How To Curve Sheet Metal By Hand

Before attempting to make your bend you ll need to measure and mark the place where you want to make your bend on your sheet metal.

How to curve sheet metal by hand.

Step 1 measure and marking your sheet metal. Place the sheet metal on top of the workbench and lay out your pattern using a tape measure pencil and straightedge. This way you won t need to be concerned about making an unwanted mark you won t be able to clean off your sheet metal. 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.

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. If you re bending 0 020 thick material use a 0 020 radius. With a combination of these manipulations you can create anything from flat sheet and you can do it by hand. Artist kevin caron shows how to create a curve he can cut out on an aluminum metal sheet for the public sculpture he s working on.

Make sure the first bend mark lines up exactly with the curve in the form so that the bending will begin in the right spot. The inside bend radius should be equal to the thickness of the material that you re forming. If your project requires curved cuts make an easy economical and adjustable. 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.

He shows a little trick and shares more tips that make it easy to create professional matched curves. Then use your bend allowance to draw your second bend line the intervening distance between your bend lines bend radius. Mark your bend lines.