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Anyne got a sheet metal folder


phil200tdi

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Hi Guys

Just replacing the rear floor on my disco but the lip the floor rests on is completely rotten. Have decided to cut out the old floor and the surrounding lip that the panel rests on and make up some new sections to weld in. Not complicated really, but every fabricator I have approached seems to want to charge the earth for it... anyone on here willing or able?? Or recommend anyway of doing this neatly without a folding bench. just two folds to each piece of sheet steel really... I'm in Oxford and happy to travel a reasonable distance.

see attached basic diagrams of what I need...

Cheers

Phil

post-5949-1219164828_thumb.jpg

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Hi Guys

Just replacing the rear floor on my disco but the lip the floor rests on is completely rotten. Have decided to cut out the old floor and the surrounding lip that the panel rests on and make up some new sections to weld in. Not complicated really, but every fabricator I have approached seems to want to charge the earth for it... anyone on here willing or able?? Or recommend anyway of doing this neatly without a folding bench. just two folds to each piece of sheet steel really... I'm in Oxford and happy to travel a reasonable distance.

see attached basic diagrams of what I need...

Cheers

Phil

If you cant find any one closer I have a folder at my work, can use it nights or weekends

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Not the tidyest of solutions but you could produce something like that by clamping a sheet detween 2 straight edges (lengths of box section) in a vice with some extra clamps to keep it clamped tight along its length and then bend/beat the corner witha hand/hammer. It won't look as neat as a pressed edge, but when its all rebuilt and some trim on top of it, hammer marks arn't going to be a problem.

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As Chris has said you can do that.....I have a length of 90 angle which has a fairly sharp 'edge' to it.

My workshop lodger ( ~wave~ to Smo :) ) has a 3 foot sheet metal folder. If you get stuck you are more than welcome to pay a visit.....can't guarantee use of the sheet metal folder tho ;)

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The probable reason for the extortionate price is the proximity of one fold to the other. It needs quite a nice bit of kit to be able to do it without wrecking one fold as you do the other - if you get me...

The way we solved this on my Range Rover was to get a 90deg fold on one piece with a tail the length of the step required, then weld the flat piece to it to create the step. Quite long winded, but by far a cheaper solution. It didn't even take too long to do it once it was tacked in place.

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I had to make up similar items for my RRC.

I did it in short lengths (500mm ish) as the flat part had to fit round wheelarches etc.

The small clark bender will do the job but, as others have said, the second bend tends to undo the first.

I made the first bend correct then did as much of the second bend as the bender could manage and finished it off using 2 lengths of angle iron in the vice and a bit of 15mm plate to hammer down the bend.

That way at least you get 2 well formed bends with nice edges. A long straight edge (1.5m spirit level) ensured the sections remained in line as they were butt welded together.

One important point. As soon as you've finished welding clean up the metal and apply a good anti-rust primer straight away.

Newly welded steel tends to rust while you're looking at it!

Alternatively, your local motor factor should have 1.2m lengths of various bent "L" sections in all the usual gauges.

These vary from 20mm X 20mm (i.e 20mm angle strip) up to 20mm X 200mm (200mm flat with a 20mm lip) plus loads of other permutations.

If you avoid the early morning and lunchtime rush the guys are usually very helpful and will show you what's available.

Hope this helps,

Bob

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