Folding 1mm 304 stainless for a worktop

[EBME2]

I am toying with developing my covered outdoor kitchen area and thinking of a DIY stainless steel worktop. The worktop is about 1.8m long and I am thinking of 18mm ply base with 1mm of stainless 304 sheet bonded to the top and then folded over the front edge.

Do you think it will be possible to bend if I clamp with a bit of timber and use a soft mallet to create the front edge?

I have no experience working with stainless and no tools capable of folding 1.8m.

Any suggestions or alternatives greatly accepted.

Andy

 

[tigdlo]

Used or new catering equipment is worth a look, probably cheaper than buying the materials, don't know what grade the stainless is but as it's under cover shouldn't be an issue.

Long manual bends are rarely perfectly straight. but If I was doing it I would probably try hardening the edge of the ply with epoxy resin and bend it over that while clamped between something very straight on both sides.

Granite? cheap on ebay if you get lucky with an offcut.

 

[gaz1]

long scaffold bar and hit it between 2 fastened woods will do it better

0.8 and longer but i had something to pull and shape as i went with it your going to have to hit the bar low enough to create a 1/4 bend in it

 

[knighty]

I'd use obb3 instead of ply, it's hard to get decent ply these days

I made a set of factory doors by folding an 8x4 sheet of 1.2mm mild steel around a sheet of ply (full 8ft by 4ft steel, ply cut down so sheet would fold around it)

I wasn't really bothered about finish but it worked surprisingly well, just used a short piece of wood and a big hammer


for what you're doing would you not be better folding the steel down the edge under the bottom and then screw it up? so 2x 90' bends?

I'm thinking you could screw/glue/epoxy the steel to the bottom side of the worktop first, have steel flat on floor and then bend the wood up so it bends the steel for you?

you'll probably have to bend it a bit and then go along the wood hitting.... but at least you're hitting your wood which won't be seen instead of hitting the steel.... should give a much more uniform bend?


I'd go double thick on the wood underneath too

 

[daedalusminos]

Scoring the back of the sheet with a 1mm slitting disc will help

 

[frank horton]

If u want it to look smart just pay to get it done...
we used to get odd bits done a dinner break for a few quid....

 

[northwest]

Find someone with a pressbrake and take beer tokens. If you get it wrong and the chances of that are high if you have never done it before, it will look awful. Someone with experience and a pressbrake will make a professional job of it. I have folded lots of stainless and I wouldn't consider what you are proposing.

 

[Agroshield]

Standard stainless sheet is 0.9mm, sometimes 0.8mm. As the others have said, that is what is used in catering stuff, and it would span maybe 400mm in that application. If you are backing it with wooden sheets, you can go thinner (e.g. 0.5-0.6mm). Not only will this save you material costs, it will also be easier to form should you go the DIY route.

The pressbrake is the best idea as they can put a safe edge (hem) at the bottom so you do not lacerate yourself when using or cleaning it. Think about what you are going to do at the ends, for safety and looks.

 

[James1979]

Find someone with a pressbrake and take beer tokens. If you get it wrong and the chances of that are high if you have never done it before, it will look awful. Someone with experience and a pressbrake will make a professional job of it. I have folded lots of stainless and I wouldn't consider what you are proposing.

What he said 100% from experience

 

[gt6s]

Go to a scrapyard thats where stainless catering tables end up. Save yourself money AND HASSLE.

 

[zeppelin builder]

you should ask someone to bend it in a folder or press brake

 

[EBME2]

Many thanks all for the replies, think I will rethink.

Good to ask before I make the mistake.

Andy