First fabrication

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I made this skid plate for a jeep tj  last weekend.view of the bottom and primed:picture of the brackets and one of the front supports.  The brackets attach to the bottom of the motor mountsBending the front was the hardest part.  Need to find a better way to do that.  I used an oxy-fuel torch to heat it up and bend it.   I need to make some kind of break.  It's 1/4" steel plate.
Reply:That radius on the front was the first thing I looked at. Nice work.A break to bend 1/4" will need some serious heft to withstand the pressure required. I forget how may tons you need to bend 1/4" 18" wide off the top of my head. A radius break as opposed to the standard V break would be neat.Good luck.
Reply:Are those triangular edges solid steel? Do you buy it that way?Since you have two holes on the bent edge, I'd buy a piece of pipe the correct diameter and bolt your flat piece to it at 90*. Then just heat your piece and push it 90* around the pipe.I've seen pics of various radii bull noses for breaks, if you've got the HP to bend 1/4".Last edited by Craig in Denver; 07-16-2008 at 11:36 PM.9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:No, those are'nt solid angle. Once I got them welded on, I built up the weld in the hole and then used a grinder to clean it up.  Did that to keep the dirt out of there.Miller 210Lincoln AC225-sHypertherm Powermax 600
Reply:How many pcs are you talking? Thanks,Jack, Is this some thing your going to sell,a small job shop,would probably charge 5 to 10 bucks each,if you had any quanity,,,If you had to make the top die,thats easy enough!!!! Just a couple of thoughts,,The tonnage chart on my iron worker is 40 ton for 1/4 x 12" wide,But with a rounded die,your tonnage go down!! Good Luck!And remember if your cold forming,you have to bend 90 degrees with the  grain of the steel,if not,you will probably get about a 1" crack on both ends!!!!!! The Old timers can teach you alot!Last edited by Storts; 08-21-2008 at 10:57 AM.Reason: add
Reply:Really nice.  The bend on the edge was really cool.  If your bending with heat, and a hammer, try a rosebud heating tip.  They put enough heat into the iron to melt it.  Makes bending go like butter.  Never give a guy a welder, you never know what he's gonna come up with.
Reply:Storts, taking the skid to a shop to have them bend it is an acceptable solution.  Ill look into that.  I want be making that many.  Basically, if anyone in the jeep club or people I wheel with want one.  I guess I could make more and try and sell.  Im making them with thicker steel and can sell them for almost 175 less than what the big companies sell them for with 3/16th inch plate.  My current skid is one I bought and is 3/16th plate.  Looks similar to a curved potato chip right now.  Hopefully, I can find the time to make one for my self soon.Farmersamm, I do need to get a rosebud tip.  When I did the heating of the plate all I had was an 00 cutting tip.  I just set the flame like cutting, but did not hit the oxy lever.  It took a long time to get 12" wide plated heated up enough to bend.  Will the rosebud be faster?Miller 210Lincoln AC225-sHypertherm Powermax 600
Reply:Hall,I hear you!!!!!! 3/16 thick here in the north east is like paper because of the rocky terain,,and Accectelene isnt cheap!!!!!! My 97 Ford explorer has a 1/4 thick plate covering the plastic gas tank!!So if you could market them,and looks like a nice profit range,and you i think are talking one and 2 ,,Id Personally go 3/8 ,But im a overbuilder!!! And if they caught on where you were making a min of say 25,those could be formed for almost nothing,with todays economy,,but def a Min or 5/16 Plate,,Just a Idea,,Why dont you try a few on Eplay!!!!! Seee what the demand is???Just thinking out load,where you could offer ant thicness the cust would want,,Some of those rock climbers Must have 1/2 plate i would think,Good Luck!!!!!!.Jack