Hi all.

Can anyone give any advice on the best way to bend sheet ali and get a good finish?

I want to put some 90 degree bends along a sheet, but also gget a 'joggled' finish, so I can fasten two sheets together and get a flush finish.

I've been looking at sheet metal folders, but they're either too short or too expensive - I want to bend a piece about a metre long (wanting to make a one piece ali bulkhead).

get two pieces of angle iron and sandwich the ali between, grip the angle iron in a vice or workmate.

What he said.
Then clamp the ends together as well with G clamps.
Hold a strip of hard wood against the ali and hit that with the hammer.

2 strips of 2x1" wood G-clamped either side of the ali sheet, and the bent over with a peice of 2" square, just like in the old Ron book?

I used two lengths of 1" chassis box and a lump wood.

Two bits either side of the bend, clamped in a vice at one end and G clamp at other to sandwich the sheet.

Then a lump of wood and worked my way up and down dressing the sheet over. Do not use a metal hammer unless its idirectly by striking the wood to get a clean edge.

Regards Mark

Get a good big rubber hammer , this is very good for dressing the ally around corners. I have used a combination of bits of angle, box section, G clamps bench, bits of wood and whatever else to clamp the sheet down and bend it with timber finally dressing with the rubber hammer, so far so good, i still have to do the bonnet and front side panels

Caber

get the yellow pages find a sheet metal firm with a press brake, take your sheet of ally with you and a light snack, give them a few qiud and take away a proper joggled edge without the stress

Buy a hand 'joggler' I have never used one, as I have made but joints and used a flat sheet of ali behind the ones to be joined attached with rivets, you then get a flush joint between the sheets.

All my bends have been done as above, I can recomend the rubber hammer! Just take it slowly and evenly onlong the length of the bend as you don't want to streach the metal else it will go bannan shaped on a long 90 deg bend. Practice on some scrap.

Dan

[Edited on 26/4/07 by Bluemoon]

[Edited on 26/4/07 by Bluemoon]

I have a set of joggling pliers. They are a good tool if a tad expensive.

I paid £27 for mine but they don't punch holes for rivets. Those were £35.

Mine will do 1mm s/s at a push.
Mild steel is OK, and ally is a doddle.

Hth
Paul G