Thread: Bending 20 gauge steel over 55 gal steel drum???

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I got thinking today, about cheap and easy ways to fabricate steel.

some day I would like to build/ fabricate my own car body, and I know that 20 gauge is about the most flexible sheet steel available, that is strong enough to use for a body... what I would be shooting for is a T bucket style body, which would need only 2 90" curved angles for the body itself, not including the cowl.

today I got looking at the 55 gallon steel drum we have sitting behind our shed..

could I cut the 20 gauge to fit in between the ridges of the barral, then like press on the 20 gauge over the barral, to make the curves?
I think the distance between the barral ridges is like 20" or so, that's eye balling it, so it would take a few of the peices to make 1 corner of the body.

but would it kink if I just press it over?

You can form 20 ga. around almost any round object, welding tanks, fuel cans, light poles in the alley, whatever is handy. Takes a bit of practice to learn how much and where to press on the piece you're bending...

cool.. I figured the 55 gal drum cause of the wide radius so it wouldn't kink, but a smaller diamater round object like a light pole would work better for cab/ body corners I think.

I used a welding tank to do my rockers.

all I gotta figure out how to do is the cowl, I'd like to do 1 like a Model A cowl rather than a T bucket cowl.