My second smoker Build

black · Jan 16, 2013

That's OK, edit my posts as you like

Dutch · Jan 16, 2013

A cheap break that my son build used 3 2X4 and a pair of door hinges. He know that all his bend would be in the 3 foot area of the piece of sheet stock he was working with.

His 2X4's were 6 footers. He laid two 2X4's next to each other and fastened the together with the door hinges set in a foot from each end-giving him a 4 foot area to work in.

He would place his stock on the 2 2X4's place the third 2X4 on the 2X4 furthest from him line up the edges, making sure that his line on the stock was just visible under the third 2X4 and clamped the two 2X4's together with the sheet stock sandwiched in between. Using a couple of pipe wrenches as handles on the 2X4 closest to him, he would turn that 2X4 90° to the other two and get his bend in the stock where he wanted it. If I recall he had one of the 2X's fastened to a sawhorse.

Hope you can see this in your minds eye.

black · Jan 16, 2013

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Dutch · Jan 16, 2013

Lee, in talking to my son awhile ago to see if he had any pics of his 2X4 break he said that next to the hinges, he drilled a 3/4 inch hole and used long 3/4 inch dowels as levers to bend the sheet stock and did away with tke pipe wrenches.

black · Jan 17, 2013

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themule69 · Jan 18, 2013

great tip dutch. i made 1 out of steel.

david

roger shoaf · Jan 20, 2013

16 gauge steel is pretty thick to be bending with a wooden brake.

What would work however is to get an abrasive wheel for a skill saw and cut a kerf in the steel at the point you wish to make the bend.

By clamping a straight edge to the sheet backed up with some plywood this will allow you to make a good straight cut.

Try this method on some scrap to determine the optimum depth of your cut.

You also might want to get some angle iron to reinforce the corners.

You said that this is for the inner of your box. What are your plans for the rest of the box?

black · Jan 21, 2013

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black · Jan 22, 2013

That's OK, edit my posts as you like

themule69 · Jan 22, 2013

put a piece of scrap in and see what happens.

ldrus · Jan 22, 2013

Cut it and use angle iron to frame it. U can put a few screws in it to hold then weld the sheet to thr angle

roger shoaf · Jan 22, 2013

I would.

My reasoning is that if you score the metal with the saw, it will bend right where you want it to, so you will get a nice result. If you rely on the brake alone you might get what you want or you might scrap a nice new chunk of sheet metal.

I have not done a lot of sheet metal work, but I recall that it was trickier than I had anticipated to get the bends exactly right the first time, and generally speaking the thicker the tin, the trickier bending was to get accurate results.

black · Jan 22, 2013

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themule69 · Jan 22, 2013

your on the right track bending. then like you say brake for later. your not going to have a problem getting the bends right. post pics as you build.

David

black · Jan 23, 2013

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themule69 · Jan 23, 2013

if you can get more than 90 deg. i would. normally you have to bend more than 90 to get 90. you can get by with it. also your next project may call for more than 90. that's just thinking in the future for the brake.

david

black · Jan 23, 2013

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roger shoaf · Jan 24, 2013

Another thought is why weld at all?

Pop riveting the panels might be an option. Trying to keep things from warping in thin sheet over long distance might be tricky.

If however you bent one piece to form 3 sides and then made a top and bottom that you folded over like the lid on a shoe box then drilled a few holes and riveted it together you bight be better off.

Another way would be to weld up a frame out of square tubing. Next tack on some angle to back up the panels and rivet away. You wou;d then get a really strong box, you could use thinner sheet metal and if you made it double wall you could insulate the box easily.

themule69 · Jan 24, 2013

Lee

i have solved a lot of my problems with a cold

. i still like the idea of bending instead of welding. but if worst comes to worst.

i still say build the brake and bend. if you can only get 85 deg. i bet you can cheat the other 5 some how. you cold add some heat after the bend and try to get the rest by bending again. it's not like your trying to use 3/8" .059 isn't that thick.

try it on a piece of scrap. you never know.

happy smoken.

david

black · Jan 28, 2013

That's OK, edit my posts as you like

My second smoker Build

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