How to Measure the Force to Bend Thin Metal
Thin metal is also known as sheet metal. This metal comes in various sizes. While it is mainly used for plumbing and PVC applications, it can also be used for different crafts around the house. This may warrant it needing to be bent to a certain angle. Before you can bend thin sheet metal, it is necessary to measure the force that will be necessary to give it the bend you desire. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Measure the length of the piece of sheet metal with a tape measure and record the measurement. This will help locate the proper spot to bend the sheet metal. The sheet metal should be bent directly in the middle. If the piece measures 30-by-30 inches, mark it directly in the center at 15 inches.
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Measure each distance from the bend mark to the edge of the sheet metal and record those measurements. All the measurements should read 15 inches, but measure to verify you are directly in the center. Find out the K-Factor of your piece of sheet metal. The K-Factor will be a number between 0 and 1 that is the bend radius of the material, meaning how many degrees you want it to bend.
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Measure the thickness of the sheet metal. Hold up a tape measure along the center of the sheet metal and record the measurement. This number will be used later on to help determine the K-Factor.
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Figure out the bend allowance by multiplying 2 by angle you are bending it to (90 degrees). Take 180 and subtract the total length of the piece (30). This will give you a bend allowance of 150. Divide the bend allowance of 150 by the total number of inches of 30 to get five, which is the bend radius.
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Multiply 5 by .10 which is the thickness of the sheet metal to get a K-Factor of .5. Determine what you will be using to bend the sheet metal and how you will be bending it. Find out if you will be using a soft, medium or hard material to press down on the mark at the bend location
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References
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