Bending 18 Gauge Sheet Metal

For example in one gauge system 18 gauge steel.

Bending 18 gauge sheet metal.

The material thickness will be measured in decimal form not by the gauge number. Bends metal up to 18 in. You can find your bend allowance with the following formula. You will use the protractor to gauge the brake as you bend the metal little by little.

Geometry of tooling imposes a minimum bend dimension. Easily clamps or mounts to workbench. How to bend sheet metal without a brake in 4 different methods with minimal or homemade tools. The gauge number 18 holds no relevance to the actual measurements.

The average hack requires at least one angled metal part and the best tool to make one is still the good ol press brake. You will need to know your material thickness mt the bend angle b the inside radius ir and the k factor k. Showing how i bend steel plate without using a brake. π 180 x b x ir k x mt bend allowance ba where b is the angle complementary to your desired bend angle 1 to 180 degrees mt is the thickness of the material ir is the inside radius and k is the k factor.

Refer to the chart for values for folder as well as various press brake tooling combinations. I need to make some parts as in the following picture from both 16 ga. Handles material as thick as 16 gauge. Cut the section of metal out or otherwise prepare the metal to be bent by removing any burrs or sharp edges.

Determine the angle at which you want to brake the metal and mark it on the protractor. The diagram shows one such mechanism. The bend allowance formula takes into account the geometries of bending and the properties of your metal to determine the bend allowance. Use the minimum bend dimension values in the charts below for your minimum closeness of cutout to a bend.

There are several different gauge systems used today with specific gauge designations used for specific metal types. How to bend sheet metal without a brake.