And you can use the same technique anytime you need a straight cut on aluminum or other light gauge sheet metal even steel.
How to use gauge wheel sheet metal.
Using two separate pieces and welding together will make the piece stronger and also make it easier to shape the metal than making the piece out of one piece of metal.
How can you go about shaping metal with hand tools alone.
Then bend the sheet back and forth a few times to snap it.
How to measure metal sheet and wire using a standard metal gauge.
Clamp or hold a straightedge or square along the cutting marks and score a line with the tip of a sharp utility knife blade.
The lower the number the thicker the metal is.
An oversized piece of flat stock is placed against the body so leonard schrock can trace the shape of the wheel opening and cut the metal to shape.
Most sheet metal cutting tools are limited to 16 gauge and thinner 14 gauge is still sheet metal but in common forms 11 gauge while technically sheet metal is 1 8 thick and not really sheet metal for the purposes of this article so we will focus on 16 gauge and thinner.
Just place your sheet between the dies snug down the lever and give the wheel a turn.
The metal is pulled through the die and the shape of the die is transferred directly to your sheet.
Once transferred the shape is called a bead presumably due to its resemblance to a welding bead.