Sheet Metal Work

[Lily'sDad]

Sheet metal novice here.
I am making a round bird house and decided to put a conical metal roof on it. I made a pattern and cut the roof out of 22 ga. steel. Now I have realized that there is no way to roll it to shape by hand. Am I going to have to take it to a sheet metal shop??? Notice that the left side has a tab to overlap. I am including a photo of the flat piece.

 

[larrybl]

Looks like your cutting skills are good. Could you slice it into sections and rivet them together in the circular shape?

 

[Lily'sDad]

I would lose length by cutting and over lapping and I would still have to bend it.

 

[Texas Horses Hogs and Deeres]

You should be able to pull it together. You may have to kind of form it over the edge of your workbench to help the outside diameter to come together. Use the photo that Larry sent back to get an idea of what the sections will look like.

 

[Arti]

While 22 Gauge is fairly heavy if you get someone to help you should be able to pull on the outside edges and get it to come together, If you are making more of these I would suggest 28 Ga. Heavy enough to withstand some use and still easy to shape.

 

[ol' stonebreaker]

Don't know if this will work, but if you know the finished diameter cut a circle out of a piece of OSB or plywood screwed or clamped down on the workbench. Start the middle in the circle and try to keep working it around 'til it all it's in the circle. Just a thought.
Mike

 

[poncho62]

And, when you are working on it, better wear some heavy gloves. That stuff will slice you right open