How To Shrink Sheet Metal By Hand

Tuck shrinking see.

How to shrink sheet metal by hand.

You can shrink steel or you can stretch steel. In fact heat shrinking a small reveal or bead. These two qualities are what make it so workable when it comes to forming or repairing a body panel on your car or truck. I have identified 14 distinct ways to shrink.

Using hand tools and machines. It s strong and flexible. There are many ways to shrink. The short answer is yes you can shrink metal with a kick or hand operated shrinker.

In this very short video i will show you how to repair shrink sheet metal and stiffen body panels the easy wa. The serrated hammers left and the dolly front cause minor shrinking when they impact metal. It can be described much like an oil can lid. The disc center causes heating and impact when it is rotated at high speed against metal shrinking it.

The condition known as an oil can is often encountered when performing automotive bodywork. The hammer right employs a central face to hold metal and a rotating rim that gathers it. Bending sheet metal by hand is a manageable task if the piece of sheet metal is small and thin enough to handle. Need a fix for oil canning auto body panels.

And forget about shrinking metal. When your body panels were made a flat sheet of steel was placed onto a die in a powerful hydraulic press. Steel is an impressive material. You have to adjust your mind to the concept that when you hammer on sheet metal with a steel hammer onto a steel dolly or anvil that you will expand or increase the surface area by thinning the metal.

Most frequently expensive sheet metal bending tools called brakes are used to bend sheet metal but you can also complete this task without one. Hand operated tools are always the cheapest but unless you ve got a helper foot activated ones will speed your work and control since both hands are free to guide the metal.