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9
• Pre-plan the piece to be formed
by making a template out of
medium-bodied cardboard or
manila folder material.
• Before fabricating on the
Shrinker Stretcher, pre-bend
the metal to be formed to a
90˚ angle along its length on a
sheet metal brake (The #14042
Eastwood Versa Bend 20 Inch
Offset Sheet Metal Brake works
well), creating a maximum
flange depth that is no greater
than 1”
(Fig 8)
.
• Tracing the outline of the piece
to be formed from template to
metal is critical to achieving
a good initial fit with minimal
adjustments
(Fig 8)
.
• Make multiple passes by work-
ing no more than 1/4” from the
edge of the metal piece first
then going deeper into the jaws
with each successive pass. This
“breaks down” the maximum
resistance and permits easy
and accurate working thereafter
(Fig 9)
.
• Always work the piece a little at
a time moving the piece through
the Jaws along its entire
planned length so that each
area is exposed to the Jaws
numerous times rather than
trying to shrink or stretch
“all in one bite”.
FIG. 8
FIG. 9
