Bending Sheet Metal Drawers

Similar to other metal forming processes bending changes the shape of the work piece while the volume of material will remain the same.

Bending sheet metal drawers.

I m a home gamer with minimal experience working with sheet metal however i have a decent grasp of the fundamentals of bending. Sheet metal bending is the plastic deformation of the work over an axis creating a change in the part s geometry. For shop projects like these 22 gauge steel is about right. Mine is a little different because it is all metal.

In some cases bending may produce a small change in sheet thickness. How to make a metal drawer. Then all you need to do is cut out the pattern make the bends and spray on a coat of paint. Made a drawer to my drilling station.

Most frequently expensive sheet metal bending tools called brakes are used to bend sheet metal but you can also complete this task without one. Bending sheet metal by hand is a manageable task if the piece of sheet metal is small and thin enough to handle. 2mm mild steel and 1 5mm acid proof steel 316 evolution in home depot. I am using the harbor freight 36 brake with surprisingly good results in 16 gauge cold rolled.

Bending is one of the most common sheet metal fabrication operations. With the patterns on the following pages and your sheet metal in hand it s time to lay out the project. The force must exceed the material s yield strength to achieve a plastic deformation. Also known as press braking flanging die bending folding and edging this method is used to deform a material to an angular shape.

I m working on some 16 gauge drawers for my work bench. I needed to put a drawer on my welding cart and thought what better thing to make as my first instructa. It s easy to cut and bend but still has plenty of strength. In this instructable i will be showing you how to make a metal drawer for whatever you need.