I started making some 1 meter long sill repair sections for my car last night and as my bender can only bend 18" lengths,that wasn't an option to use.
first of all cut some sheet to size using air shears and noticeable how much better they work since I upgraded by air fitting and accessories on my compressor
I acquired a piece of steel channel a few years ago for bending metal around, and as I was after a sharp radius on the piece of sheet I was wanting to flange, I end up bending it around one of the legs as the radius on the edge was tighter. end ended up clamping some box section tubing (will be a side rail for my heralds chassis one day) on top of the sheet.
now for the bending, I start off with some flanging vise grips to bend the edge down along its length a few degrees at a time to about 45 degrees. you don't need to clamp the sheet with the vise grips,but just use them as a guide.
starting to bend the edge this way rather than using a block of wood an hammer reduces the tendancy for the sheet slide between the channel and box section and end up with the flange being a few mm out. you could always weld the sheet to the channel though. you will end up with a large radius though so this can be tightened up with a hammer and block of wood, and taken a few degrees at a time upto about 70 degrees
I then complete the flange using a slapper and hammer to get it more or less 90 degrees
I then move the sheet metal on the channel to dress the flange using a of bright steel bar and a deadblow hammer. the tube used for clamping needs to have its top edge above the the top of the flange to prevent the corner of the flange buckling as it is dressed down.
and the end result
and in the middle of the section its only 2mm out of being straight. for us novices at this metal bashing malarky, its easy enough to bend metal so you end up with a flange, its just takes a little bit more time and effort to get it accurate over a long length.
I did originally try to do this with tipping dies in my bead roller,but it wasn't what I would call successful, although it could have been straightened with shrinker
first of all cut some sheet to size using air shears and noticeable how much better they work since I upgraded by air fitting and accessories on my compressor
I acquired a piece of steel channel a few years ago for bending metal around, and as I was after a sharp radius on the piece of sheet I was wanting to flange, I end up bending it around one of the legs as the radius on the edge was tighter. end ended up clamping some box section tubing (will be a side rail for my heralds chassis one day) on top of the sheet.
now for the bending, I start off with some flanging vise grips to bend the edge down along its length a few degrees at a time to about 45 degrees. you don't need to clamp the sheet with the vise grips,but just use them as a guide.
starting to bend the edge this way rather than using a block of wood an hammer reduces the tendancy for the sheet slide between the channel and box section and end up with the flange being a few mm out. you could always weld the sheet to the channel though. you will end up with a large radius though so this can be tightened up with a hammer and block of wood, and taken a few degrees at a time upto about 70 degrees
I then complete the flange using a slapper and hammer to get it more or less 90 degrees
I then move the sheet metal on the channel to dress the flange using a of bright steel bar and a deadblow hammer. the tube used for clamping needs to have its top edge above the the top of the flange to prevent the corner of the flange buckling as it is dressed down.
and the end result
and in the middle of the section its only 2mm out of being straight. for us novices at this metal bashing malarky, its easy enough to bend metal so you end up with a flange, its just takes a little bit more time and effort to get it accurate over a long length.
I did originally try to do this with tipping dies in my bead roller,but it wasn't what I would call successful, although it could have been straightened with shrinker