the arc of the segment along the surface of the pipe with a marker. We repeat this procedure with the second point on the pipe on the opposite side.
We remove the metal of the pipe from both sides, limited by the applied lines, and smooth out sharp edges and corners.
We join the pipes in the only possible position and weld the contact lines.
