Best Way To Bend Hobby Sized Aluminum Sheet

The two m10 bolts in the top are to clamp the sheet between the backstop and the base.

Best way to bend hobby sized aluminum sheet.

Bending sheet metal by hand is a manageable task if the piece of sheet metal is small and thin enough to handle. The backstops bolt holes have a slot cut in them to allow the backstop to be slid back to allow for the thickness of the material to be bend. See how the face of the backstop slopes backward slightly. This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line.

Step 3 sandwich the sheet metal into the jaws of the vise as well. Time to bend or nearly. As the lever goes down the anvil will descend pressing the punch pipe into the aluminum at the bend line. Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal.

When bending aluminum know that the smaller your inside bend radius the larger the chance that cracking will occur in the part. Also know that for the best results and fewer cracks on the outside of the bend the bend line should go across or diagonal to the material grain when and where possible. Place the fracture line over the edge of a table and bend the overhang slightly downwards. As you bend it the metal will be heading towards you.

Slide the angle iron into the jaws of the vise so that it lays flat the length of the piece of metal you are going to bend. Learn how to bend sheet metal so you can complete home and hobby projects easily without using a sheet metal brake. This in turn will cause the aluminum to conform to the angle of the notch in the v block.