Building a sill - how to bend the metal to how I want?

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I'm going to look at making something useful myself...as it happens a few years ago I had a load of rubbish dumped in my access lane. One of the odd things that was dumped was a big sheet of 6mm steel (about 1mx1m)....I've been looking for a use for it. I might need to double it up....I have a plasma....I'm sure I can come up with something useful (won't be as nice as yours I think)

 

[Pigeoiz]

Bit of an update, thanks for all your advice! I've managed to make my S-curve after a couple practice pieces... started on the stretching part which worked well, beating on the edge of a handy anvil with a curved planishing [?] hammer. Got to the shrinking bit which I used a pair of round nosed pliers to wiggle a wave into the metal before hammering it on some wood block... and then realised, I've done it the wrong way round!! So see below pictures of my attempt no. 1:

Here's the stretching

And here's post-shrinking once I'd realised I'd gone wrong, whoops! Tricky getting the exact curve but reckon just takes lots of steady tapping and checking...

My shrinking looked a bit extreme, maybe need to go steadier next time. I found if I wiggled a wave and then folded the larger side to force it to curve it made a sharper angle, but a bit too sharp and rather messy result. Annoyingly I seemed to do alright on a practice scrap but hopefully just a case of practising until I can get consistency.

Need to find some harder wood too, definitely found a difference between trying to shrink on wood vs metal, so thanks all for your tips! Helped me a lot with picturing what I was trying to do

 

[T5 TDI]

I have a sill to do soon so I am trying to learn all I can first. I have now bought a body cut sill now so hopefully not too much fabrication. If you haven't already seen the 'Trev's blog' videos (and if you can take the presentation!) he demonstrates many panel beating skills and makes a sill here.

 

[ArAKern]

Have a look at "fitzee's fabrication" on You-Tube. Builds most panels with basic tools. His approach would make it out of 2 prices no need to shrink or stretch anything.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Buy yourself the shrinker/stretcher tool ...shrinking is by far the difficult skill to master so fair play to you for sticking with it.

I started learning but I kept getting overlaps which I found really annoying. I think heating the tops of the "waves" and then tapping them would be easier but then I figured all that gas doesn't make sense!

With the tool you can shrink/stretch very precisely and really dial it in so it's spot on....but it's one more expense and to be honest I don't use mine often....but when I need it it's invaluable.

 

[SierraV6]

Surprising how much you will use it when it's there. Wasn't expensive way back before steel prices went through the roof.

I can imagine it’s very useful. I have a mini version (kind of) made out of a length of steel beam with the ends rounded to different profiles. It doubles up as a light anvil as well. I really do think your table looks great though!

 

[DennisCA]

Have a look at "fitzee's fabrication" on You-Tube. Builds most panels with basic tools. His approach would make it out of 2 prices no need to shrink or stretch anything.

I just discovered this guy and he sure is skilled and know a lot of good tricks. Based on his recommendations I want to try out using ..6mm wire with Co2 (says it's perfectly fine structurally and ugly welds don't matter when everything gets ground down).