Bending 18 Gauge Sheet Metal

The average hack requires at least one angled metal part and the best tool to make one is still the good ol press brake.

Bending 18 gauge sheet metal.

Determine the angle at which you want to brake the metal and mark it on the protractor. 22 gauge 0 030 0 76 mm. Handles material as thick as 16 gauge. You will use the protractor to gauge the brake as you bend the metal little by little.

How to bend sheet metal without a brake in 4 different methods with minimal or homemade tools. You can find your bend allowance with the following formula. The material thickness will be measured in decimal form not by the gauge number. You will need to know your material thickness mt the bend angle b the inside radius ir and the k factor k.

The gauge number 18 holds no relevance to the actual measurements. 22 gauge 0 030 0 76 mm 0 5 12 7mm. Bends metal up to 18 in. For example in one gauge system 18 gauge steel.

Showing how i bend steel plate without using a brake. There are several different gauge systems used today with specific gauge designations used for specific metal types. Cut the section of metal out or otherwise prepare the metal to be bent by removing any burrs or sharp edges. The bend allowance formula takes into account the geometries of bending and the properties of your metal to determine the bend allowance.

This 18 inch mini sheet metal bending brake is an excellent choice for bending with less width and high capacity. It is well built and easy operating. Makes bends to 90º. 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.

For example 18 gauge steel according to a gauge conversion chart is 0 0478 inch or 1 214 millimeter. Easily clamps or mounts to workbench. It has the same cutting gauge capacity compared to 30 and 40 inch bending brake.