How Would You Use A Sheet Metal English Wheel

Uptown83 jul 25 2008.

How would you use a sheet metal english wheel.

An english wheel is a classic hand powered shop tool for making two dimensional curves in sheet metal. The machine is shaped like a large closed letter c. Metal ace english wheels classic line the metalace welded frame line s welded tube structures have the right amount of rigidity and spring tension for smooth. The depth of the c frame is known as the throat.

Sheet metal work is often considered an art. But with a english wheel it should be pretty basic as long as you are careful. Equipment manufacturers can produce english wheels with throat depths up to 120cm 48. The english wheel is used to shape metal says cal davis of metalcraft tools.

There are two terms used. A way my brother did a skin like 15 years ago was cut a sheet of metal in half and welded it all the way around and welded a nipple in the corner and aired it up. Many of us can fabricate basic metal repairs but it takes a. Some insight into using this sheet metal forming tool.

Metal ace english wheels imperial line the metalace imperial line also known by the name right angle tool div feature cast ductile iron frames that provide sturdy vibration free units with the rigidity you expect from a cast frame. Its used for making aircraft skins car body parts suits of armor and other applications where a smooth surface on the sheet is desired something extremely difficult to achieve with a hammer. Learning the english wheel jeff said means understanding the four things you can do to sheetmetal. Some machines even have designs that allow the wheels to turn at a 90 angle so as to incorporate larger sheet metal.

Form is where you just bend it metal or make it into a round. One is shape and one is form. It can maintain smooth surfaces when working on sheet metal. Cutting bending shrinking and stretching.

The depth determines the size of the sheet metal that can be formed using the english wheel. And the difference between form and shape. At the ends of the c there are two wheels. The english wheel model shown is manually operated but when used on thicker sheet metals such as for ship hulls the machine may be powered and much larger than the one shown here.