Bending 14mm steel plate

[scottmk1]

For an upcoming project I will need to bend some 14mm thick mild steel plate, also other sizes but 14mm will be the thickest.

What sort of capacity shop press would I need to bend a piece of 14mm plate, 130mm wide?

 

[outofthefire]

I'd use oxy/propane and a big hammer.

 

[Bill Edwards]

Damn big. I'd also go with oxy fuel!

 

[Wozzaaah]

Depending on the application you can also cut a groove in it along the bend line, bend it then weld the groove up afterwards.
Don't forget to allow for the fact that it will probably want to try and pull itself straight again so you may need to overbend it slightly.

 

[NickyEng]

Big press for that, I'd go with warrens view, cut a groove, bend it and weld up afterwards. I've done it plenty of times
Also no issues this way with a large Bend radius

 

[123hotchef]

just to clarify do u cut the inside

 

[NickyEng]

just to clarify do u cut the inside

No mate, otherwise as you bend in towards each other they hit each other and prevent you further bending due to it still being attached on the outside. Cut the outside then bend inwards that opens up the split then weld it. Also remember to bend further as warren says since you must allow for the contraction of the weld on cooling

 

[123hotchef]

No mate, otherwise as you bend in towards each other they hit each other and prevent you further bending due to it still being attached on the outside. Cut the outside then bend inwards that opens up the split then weld it. Also remember to bend further as warren says since you must allow for the contraction of the weld on cooling

thanks for that now i know where i went wrong when i was bending my metal rod for extended sticks sorry for the thread hi jack i just kept opening the cut

 

[scottmk1]

Thanks guys. It's for a digger boom hub on a self build mini digger. From memory the drawing calls for 14mm bend radius.

 

[brightspark]

I'd use oxy/propane and a big hammer.

its bad enough bending 3/8 x 3inch in a vice with a big hammer and oxy propane try heating that lot to cherry red and keeping it hot

 

[Kent]

At 130 wide I should just do it hot without a press
Get it realy bright orange with a rosebud

 

[scottmk1]

Ok. I have propane but no oxygen, good excuse to get an oxy propane set up though. What is a good brand for such a setup? I have a BOC account so could try them for an oxy bottle

 

[tinman123]

For an upcoming project I will need to bend some 14mm thick mild steel plate, also other sizes but 14mm will be the thickest.

What sort of capacity shop press would I need to bend a piece of 14mm plate, 130mm wide?

is there no engineering place, or a handy lad with a bit of gear about him that could bend it for you?

yrs ago i made a press out of a porta power unit, it will bend 70x10 cold but if you had the way of heating the 14mm up with oxy acet then something like that would bend it no bother if you had it good and hot.

 

[scottmk1]

is there no engineering place, or a handy lad with a bit of gear about him that could bend it for you?

yrs ago i made a press out of a porta power unit, it will bend 70x10 cold but if you had the way of heating the 14mm up with oxy acet then something like that would bend it no bother if you had it good and hot.

I maybe could get some local company to do it for me, will look into who can do it.

 

[Bill Edwards]

It's doable, with oxy acet and a cutting torch I have bent plenty of 100 x 10 plates. It'll just take a little patience.

Yes, try BOC - phone the head office and tell them you're a hobbiest and see what price you can get out of them.

 

[scottmk1]

Thanks Bill. I will call BOC, I already have argon from them on the hobbyist deal.

 

[tinman123]

It's doable, with oxy acet and a cutting torch I have bent plenty of 100 x 10 plates. It'll just take a little patience.

Yes, try BOC - phone the head office and tell them you're a hobbiest and see what price you can get out of them.

BOC being the gas crowd and not some crowd with the initials of BOC ?
if it is the gas crowd, what kind of services do they offer over there other than new gear?

or maybe your saying to go to boc and get the oxy acet kit off them, which looking back id say is what you meant but i took it up wrong, my bad.

 

[Bill Edwards]

BOC being the gas crowd and not some crowd with the initials of BOC ?
if it is the gas crowd, what kind of services do they offer over there other than new gear?

or maybe your saying to go to boc and get the oxy acet kit off them, which looking back id say is what you meant but i took it up wrong, my bad.

No, BOC supply all workshop gasses in a range of sizes, mostly at high prices!
But they have a deal for hobbiests where we can get Argon and Argoshield light (a MIG mix) at good prices, and I think there's a little room with oxy these days as well.
They do sell welding gear as well, but I'm only talking about the gasses here, there's plenty of choices for the equipment.

 

[tinman123]

the closest boc place to me dose all the gas but has a shop too as well.
as you say, high prices wouldnt be strange but i see they have curtailed themselves a bit here for they werent selling much before it.
they sell a lot to order numbers as well so they can get away with the inflated gear.
its handy for certain things just.

 

[Kent]

Ok. I have propane but no oxygen, good excuse to get an oxy propane set up though. What is a good brand for such a setup? I have a BOC account so could try them for an oxy bottle

You really need a torch with a rosebud but it can be done with a cutting torch
It can also be done with propane but only with an air mix and that's a lot of work to set up
It's worth having an o2 in, one might say essential but if this is being done at home beware of its effect on your insurance
Or take it elsewhere to someone who has the stuff and know how