Building Tub w/18g how to bend?? Shape?

[koondawg]

I have decided to just build a new tub instead of putting my old one back on. What is the best way to bend or shape 18g steel? I need box corners, and 2 round corners. Any suggestions or past experiences would be much appreciated. should I just cut and weld, or just bend??? I would rather make it all out of one piece.
Thanks

 

[Hickey]

There was a guy on Pirate who built one from scratch. He made a frane with 1" square tubing and skinned it with sheet. You could probably use one of those HF benders that will bend square stock.

 

[koondawg]

cool

any one else???

 

[RockMonkey]

I recently got done making a firewall and floor out of .040 aluminum. Totally sucked. Never want to work with sheetmetal again. I would have your bends and rolls done by a sheet metal place. Kingdon seems to do a good job. I like the idea of building a frame, and skinning it, rather than building a factory style tub.

 

[koondawg]

Skinning???

So what is skinnin exaclty, cut and weld? or cut and rivot?

 

[koondawg]

Anyone

Anyone at all??

 

[spencurai]

it sounds to me that you are a little out of your league if you want to build a whole new tub there buddy...I would just buy a new one, seriously.

You would need a sheet metal brake and a sheet metal roller to make your graceful radius bends. Then you would need a shear to cut the large pieces, then you would need a tig to weld that thing of sheet metal without warping, then you would need a plasma cutter to cut your odd shape stuff without warping the material excessively....

You are in for a nightmare dude...

 

[koondawg]

/??

WOW, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy, wait,that is the pee runnin down my leg. No seriously, can I not use my mig w/gas to stitch it together? I thought I might be able to do it with not a lot of warping, but maybe I just dont know what I am getting myself into. 18g is not that thin....

 

[2BIGTJ]

My opinion is this...how else are you going to learn how to do things if you dont just try? If you want to do it, go for it. If you screw it up, scrap it and try again. I know it is money waisted but if you really want to do it go for it.

 

[koondawg]

Thanks Bro

Thats the way I see it. I'll post picks of my finished product, and wow you all

 

[81Ramchargerman]

My opinion is this...how else are you going to learn how to do things if you dont just try? If you want to do it, go for it. If you screw it up, scrap it and try again. I know it is money waisted but if you really want to do it go for it.

Go for it, the only way to know if it is "out of your league" is to give it a shot, good luck and i am preparing to be WoWeD...