 Sheet metal bending?
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I was working on this a while back and kinda shelved it for a while. ...Ian's idea, snekeptp helped me with the tracings.  The problem Im having is that I cant get the metal bent right exactly. The flat spot on the tank is actually curved in both axis and im not sure how to bend the diamond plate both ways...see pic  any thoughts?
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
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Sandbag or beadbag and a rubber mallet? Obviously you can't use a regular body hammer because that will mar the finish and you can't use any of the traditional tools to smooth it out. http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/produ...ProductID=10880Maybe a little creative use of heat?
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Erwin
05 America
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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im not worried about the finish cause i was gonna paint them flat black, but i dont think i can hit the diamond side cause i'll flatten the raised pieces.
I bent the main radius parallel with the tank length by hand and made it fit fine in that direction.
But it seems if i bent it in the other direction (the slight perpendicular radius of the flat part on the tank in pic 2)...if i bend it that way, it'll take the original bend out.
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Quote:
metal roller
how could you roll it in both directions?
If you look in pic 2 you can see that the top is touching the tank and the bottom isnt....if you rolled it that way, you wouldnt be able to roll it the other way for the main bend...right?
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Joined: May 2007
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Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
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Rubber mallet and a sandbag as the anvil, shape the bag like a catcher's mitt. It'll eat up the mallet but you'll get the proper curve, just take it a whack at a time.
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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this is a easy one.... just use your leg and your hand's and if you want you can even use a little heat put it in your oven at 350 for about 5 min's then pull it out and use your hand's and leg ...  Ed 
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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wont the metal have to distort bending it both axis like that? see this diagram, the arrows represent the way it has to curve...if you take a piece of paper and bend it and then try to bend it the other way you get a crinkle distortion...with diamond plate its different than working with just a thin piece of sheetmetal and working it out with hammers 
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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that is why i would use a little heat to get it the way you want so it will stretch not crinkle and it won't take much heat beacuse it is alumunin.. Ed
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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so would and oven work cause im torchless
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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yes a oven would work and a oven would be better because it will heat it up evenley Ed
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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I guess i'll have to give it a try
this would be so much easier if the tank didnt bulge out slightly where the knee pads go...when i was making these i just figured i'd bend them and slap em on flat..ahah
any thoughts on adhesive? i guess i want them semi-perminent so it dont ruin the paint.
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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That stuff is usually as soft as possible as it is i.e. in it's annealed form. If it isn't,heat it to about 450c and let it cool slowly.450c can be assessed by stroking a matchstick acroos the surface,it will leave a black trail at approx the correct temp. Working it hot achieves nothing with aluminium.Steve.(sheet metal worker).
"You just kinda wasted my precious time..."
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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steve i was just helping him get it more "malleable" i am a welder/fab most of my life and i have worked with sheet metal alot also..but i would not call myself a sheet metal worker Ed
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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so warm not hot is what your saying?
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Adjunct
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What I'm saying is anneal the material and do your forming work after the metal has cooled.
"You just kinda wasted my precious time..."
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Adjunct
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Adjunct
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If it ain't already in it's softest state.
"You just kinda wasted my precious time..."
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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how would i know if its in its softest state?
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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ask for it's address. 
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Quote:
Quote:
metal roller
how could you roll it in both directions?
If you put it in a roller in this direction I think it would give you the curve you need.
Erwin
05 America
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Erwin
05 America
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
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I think that would look sharp when finished but as tight as I find myself squeazing the tank with my knees they would really be sore.
mike
2006 neon blue speedmaster
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Adjunct
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
metal roller
how could you roll it in both directions?
If you put it in a roller in this direction I think it would give you the curve you need.
see if you rolled it in your arrowed direction you'd get the first main curve just fine (i did that with my hands)...
the second curve goes in the direction of the contour lines i drew in the middle...it has to bend so the middle bulges towards you, and then follows the main radius also.
so you wouldnt be able to roll it in both directions.
heres another pic...
see how i have it bent that way, but its not touching on the top edge....its not touching on the bottom edge either. the tank has a small radius in it that bulges out the side slighty...thats why i need to bend it in two radius'
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Loquacious
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I guess your right. It was just a thought
Erwin
05 America
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Yeah i wish it was that simple, when i was cutting them out i had no idea there was a slight bulge on the sides of the tank, i just assumed it was a nice flat spot i could just bend to fit. It almost seems easier to flatten the sides of the tank with a rubber mallet...ahha
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Oil Expert
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Oil Expert
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the trick (as I learned it from watching OCC ) is that you need to stretch the middle of the material, not just bend it. That's what those wheels do. That would clearly mess up your diamond pattern. I'm pretty sure you can't heat up aluminum enough for it to mould it under hand pressure. Something like the beanbag suggestions is where I'd be going - starting with just trying to make a dish shape in a piece of scrap. This is all drawing on my vast legacy of tv watching skills.
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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haha...see Ive learned alot from watching that stuff too.
but really have you ever seen a piece of metal that they shape for a tank?
its always curved and rounded in the same shape....the beat on the the middle to get the scooped out dome piece, and then it eventually curves around in the same manner to make the shape of the top of the tank.
have you ever seen them dome a piece of metal with the hammer and the make it curve in the opposite direction as the dome?
like when you take a piece of paper and slightly bend it away from you and then try to roll it up?...its like the one bend unbends the other bend..right?
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Great look anyway. Good luck with it.
Erwin
05 America
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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yeah i could be...aha
im thinking about getting some kneepads and fixing the diamond plate to them...that way the bend wont be as great
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Quote:
im thinking about getting some kneepads and fixing the diamond plate to them...
Might stick out to far then
Erwin
05 America
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Don't know how to bend it, but it sho nuff looks good
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
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THE ultimate metal bender  Or dare I use the word vaporizer?
Blowing gravel off rural roads
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Quote:
Quote:
im thinking about getting some kneepads and fixing the diamond plate to them...
Might stick out to far then
I was thining about cutting some rubber away so the diamond plate is more like an insert...it'd need to drill a couple rivet holes but the next probably would just be sticking them on there....and its hard now cause i dont have a heated garage or anything so it'll be hard to get glue to hold good in this kinda cold weather.
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Quote:
THE ultimate metal bender
Or dare I use the word vaporizer?
have you ever seen those dudes all down a line using english wheels to shape the exterior to airplanes and what not...those things are like extinct now, but used just for cars and motorcyles.....those are the old hardcore dudes that have arthritis in every joint and cant move too much with swallowing tons of pills ...and then riding across country on a hardtail with a weight belt strapped around keeping it all together...ahha
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Quote:
Don't know how to bend it, but it sho nuff looks good
would you still think theyre cool if they were painted flat black?...Im sorta into keeping them low-key...what do you think?
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Fe Butt
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Fe Butt
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
im thinking about getting some kneepads and fixing the diamond plate to them...
Might stick out to far then
I was thining about cutting some rubber away so the diamond plate is more like an insert...it'd need to drill a couple rivet holes but the next probably would just be sticking them on there....and its hard now cause i dont have a heated garage or anything so it'll be hard to get glue to hold good in this kinda cold weather.
The diamond plate as an insert would look cool and I think would be fairly easy to do.It would eliminate the need to make the compound bend. Just stick it on the way they would with no insert. Make the fastener counter sunk on the tank side of the pad.
I learned all I need to know about life by killing smart people and eating their brains.
Eat right ,Exercise ,Stay fit, Die Anyway!
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Loquacious
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Loquacious
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Quote:
would you still think they're cool if they were painted flat black?
Yep
I believe flat black would look better than silver.
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Re: Sheet metal bending?
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Bar Shake
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Bar Shake
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Quote:
If it ain't already in it's softest state.
I don't think it is Steve. Diamond plate is intended to be walked upon etc. so it's probably in it's hardest state.
Annealing would make it much more workable.
Contra todo mal, mezcal; contra todo bien, también
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