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 make structures good quality that will last a long time.
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 separate 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.
Well suited for home processing soft types metals and alloys such as brass, copper, aluminum. 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 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. Homemade device Suitable only 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.
Processing is carried out on a level 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 suggest considering 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.
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.
Do-it-yourself sheet bending: drawings, video, description. A huge number of products can be made from sheet metal - drainage system, shaped parts that can be used to sheathe the roof, ebb for the base, corners for buildings made of profiled sheets, etc.
All this can be done by a special bending machine, in other words, a sheet bender, which is not difficult to do with your own hands. Let's talk about this.
There are three types of sheet bending machines:
- Simple manual, in this case, metal bending is performed by applying force. Such devices make it possible to avoid sheet materials at any angle - from several degrees to 360.
- Hydraulic machine, in which, with the help of blows, sheet metal is bent into the shape of a matrix. The latter can be straight, sometimes curvilinear. Such equipment is recognized as professional, and is actively used in large and medium-sized enterprises.
- Roller/roller benders, in which the sheet of metal is not bent strictly in a straight line, but is rounded. Using such equipment you can make pipes or any similar products.
All described devices relate to sheet bending machines. It will be easiest to make the first type of equipment with your own hands, and the third one will be a little more difficult. We will talk about them - how to make a sheet bending machine with your own hands + video.
Simple (manual)
Metal shaped parts are expensive, even more expensive than metal tiles, so it makes sense to make the simplest machine for bending sheet metal, and with its help make any number of corners, ebbs and other parts that you require, only to your own dimensions.
And yes, don't worry about appearance. On sale if the sheet metal is not only galvanized, but also already painted. In each design, the sheet will be tightly fixed, so during work it will not slide on the table, and the paint will not be erased or scratched.
It will also not be damaged in places of bending, so the product will look decent. With proper effort, your products will look even better than those on sale.
Sheet bender from brands
To make such a machine, you will need any flat surface, for example, a table, preferably metal, as well as 3 corners with a shelf width of at least 4.5 cm, and a metal thickness of at least 0.3 cm. If you have plans bending long workpieces (length more than 1 meter), it is advisable to take shelves with a larger width and thickness of metal. Products can be used, but this is required for bending sheets of greater length and thickness. You will also need 2 metal door hinges, as well as 2 more screws with a diameter of 1 to 2 cm, with wings and a spring on them. You will also need welding to weld the hinges and make holes (or a drill with a drill that is suitable for working on metal).
For a sheet bender, which will be made by hand, we use a 7 cm brand - 3 pieces of 2.5 meters, another 2 bolts of 2 cm in diameter, a small piece of metal with a thickness of 0.5 cm.
The procedure is as follows:
This option will be the most powerful - you will be able to bend long workpieces and sheets of large thickness. Although such scales are not always in demand, they can always be reduced. In the video there is a design of a similar type, but slightly smaller and with a different fastening of the clamp bar. By the way, you can install a spring on the screw and then it will be easier to raise the bar. The design is interesting because it can be used for flanging, while standard devices cannot do this.
Angle bender with clamping bar
This model is made from a corner with thick walls, the bed is made in the form of an ordinary construction sawhorse, which is welded from a similar corner. The handle was taken from a luggage trolley, and the design of the screws is interesting in its own way - they are long, the handle is taken out in the shape of the letter “L”. It is easy to unscrew and screw into place.
It’s not difficult to make such a sheet bending machine with your own hands, but keep in mind some features:
- The corners are not shelves facing each other, but have a direction in one direction. Because of this, attaching the loop is not the most convenient.
- At the bend of the far corner, weld small stop plates for the strip on both sides.
- On the same strip, weld the screw nut (on both sides).
Now you can go directly to the clamping bar. It can also be made from a corner, but it should be laid on the machine with the bend upward. To ensure that the bar does not bend during operation, reinforcements are welded on - metal jumpers. Weld small metal pads at both ends of the strip with holes for the bolts. And one more point - the edge that is turned towards the bend is required to obtain sharp corners on the bend.
The clamping bar must be installed on the machine, and springs must be placed in the installation location. Reinstall the handle. If it does not press the bar, due to the elastic force of the spring it will be raised above the surface. In this position, tuck the workpiece under it, align and press. This sheet bender would be a good option for use at home. You won’t be able to bend thick metal, but galvanized and tin can be easily bent.
Sheet metal rollers
This type of sheet bending machine can have three drives:
- Hydraulic.
- Manual.
- Electric.
Do-it-yourself rollers for sheet metal are made with manual or electric drives. A manual one should have 3 shafts, and an electric one may have 3-4, but according to the standard there are also only three. Such a machine requires a good base, which can be a bed or a workbench. The basis of the structure is the rolls, which must be the same size. The two bottom ones should be stationary, and the top one should be movable. By changing the distance between the upper and lower rollers, the radius of curvature can be changed.
Results
The machine is driven by a handle, which must be attached to one of the shafts, and then the torque will be transmitted to the remaining rollers through sprockets. They should be selected in such a way that the rotation speed is the same. If the equipment is planned to produce pipes, the upper roller must be removable on one side and have a quick locking system. Once the sheet is rolled into a tube, you will not be able to pull it out any other way.
Home » Major home repairs » How to bend reinforcement, sheet metal, etc. without having a special tool
How to bend rebar, sheet metal, etc. without having a special tool
If you've already started major renovation with your own hands, regardless of where it is carried out: at home or in an apartment, 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 the “inflexible” questions, without minimum quantity tool.
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.
DIY sheet metal bending machine: Drawings
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 fall 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? For this we need two pieces 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 pillars), using the second as a lever to give the reinforcement the desired curvature. That's it!
Cutting metal at home is a boring process. And its quality often leaves a lot of desire, thereby imposing additional processing on the acquired persons. Fixing the situation in several ways allows you to use special devices, including those that you produce yourself. We will talk to you today about one of these devices, namely steps.
Rollers for metals
Today, the roller knife is becoming increasingly popular.
This is not only due to high performance such a device, but also with its rather simple structure. The principle of the mechanism is simple: two cutting discs rotate in different directions, are compressed into a metal surface and thus cut.
The friction between the metal and the knives ensures the unhindered movement of the workpiece along the tool.
In most cases, sheet metal cutting knives include two rotating cylinders - an upper and a lower one. Depending on the variation of the cutting element used, these tools can be classified as follows:
- Parallel knives - used for cutting metal into strips, while providing very acceptable quality;
- Edges with one slope - this group allows not only longitudinal cutting of the material, but also the cutting of round and circular beams;
- Knives with multiple inclined devices allow you to effectively flicker a circular, curved or ring-shaped formation with a small radius.
It should be noted that all the above-mentioned changes are perfectly processed when cutting sheet metal, while the cutting edges do not require additional attention and subsequent processing.
Home roller knives
With all its obvious advantages, even the most simple model the knife is a decent value.
DIY bending machine: 7 steps to implementation
This is the reason for the inaccuracy of purchasing it for a one-time job or periodic use. But the best solution from a financial point of view still exists - you can manually make a foot roller at home.
The design of such a device can be very different.
Below are the most common changes (photo, photo 2). In any case, the main part remains unchanged - the cutting knife.
It must be made of the strongest and most reliable steel alloy, the characteristics of which must necessarily exceed the analogue parameters of the material being cut. If this condition is not taken into account, the quality of the cut will be poor, which will require additional processing of the cutting edges.
Practice shows that the working source of a knife production plant is about 25 km of steel sheet if its thickness is 0.5 mm.
If the thickness is greater, the source will be lower. However, this tool can be virtually problem-free and continue to function effectively.
If we are talking about the source of domestic knives, this directly depends on the material from which the cutting parts of the device are made.
What can you make a knife from?
The options can be very different, here you should pay attention to what is planned to be reduced.
So, unless the strongest steel sheet is available, including aluminum, galvanized metal and other similar materials, the best solutions will be the right ones. The truth is to pre-sharp your goals.
For cutting, one of the cylinders is mounted on a handle, which will act as a drive that forces the knife against the metal.
Please note that the larger the diameter of the bearings, the faster the material can be cut.
You can additionally equip the device with guides, which will not be complex for special ones, but in the future it will be good.
The resulting tool is very versatile and can be used in conjunction with a variety of metalworking equipment, including bending machines, which can also be made independently at home.
DIY sheet metal bending machine
A sheet bending machine is a tool distinguished by its fairly simple design, which, however, does not in the least prevent it from demonstrating amazing productivity and efficiency when performing bending work. Today we will talk about how to make such a device with your own hands and with minimal financial investment.
Bending technology and its features
During the bending process of metal, compression of its internal layers occurs with simultaneous stretching of the outer layers, while the applied stress exceeds the maximum permissible stress for this sheet metal.
As a result, the sheet of metal is bent at a pre-selected angle. The degree of deformation of the material depends on various factors, primarily its thickness, the speed of the operation and the required bending angle. And you shouldn’t forget about the plasticity of metal.
I would like to draw special attention that bending must be carried out in full compliance with the technological process - the slightest deviation can cause various, including quite significant, defects, nullifying all previously applied efforts.
Materials and tools
To make a bending machine with your own hands you will need the following:
- Welder;
- Steel I-beam;
- Corner;
- Bolts;
- Handles;
- Clamps;
- Loops.
Making a machine with your own hands - the initial stage
A homemade bending machine includes the following units and components (Fig.
- Base;
- Clamp;
- Flywheel nut;
- Crimping punch with lever handle;
- Clamps securing the device to the workbench.
So, in order to make a sheet bending unit with your own hands, you should first of all take care of arranging its base, which is made from metal channel No. 6.5 (No. 8 is also possible), the length of which does not exceed 0.5 m (this parameter can be selected at your discretion) .
The clamp, the basis of which is a corner, allows you to bend sheets at an angle of over 90°, which is especially important in situations where seam joining of sheets is required.
The design of the clamp itself is welded, the main angle under No. 5 is reinforced with a profile from angle No. 3.
DIY sheet metal bending machine
For maximum rigidity, the thickness of the corner flanges should be at least 5 mm. The length of the clamp should be approximately 70 cm less than the base, while at its ends brackets from angles No. 3 are welded, the wall thickness of which is also 5 mm (Fig. 2).
The edges of the corner, especially those that will be in contact with the metal, are cleaned with a file or milled so that they are parallel to the base.
An 8 mm hole is drilled in the middle of each bracket.
For the crimping punch, use angle No. 5, which is 10 cm shorter than the clamp. The lever handle is bent from a reinforcement rod with a cross-section of 15 mm, giving it the appearance of a staple, and then welded to the punch. From a sheet of metal, the thickness of which is 5 mm, cheeks are cut out and holes of 10 mm are drilled in them.
A chamfer is removed from the ends of the punch ribs - depth 5 mm, length 30 mm, which will allow the installation of steel axles made of rod with a cross-section of 10 mm.
The direction of the welded axes must coincide with the edge of the angle. Similar chamfers, but slightly large sizes– length 32 mm, depth 6 mm, removed from the edges of the base.
Homemade sheet bending machine - work continues
We continue to manufacture the bending unit with our own hands. The time has come for preliminary assembly of the device. To do this, the punch and base are installed in a vice, making sure that the flange of the angle and channel arrives in a single horizontal plane.
The punch axes are supplemented with cheeks, fixing them by welding or any other convenient method.
Test bending is carried out on a soft sheet of metal (1 mm thick). It is laid on the base, and rollers and a clamp are pressed on top of it, pressing it to the base with pins or clamps. If necessary, after trial bending, the position of the cheeks is adjusted, after which they are finally welded to the base.
Through the holes in the brackets, holes are drilled on the base - a cross-section of 8 mm, after which an M10 thread is cut into them.
The holes in the clamps are expanded to 10 mm. Bolts are screwed into the base from below, fixing their heads by welding.
The base with the clamp is tightened with M10 nuts with washers placed under the heads.
To release the pressure back, springs pre-attached to the bolts are used. Although rubber shock absorbers are far from the worst choice.
For the manufacture of fastening clamps, angle No. 3 is also used. Their design can be seen in Figure 3. Support pads are installed on M10 clamping screws, and the clamps themselves are mounted by welding near the cheeks on the base shelf.
Buying or making your own – what to choose
That's all.
We figured out how to make a bending machine with your own hands. But the question arises: isn’t it easier to buy a ready-made device in a store? Let's see. Practice shows that the benefits homemade machine are more than obvious - factory models in the vast majority of cases are quite large and capable of bending sheet metal up to 3 m wide, the cost of such devices is very, very significant, and the mechanical drive with which they are mainly equipped is not at all suitable for delicate work.
Another thing is a hydraulic type drive, although the cost of such equipment is so high that its use even when performing permanent work in small volumes is impractical.
So it turns out that there is nothing left for home use other than a manual drive. It is simple to design and operate, the costs of its production are minimal, it is quite possible to make it yourself and without using any specific equipment, while the quality of work in many respects is in no way inferior to purchased models.
Listogibami, or sheet bending machines, are called specialized equipment, which is intended for cold bending of metal sheets, as well as the formation of profiles of the required configuration.
Machine-building plants design and manufacture manual sheet benders, as well as machines with pneumatic, hydraulic and mechanical operating principles.
Application of sheet bending machines
Sheet bending machines are used for the production of sheet metal profiles that are used in the construction of metal roofs, ventilation systems and drainage.
They are also used to produce individual elements of various sizes and shapes for finishing building facades.
The production of roofing and facade elements using sheet bends is of significant importance in the production and construction market, and there are reasons for this.
Homemade manual sheet bending with your own hands drawings
Significantly expanded technological capabilities in metal processing make it possible to produce high-quality metal products on sheet bending machines. Using sheet bending machines, you can produce both standard and non-standard products from steel sheets of various thicknesses in accordance with technical characteristics a specific machine, which can be manual, hydraulic, pneumatic or electromechanical.
Manual sheet benders are usually used in small industries or in construction. Their distinctive features are convenience in operation, durability and reliability.
Mobile bending machines
Mobile manual sheet benders are used to carry out work directly on the construction site. The entire process is characterized by mobility and high productivity.
Due to the low weight of the structure, the machine can be easily moved around construction site. It can be quickly assembled and disassembled. In addition, transporting sheet benders of this type is not difficult.
Stationary sheet benders
Sheet benders, whose operation is based on the hydraulic principle, are used when there is a need to process metal sheets exceeding 0.8 millimeters in thickness.
Compared to manual sheet bending machines, the process of manufacturing parts is significantly simplified, while their quality is higher.
Such machines are widely used for serial production of steel profiles of the same type. On electromechanical (mechanical) sheet bending machines, the production of parts is carried out due to the operation of an electric motor with a gearbox attached to it.
Such equipment is stationary.
Mechanical sheet bending machines are versatile and compact. With the help of such sheet bending machines you can make almost any metal elements. Electromechanical sheet bending machines can be made in several versions, including with increased level wear resistance. Using the listed modifications of sheet bending machines, it is possible to produce products from various metals, for example, such as: stainless steel, copper, aluminum, galvanized steel sheets, and paint-coated metals.
At the same time, the protective strip or vinyl insert does not allow the machine to damage the coating. Accordingly, high-quality and reliable production of the product is guaranteed, carried out in compliance with all necessary requirements.
Operating principle
The production of profiles using sheet bending machines includes a certain sequence of operations. The original sheet of metal is pressed and bent. Then, if necessary, it is further bent to the required angle, after which metal profile cut to specified length. Uniform pressing of the sheet along its entire length is ensured by a pressure crossbar, which makes it possible to give the product manufactured on a sheet bending machine a perfectly flat surface.
During the bending process, the accuracy of the bend angle is carefully adjusted, resulting in a high quality product. Some sheet metal bending machines are equipped with a device for cutting steel sheets. For example, circular hand knives with hardened rollers (with their help, cutting metal is very professional), roller knives, electric vibrating shears. Cutting equipment is characterized by increased wear resistance and will ensure high-quality metal cutting throughout its entire service life, which will allow the production of high-quality products.
Great attention should be paid to the safety level of sheet metal bending machines. Personnel must be protected as much as possible from possible injury when working on sheet metal bending machines. As an auxiliary function, restricting the access of an employee who disrupts the technological process during the manufacture of parts on such machines can be used.
When working with tin, two main tools are used. Metal shears and sheet bending machine.
Of course, when making a gutter for the roof of a barn, you can use the old antiquated method - tap a galvanized sheet with a mallet on the edge of a workbench, or using metal corner.
Examples of such work can be seen on roofing in the private sector. However, the quality of the product leaves much to be desired, and the metal is damaged at the point of impact.
In addition, artisanal bending of metal is suitable only for simple structures. If the bending profile has several multidirectional edges, you cannot do without a professional tool.
For example, you can’t bend the right ridge for a roof “on the knee”, and appearance will always remind you of the owner’s negligence.
Buy industrial machine- unforgivable luxury. In this material we will tell you how to make a sheet bending machine with your own hands from simple and affordable materials.
A little about the design of a homemade sheet bender
The simplest design is to clamp the edge of the sheet between a steel corner and a rule (or two corners) using a clamp, and bend the workpiece by hand. This is how the simplest roofing elements are usually created.
IMPORTANT! All work with metal must be performed using protective gloves.
However, it is quite possible to make a traverse sheet bending machine yourself. Precision markings and patience are required.
The design and operating principle are visible in the drawings.
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Step-by-step manufacturing instructions
To make a traverse sheet bender we will need:
- 4 meters of steel angle, side – 50 mm;
- Ball joint for car, with mounting bracket;
- The stabilizer rod is from the same, with a diameter of 10 mm;
- Grinder, drill, electric welding.
- We cut the rolled metal into pieces of 1 meter with a grinder. If there is a need to work with metal of a larger width, the length of the corners increases. At least 100 mm must be added to the width of the working surface.
- Using an angle grinder, we cut out two eyes from the ball joint bracket. These will be the working loops of the movable traverse.
- From the stabilizer strut we make an axis on which the hinges will rest.
IMPORTANT! The future play of the rotary mechanism depends on the quality of fit of these elements.
- We carefully measure and mark a sample on the corner for attaching the axle.
- We grind the flats strictly to size to install the axle shafts. This must be done as accurately as possible so as not to waste time and material on subsequent adjustments.
- We apply markings exactly in the center of the axis, and combine it with the top of the corner - the traverse. This point is important. because if the alignment is incorrect, the quality of the workpiece bending on the machine will deteriorate, or the sheet bender will be unsuitable for work.
- We weld the axle shafts to the samples, maintaining parallelism to the top of the angle. To increase accuracy, you should use a jig when welding. For example, a vice and a clamp. The length of the protruding part of the axis does not exceed 1 cm.
- The result should be a structure with perfect alignment at the ends.
- Place the corners next to each other.
- We mark the sample on the second corner strictly opposite the axes of the first corner.
- The angles relative to each other should be located as follows:
- We fold both traverses, keeping them flat, and fix them for welding. We weld the loops onto the second corner on both sides.
- The corners should rotate freely relative to each other on their hinges. When turning 180 degrees there should be no snags or wedging. In this case, the gap between the traverses should be minimal.
- The metal clamp will be positioned as follows:
- Having previously marked, we use a grinder to cut out a sample around the axis on the clamping angle. The lower side of the clamping angle is ground at an angle of 45 degrees.
IMPORTANT! The edge should remain perfectly straight; it is along it that the fold line will run. In case of unevenness, creases and folds on the workpiece are possible.
- Opposite the axes, mark and drill holes for 10 mm bolts. We weld the bolts with the threads up to the lower fixed cross-beam.
- We also make a hole in the center of the traverse, but do not weld the bolt. This will be a removable element, so we weld the short axle to it in a T-shape.
- Bolts are needed to press the workpiece to the crossbeam when bending. The central bolt is used when the workpiece has a width that is half that of the traverse. When working with wide workpieces, the bolt is removed.
- From a 15-20 mm circle we cut two handles 30 cm long. A thinner rod will not work, since the force on the handles can be significant, and you can simply bend them.
- We weld the handles from the bottom of the turning angle (traverse).
Preparing the tool is half the job done. This truth is good if the master has a ready-made tool. However, if in the course of work you suddenly need something more complex than a screwdriver and a hammer, then you often have to invent real machines on the fly to perform complex functions. A striking example of such a machine is a sheet bender, which is necessary when working with sheets of metal.
During many works with sheet metal, for example, in roofing work, there is often a need to bend metal sheets, including those with different coatings. If you need to bend a small sheet, this work can be done using hammers, mallets, and pliers.
The result will be disastrous - a curved, jagged surface, a scratched coating, a crooked fold line will not allow all the work to be done efficiently, and will not bring aesthetic pleasure to the owner. It is generally impossible to bend a sheet of large size and, especially, a complex shape with such tools.
For such work it is necessary to use quite complex equipment - a sheet bender. You can buy ready-made manual machine, like the one shown in the photo, produced by a well-known manufacturer. However, this will entail additional, very significant costs, which will lead to an increase in the cost of all work. More cheap way purchasing such a machine - make a homemade sheet bending machine with your own hands. For a person who is familiar with physical labor and knows how to handle other tools, this will not pose any particular problems.
Device
Inventing such a machine independently will be problematic even for a person who is well acquainted with the basics of strength of materials. However, in the era of the Internet, no one needs invention in this area - drawings and descriptions of how to make a sheet bending machine with your own hands can be easily found on the relevant websites.
The main parts of the sheet bender shown in the drawing are:
- The base is a surface intended for installing other equipment and securing the workpiece. Made from steel channel. Dimensions are selected depending on the size of the metal sheets whose processing is planned;
- A clamp is a device that allows you to bend a sheet. In a conventional device, the bend angle does not exceed 90 degrees. It is made of a steel angle, installed on the frame with the top up. For ease of installation, another corner of the same type is welded to it, as shown in the drawing. The length of the clamp should be slightly less than the length of the base to ensure its reliable fastening and unhindered operation. Attached to the base using clamping bolts;
- Crimping punch is a structure made of a steel angle with a metal handle welded to it, which allows bending of the sheet. The axis of the punch must coincide with the edge of the angle. A steel rod is used as an axis.
The dimensions of the parts indicated in the drawing may vary depending on the area of application of the machine.
Assembly
The assembly of a homemade sheet bender, shown in the video, begins with fixing the base and punch using a clamp. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the surface of the base and the working surface of the punch are in the same plane. The axis of the punch is threaded through the holes of metal plates, called cheeks, welded to the ends of the base. The axle is attached to the cheeks by welding or screwed with nuts.
The exact location of the clamp is determined after several test bends. After drilling holes in the base, we attach the clamp to the base using clamp bolts. The nut for fastening the bolts is welded to the base, which makes it possible, if necessary, to easily install or remove the clamp, using only one nut on each bolt, which can be replaced with a knob.
Job
Thus, the drawings of a manual sheet bender with your own hands allow you to assemble a device, the operation of which is shown in the video. The operating procedure is as follows:
- The punch is brought to a position in which its working surface is installed in the same plane with the surface of the base. The punch handle in this position is directed vertically down;
- The clamp is removed from the base;
- A workpiece is placed on the base - a metal sheet, the width of which corresponds to the distance between the clamping bolts;
- The clamp is installed on the base and secured using clamping bolts;
- Using the handle, the punch is set in motion and firmly presses the sheet against the clamp. In this case, the sheet is bent at the desired angle around the axis of the punch. The handle is positioned at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the surface of the base.
The result is a sheet of metal with a straight fold line.
Applications and Benefits
A manual sheet bender is used when it is necessary to carry out any work related to bending metal sheets: manufacturing metal casings, cases, decorative work. It’s good to have such a device at the dacha, in the garage. It may be needed by a private entrepreneur engaged in metal processing and manufacturing metal products in small quantities.
The main advantage of such a machine is its mobility, small size, relative simplicity devices and assemblies. An undeniable advantage is the ability to use it in conditions of lack of electricity. Such a device allows you to qualitatively bend any sheet of metal of suitable size, while maintaining the evenness of its surface, without damaging the coating of the sheet, if any.
Flaws
With all the advantages, a homemade sheet bending machine also has disadvantages, which consist, first of all, in safety. The manufacture of such a device requires the use of welding equipment, the handling of which requires certain skills and compliance with safety requirements. Poor-quality welding can not only lead to a fire during its implementation, but also cause poor performance of the device itself.