Bending stainless steel

VicS

VicS

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For a little project I will want to make some components from stainless steel strip as illustrated.

What will be the max thickness material that I will be able to bend to this shape by hand/ using ordinary hand tools ?

Ubracket.jpg
 
A bit depends on the length you are starting with & how much waste you are prepared to accept.
By hand tools one assumes one might have a heavy G cramp to cramp one leg to an old trailer or lump of steel. Place a piece of 25mm steel pipe or bar as a former one side of the cramp. Then place a pipe over the end of the other leg & raise it up & over so that it forces the pipe against the cramp & cannot roll along. May need another cramp to hold it down during the first phase of the bend as it will want to ride up. The steel should then bend around the pipe "former". When almost done the job can be finished off with the G cramp . However, the legs of the piece will not be exact so will have to be cut afterwards. But if needs be you could possibly get to 5mm Th doing it this way. The pipe used for bending would need to be a good fit over the steel but you might be able to flatten a small pipe out a little bit with a sledge hammer to make it a tight fit over the leg. Problem is that the bend may end up as a "kink" so you need to work the pipe along the leg as you bend & experiment

Not sure if lots of heat would work on stainless.
 
On a somewhat similar project I found that a useful 'tool' could be made from a thick (10mm or so) steel plate into which a slot is cut by an angle grinder. The width of cut and where to place it in regard to the edge of the plate will depend on the desired shape of the item.
Here is a replacement 'stirrup' for a Blake Baby toilet I made from stainless steel strip 25 x 3mm.

stirrup.jpg
 
BabaYaga said:
On a somewhat similar project I found that a useful 'tool' could be made from a thick (10mm or so) steel plate into which a slot is cut by an angle grinder. The width of cut and where to place it in regard to the edge of the plate will depend on the desired shape of the item.
Here is a replacement 'stirrup' for a Blake Baby toilet I made from stainless steel strip 25 x 3mm.

stirrup.jpg
Click to expand...

Oh NO, you drilled it too :disgust::disgust:
 
Speaking as a retired artist/ornmental blacksmith, Daydream Believer has given the best reply although I wouldn't think of going a thick as 5 mm unless you're using very long lengths and built like Charles Atlas...when he was in his prime!
Are you using stainless steel for decorative reasons - the finish needs to be smooth and clean or for marine purposes where the finish doesn't matter?
If the finish doesn't matter, then heat is by far the easiest option but as Jumble Duck says it leaves it dull and mucky and takes a lot of time to clean up. Assuming you've got a car jack you can simplify Day Dreamer's method by using that as your prime source of force. Make up a series of wooden formers to gradually force the U shape, but you won't get the sides parallel doing it cold unless you bend it past the "vertical".
To test the "forming tools" cut strips of lead and use those to see how it works.
I found when forging 316 it took 5 times the effort to do against mild steel.
If the finish needs to be shiny then I'd strongly suggest getting someone else to do it!
Nice to be able to give advise to you for once
Mike.
 
Thanks for the comments.

I should be able to allow plenty of waste. I guess I will have to buy a metre of strip, if not more , but I only have 3 of these to make .

I have a vice mounted on a very sturdy bench and probably more hand tools than most people, including G cramps

If I can bend 2mm I will be happy, more than happy with 3mm. I was expecting to be limited to 1.5mm or less!
 
In my project above I went for 3mm just because my supplier did not carry strip any thinner. 2 or 2.5mm would have required cutting from sheet, which would have been more expensive.
You might be luckier, though.
 
Vegable said:
Speaking as a retired artist/ornmental blacksmith, Daydream Believer has given the best reply although I wouldn't think of going a thick as 5 mm unless you're using very long lengths and built like Charles Atlas...when he was in his prime!
Are you using stainless steel for decorative reasons - the finish needs to be smooth and clean or for marine purposes where the finish doesn't matter?
If the finish doesn't matter, then heat is by far the easiest option but as Jumble Duck says it leaves it dull and mucky and takes a lot of time to clean up. Assuming you've got a car jack you can simplify Day Dreamer's method by using that as your prime source of force. Make up a series of wooden formers to gradually force the U shape, but you won't get the sides parallel doing it cold unless you bend it past the "vertical".
To test the "forming tools" cut strips of lead and use those to see how it works.
I found when forging 316 it took 5 times the effort to do against mild steel.
If the finish needs to be shiny then I'd strongly suggest getting someone else to do it!
Nice to be able to give advise to you for once
Mike.
Click to expand...

On reflection Babayaga's idea of a piece of steel with a slot may be better than pipe. I do have a lump of 30 Mm square bar 2 metres long with 2 pieces 75 long 35mm apart welded at right angles on one end to it which I use for bending reinforcing to pile caps in the ground. The idea of babagaga is sort of similar & can be worked round the steel better. My bar could be replicated by drilling 2 holes in some bar & putting 2/ 10mm studs through it close together so they project 50mm with a 3mm gap for the steel to sit in
 
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From the link that DownWest gave you can download the manual; it gives enough information for you to make your own... if you are not averse to 'pirating'. ;)
 
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