Too bad there isn't a metal fabrication forum

Anyways, I need to know how to make the tightest 90 degree bend on a 3/8 thick and 2" wide plate of steel. What would the tool that would do that be called?


THanks!

 

A REALLY HEAVY bending brake?? But if you bend it cold you gotta worry about cracking. How about a forge?

Seriously, what about cutting it & welding it together at 90deg??

Or maybe using a short piece of angle in the first place?

 

I think something like this might work for you:

http://home.insight.rr.com/strongman/bending.html

 

I thought brakes are just for sheet metal? 3/8" is pretty thick, I can barely flex it when it's 1 foot long.

I thought about a cut and weld, but i much rather bend it, I am basically making a U bracket.


Thanks anyways!

 

Could you lock it in a vise, heat it, hammer it, and repeat?

You may also want to consider buying a piece of box section and cutting out the welded side...

Some local car builders have made brackets by cutting a length of box section, drilling a hole in it and turning it sideways, which would make it an 0 bracket instead of a U bracket, on the theory that it is 'stronger' but I am not sure that this would be a good solution, as I *think* you would have to be very accurate with your washers / spacers to create a proper double shear joint -- I imagine that a U bracket has some flex in it intentionally so that the bolt will be able to pull or push the sides of the bracket in or out ever so slightly so that bushing is properly supported.

I am not an engineer, so I don't have the background needed to evaluate whether or not the '0' bracket is safe.

 

Either have it professionally bent to your specs or shop around to find scrap materials that will suit your application as-is. Or do what I would do and cut-and-weld it. I have a heavy duty sheet metal brake and I would be reluctant to try such thick material on it. It's going to take a forge or brake designed for thick plate.

 

Thanks, maybe I will look at the welding route. I saw some metal benders for $80 online, but not sure if they are up to the task of making sharp 90 degree bends.

The box idea might work, but the U is quite far apart. Not sure if they make tubes that thick and that wide.

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

If you can even find (afford) a brake big enough to do it, the other problem is cold-working. Making a sharp corner puts a lot of strain in the material. Beware of cracking. That's why forging makes more sense. Cutting & welding makes even more sense.

 

i work at a steel shop if you want a 90 degree bend then any local shop with a hydralic press should be able to do it,

but if you cant find a shop to do it then the heat then bend will work. make a template and heat thatup till its glowing red and bend it like its a stick of butter

 

you need a press break.... good luck find one

you're best off putting it in a vise, heating it up red hot and hammering it.

 

I'm a little worried about weakening the metal by heating it up and hammering it down. I guess i'm better off welding it together.

Awesome replies guys! Thanks!

 

just put it in an acme vise or a good vise, heat it up and beat it until its flat with the vise = 90°

 

We had to make similar brackets for a robotic platform a few years back. Band saw 2 inch strip stock and weld. Cheap, fast and accurate if you weld in a fixture.

 

If for some reason you really don't want to do the welding, another idea would be to go to a steel shop and pick up a section of "wide flange" steel beam ("H" shaped) and cut off what you don't need.

This would be a lot more work than welding in my mind, but is a solution.

Wes Vann