wrote in message
...
I have a fabricated lawnmower that has the top deck corroded through,
and I decided to replace it with a sheet of stainless so I'll not have
to do the job again. I have one problem. The original deck top has a
rounded front of 12.5" radius, and all around that radius, as well as
down both sides, there is a rounded down edge of 1/2" radius to make
it fit nicely on the 1" dubular steel frame of the deck.

How can I form this radiused "lip"? I'm not sure what guage it is, or
even what kind of stainless - it was a "surplus" stainless steel
countertop. Is there a way I can anneal this to make it easier to
work?

I'm thinking of making a hardwood block with the right radii in the
end grain and going at the job with a 2 lb hammer. The block will be
pivotted from the center of the sheet and swung around as I hammer my
way around the semi-circle - the straight sections will be easier -
but I'm not expecting it to be a simple job.

Not being a simple job is an understatement. Stainless work hardens, and
quickly. In order to do that job successfully, it most likely would have
to be done in a die set, in one fell swoop. Considerable stretching must
occur in order for the material to assume the shape you desire, and it might
prove to be nearly impossible by hand. Dunno.

I'm not suggesting you can't do it the way you described, but I think you'll
find it will test you to the breaking point. You'll have to anneal the
stainless several times. You can do that by heating it to a red heat, then
quenching it in water, or even allowing it to air cool. If it's counter
top material, it's likely 316, and it's not heat treatable, so all you'll be
doing is removing the work hardened condition when you heat it.

Good luck! I'd enjoy hearing how it turns out-

Harold