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SHEET METAL
Sheet metal work generally regarded as the working of metal from 10 gauges (0.128”) down
to 30 gauges (0.0124”) with hand tools and simple machines, into various form by of cutting forming
into shape and jointing. There are two types of craftsmen they are the tin smith and the sheet metal
worker

The sheets are made from wrought iron, galvanized iron, brass, copper, aluminums, lead,
zinc, etc. They are made by pressing the metal into sheets.

G I Sheet:
The iron sheet coated with zinc is called galvanized iron sheet. Its property is ductile. The
thickness of the sheet metal is measured by wire gauge. The plain sheets are mainly used in roof
works
Tin sheet:
The iron sheet coated with tin is called tin sheet. It is softer and the property is ductile. It is
used for making containers.
Copper and brass sheet:
Copper and brass sheets are available in 100 x 100 mm and 100 x 50 mm or in various size
and thicknesses. Their properties are malleable and ductile. They get hardening when working in
cold condition and so they require annealing often to carry over further operations.
Aluminum sheets:
Aluminum sheets are available in 150 x 100 mm and 100 x 100 mm. and various sizes and
thickness. These sheets are generally used where lightness is required. It is a soft metal and
properties are ductile and little brittleness. It is used by body builders for automobile and aero
engines
Lead sheet:
Lead sheets have the properties of light malleable and softness used for packing materials

SHEET METAL TOOLS

The tools used is sheet metal, may be divided into three groups such as hand tools, bench
tools and machine tools.
The hand tools:
1) Steel rule
2) Steel tape
3) Scriber
4) Divider
5) Trammel
6) Chisel
7) File
8) Snip
9) Shear
10) Hammer
11) Mallet
12) Punch

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13) Groover
14) Rivet set
15) Soldering iron
16) Wire gauge
17) Blow lamp, etc.

The machine tool:

1) Treadle machine
2) Bench lever shear
3) Wheeling machine
4) Rolling machine
5) Folding machine
6) Swaging machine
7) jenny machine
8) Grinding machine, etc.
SNIPS:
Snips are cutting tool, and are used for cutting thin sheets of metal.
There are two types of snips.
1. Straight snip
2. Bent snip
Straight snip:
A straight snip has straight blades for straight line cutting. It can also be used for external
curved cuts.
Parts of snips
1. Handle
2. Blade
3. Stop
Bent snip:
Bent snips have a curved blades used for cutting internal curves. For trimming a cylinder
keep the lower blade on the outside of cut.

STRAIGHT SNIP BENT SNIP

FOLDING TOOLS
The common tools used in the folding of sheet metal are

1. Angle sheet and folding bar

2. ‘C’ clamp
3. Stakes
4. Mallet

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Angle sheet:
Two pieces of angles are used for folding at 900. For longer sheets lengthy angles will be
used along clamp or hand vice.
Folding bar:
The sheet metal to be bent is clamped in the folding bars. The folding bars are clamped in the
voice
‘C’ Clamp:
The shape of the clamp is in the form of the letter ‘C’. ‘C’ Clamp is the holding device. This
clamp is used when the piece has to be securely fixed to another piece. It is available in different
sizes according to the opening of the jaws.

STAKES:
Stakes are used for bending, seaming and forming of sheet metal that cannot be done on any
regular machine. For the above purpose, different stakes are used. Stakes are made of forged alloy
steel or caste steel.
A stake used for sheet metal consists of a shank and a head or horn. The shank is designed to
fit in to a tapered bench-socket.

Types of stakes
1. Hatchet stake
2. Half-moon stake
3. Funnel stake
4. Beak or Bick iron
5. Creasing iron
6. Planishing anvil
7. Horse
Hatchet stake
The hatchet stake has a sharp edge, beveled along one side. It is very use full for making
sharp bends, folding the edges of sheet metal, forming boxes and pans by hand.

Half-moon stake
This stack has sharp edge in the form of an arc of a circle, beveled along one side. It is used
for throwing up flanges on metal discs.
Funnel stake
This stake is used when shaping and seaming funnels and tapered articles.

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Beak or Bick iron

This stakes have two horns, one of which is tapered, the other is a rectangular shaped anvil.
The thick tapered horn or beak is used when marking spouts and sharp tapering articles. The anvil
may be used for squaring corners, seaming and light riveting.

Creasing iron
This has two rectangular shaped horns, one of which is plain. The other horn contains a
series of grooving slots of various sizes. The grooves are used when ‘sinking’ a bead on straight
edge of a flat sheet. This is also used when making small diameter tubes with thin gauge metal.

Planishing anvil
It is used for planishing all types of flat and shaped works. It is highly polished on its working
surface.
Horse
This stakes provides a double- ended support. At the end of each arm- one of which is usually
cranked down words for clear purpose-there is a square hole for the reception of a wide verity of
heads
The condition of stake is important for the workman ship of the finished articles. Therefore, care
must be taken to avoid any damage to the stake when center punching or cutting with cold chisel.

Apart from these stakes, special type of stakes is also made to suit the different types of jobs

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WOODEN MALLET

Mallets are soft hammer are made of raw hide, hard rubber, copper, brass, lead, or wood and
are used to strike a soft and light blow on the metal.

Types and uses:

 Standard wooden mallets are used for general purpose work like flattering bending etc.
 Bossing mallets are used for hollowing panel beating, etc.
 An end – flaked mallet is used for stretching, hammering, etc.
NOTCHES
Notches are the spaces provided for joining the edges when sheet metals are cut from the
layout.

Purpose of notches

1. To prevent the excess material from over lapping and causing a bulge at the seam and edges
2. To allow the work to be formed to the required size and shape
3. To allow the work to assemble better.

Types of notches

A straight notch or slit is a straight cut made in the edge of the sheet where it is to be bent of 450
to the corner of the sheet. It is used when a single hem meets at right angles.

A square notch is used when forming a square rectangular box

A slant notch is cut at an angle of 450 to the corner of the sheet. it is used when a single hem
meets at right angle.

In a ‘V’ notch both the sides are cut at 450 angle to the edge of the sheet. the sides of the notches
meet at 900.this notch is used when making a job with a 900 bent and an inside flange.

RIVETS
Rivets are used to join together two or more sheets of metal permanently. In sheet metal
work done where:
 Brazing is not suitable
 The structure changes owing to welding heat
 The distortion due to welding cannot be easily removed, etc.

Specification of rivets
Rivets are specified by their length, material, size and shape of head.

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The material used for rivets are mild steel, copper, yellow brass, aluminum, and their alloys.
Types of rivets
The four common type’s rivets are
1) Tinmen’s rivet
2) Flat head rivet
3) Round head rivet
4) Countersunk head rivet

Selection of rivet size: the diameter of the rivet is calculated by using the formula
D = (21/2 to 3) × T where T is total thickness.
The shank length is given by
L = T+T+ (11/2×D)
Where ‘T’ is the sheet thickness and ‘D’ is the diameter of the rivet.

Method of riveting

Riveting may be done by hand or by machine, while riveting by hand, it can be done with a
hammer and a rivet set.

Rivet set
a cross- section of a rivet set is shown in the figure. The shallow, cup-shaped hole is used to
draw the sheet and the rivet together. The outlet of the side allows the slug to drop out.
The cup shape is used for forming the rivet head.

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The rivet set selected should have a hole slightly larger than the diameter of the rivet.
Spacing of rivet
The space or distance from the edge of the metal to the center of any rivet should be at least
twice the diameter of the rivet to avoid tearing. The ‘Lap’ distance (4D).

The minimum distance between the rivets (pitch) should be sufficient to allow the rivets to be driven
without interference of the sheet or above.
The maximum distance should never exceed 24 times of the thickness of the sheet otherwise
buckling will take place as shown in figure.

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