Question on Bending/Forming

[netcaretaker]

My wife would like to have some drawer pulls for the house that looks something like the attached photo, but I am unsure how exactly I would get the bend in the metal. I thought it would be a brake, but that would not bend and close the metal around the end. Does anyone have any background on how this would work, or what could be used to put a bend in something like 3/8 steel?

Let me know, thanks in advance.

 

[rlb1953]

To do it with a press:
1. bend the fold 180 deg in a v-block, or as close as your tooling will allow
2. put a meta rod of appropriate size in fold and use a long, flat tool on your press to complete the fold, and achieve the "bend back".
3. you might have to pry the fold open a little to remove the rod.

For something like a drawer pull, 3/8 is probably much heavier than you would need. Also, the bend radius should generally be no less than your material thickness, so if you use 3/8 steel, the folded over end would be quite large. You would probably have more than enough strength in sheet metal, and it would be much easier to work with.

Alternatively, cut out a flat piece in the shape you want, and simply weld a metal rod of appropriate diameter on the edge to simulate the "folded" end.

 

[netcaretaker]

Thanks, I did not think of using the rod to finish the the roll on the edge.

The thickness of the piece has nothing to do with how much strength it needs, it is all about the way my wife wants the piece to look when done

Even foolish me knows that is WAY overkill, but she wants something bulky on the end of the cabinets, so she likes the thicker metal, I am trying to convince her that thinner might be better in this case and much easier to bend.

Thanks for the help!

 

[kwb]

You won't do that in 3/8" thick material - you will have severe cracking.