Bending 18 gauge steel.

What are you guys using to create a flange on your panels. I need to patch some floor and I want to put a 1" lip on two sides for spot welds. Not sure if I'm going to need to find someone with a metal brake or if I could do it in the garage.

I'm using 18 gauge sheet metal.

 

I've bent relatively short pieces (6-8") in a vise. Hard to get a good crisp corner though, tends to bend in more of a u-shape. But in the area I was fixing the bend was hidden and it worked fine.

 

Flanging tool. Looks like a pair of vicegrips with different grippers. Infact mine says vicegrip on the handle.
Looks like this
http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?...utm_term=BLR13229&utm_campaign=googlebase_18u
Warning, you will end up with gorilla hands after flanging every panel on a Jeep with one of these.

 

Clamp the panel betwene two 2X4's with the 1" sticking out and the use a hammer and a block of wood to bend it down, work back and forth doing a little at a time and you will get a nice bend.

I have done this with some 14 ga about 6ft long, build a door for a enclosed air compresser that somebody lost and the factory was 10 weeks out.

Can get pictures if need be.

Andrew

 

Or you can get a pneumatic punch/flanger, like this:



Harbor Freight Air Punch Flange Tool

I have one of these. I haven't used it much yet, but it works pretty good, and no gorilla hands.