For most applications with stainless steel or aluminum you can get away with a zero radius bend on anything under 0 050 thick.
Bending of aluminum sheet.
Sheet aluminium can be cut without the need for a guillotine or tin snips which tend to deform the metal.
Purchase a metal bending brake online or at your local hardware store.
A bending brake is a specialized metalworking.
Keep in mind that many kinds of fabricated metal have extremely high melting points and applying your torch injudiciously could cause damage or do harm to your sheet metal or equipment.
If you re bending 0 020 thick material use a 0 020 radius.
Bending sheet aluminum with a bending brake 1.
This weakens the aluminium and creates a fracture line.
That s the ideal anyway but the reality is that many parts arrive at the press brake in a less than ideal state.
6061 t6 aluminum is tempered and notorious for not bending easily.
Video demonstrating a diy way of bending thin gage aluminum coil stock by making a simple roller using a soft skateboard wheel.
In the event that you are bending a thick piece of sheet metal you can apply heat from a blowtorch along the seam of your bend line to facilitate your bend.
With the aid of a straight edge and a sharp knife score both sides of the aluminium sheet.
In other words if you re bending 1 8 sheet use a tool with a 1 8 radius to form the inside of the bend.
Insert your aluminum sheet into the brake beneath the removable clamp bar.