Forming Stainless Steel
 

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.

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

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.

There was a discussion on forming stainless sheet recently on the Yahoo
group metalshapers If you do a search on that group for stainless you will
find the discussion.

regards,

John

wrote:
I have a fabricated lawnmower that has the top deck corroded through,
and I decided to replace it with a sheet of stainless
The original deck top has a
rounded front of 12.5" radius, and all around that radius,
How can I form this radiused "lip"?

Around the dawn of time I worked at a place that made industrial washing
machines from stainless steel. The radii were made by welding (Heliarc)
a radiused section (imagine a pipe slit into quarters)to join the sides,
and a preformed corner would be welded in. The welds would then be
ground and polished. You couldn't see a seam.

Kevin Gallimore

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On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 22:44:19 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote:



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


Well, I decided to give it a try this afternoon. I borrowed an old
11X24.5 truck rim from a local trucking company to use as an anvil
(almost perfect size) and I just swatted the edges down with a big
rubber hammer, then worked them down with the 2 lb ball pien hammer
untill I had the shape I wanted. I did not heat it at all, and it came
out virtually perfect. It's a my friend's shop right now getting a
square lip welded on the back and the center hole for the bearing
spool plasma cut out. He's pretty busy these days with "paying jobs"
so I may have to wait a few days - but I'll post some pix when I get
it back. I'm having him cut me new skirts out of stainless as well, so
I'll need to form the roll on the top edge of 40 some inches of
stainless, and form it to the 24.5" radius as well - then drill it and
pop-rivet all the parts to the tube frame.

In the meantime, I've got to wire brush the tube frame and five it a
couple good coats of rust paint.

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 2 Oct 2005 22:44:19 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote:



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


Well, I decided to give it a try this afternoon. I borrowed an old
11X24.5 truck rim from a local trucking company to use as an anvil
(almost perfect size) and I just swatted the edges down with a big
rubber hammer, then worked them down with the 2 lb ball pien hammer
untill I had the shape I wanted. I did not heat it at all, and it came
out virtually perfect. It's a my friend's shop right now getting a
square lip welded on the back and the center hole for the bearing
spool plasma cut out. He's pretty busy these days with "paying jobs"
so I may have to wait a few days - but I'll post some pix when I get
it back. I'm having him cut me new skirts out of stainless as well, so
I'll need to form the roll on the top edge of 40 some inches of
stainless, and form it to the 24.5" radius as well - then drill it and
pop-rivet all the parts to the tube frame.

In the meantime, I've got to wire brush the tube frame and five it a
couple good coats of rust paint.


Way cool, and a much better turnout than I had expected. MUCH better.
I've spun a little stainless with not great results, and figured you'd have
about the same degree of success. Truth is, when you read stock lists,
they talk about how stainless can be easily worked. I can only assume it's
a skill that evades me.

I was particularly impressed with your inventiveness, using a rim for your
form.

Congrats! Looking forward to the pics.

Harold

On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 19:06:47 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote:



Way cool, and a much better turnout than I had expected. MUCH better.
I've spun a little stainless with not great results, and figured you'd have
about the same degree of success. Truth is, when you read stock lists,
they talk about how stainless can be easily worked. I can only assume it's
a skill that evades me.

I was particularly impressed with your inventiveness, using a rim for your
form.

Congrats! Looking forward to the pics.

Harold

I'm nothing if not inventive!
I worked / taught Auto Mechanics in Zambia in the early seventies -
when NOTHING was readilly available. Many a "Zamfix".

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 3 Oct 2005 19:06:47 -0700, "Harold and Susan Vordos"
wrote:



Way cool, and a much better turnout than I had expected. MUCH better.
I've spun a little stainless with not great results, and figured you'd
have
about the same degree of success. Truth is, when you read stock lists,
they talk about how stainless can be easily worked. I can only assume
it's
a skill that evades me.

I was particularly impressed with your inventiveness, using a rim for
your
form.

Congrats! Looking forward to the pics.

Harold

I'm nothing if not inventive!
I worked / taught Auto Mechanics in Zambia in the early seventies -
when NOTHING was readilly available. Many a "Zamfix".

Chuckle!

Yeah, from all indications, that's true.

Harold