Re: [rp-ml] Bending Steel Studs

From: mrees <mrees_at_nyit.edu>
Date: Mon Apr 26 2004 - 19:08:44 EEST

Bending Studs:

When you say bend, what do yo mean?

If you mean seamless bending so that the stud follows complex or even
simple curves then I reiterate bo's post.

If you mean in a field construction sense: that the bent stud is a
member to fit a construction set (like wood framing a building) and the
member is hidden, then its easy. I used to do this kind of work
regularly by cutting the flanges of the stud (keeping the web in tact)
at planned areas and kinking or bending the studs to the angle. I would
use other studs with flanges cut our or webs bent to place to
triangulate and aproximate angles. You can do a lot of things this way.
I used to cut the flanges with sheet metal snip and then bend 90
degrees. Bending it one way (towards the flanges) yields some kind of
results while bending ti the other (away from the flanges) yield other.
I used a similar method to create a curved wall. In the track (what the
stud fits into) I cut through one flange and the web and bent the other
flange. I did it every foot and then fil the track to an arc drawn by
compass... top and bottom. You can also get compound curves by
offsetting the cuts on the flanges. you can make a spiral from the stud
like this.

Steel studs are a wonderful building system that you can construct by
hand without electrical power very fexibly and fluidly.

 From 18-24 gauge metal is very easy to manipulate by hand. Larger
thicknesses demand power cut off saws, so use goggles and hearing
protection. And, no matter which gauge, wear gloves. This stuff will
open you up like a can opener. The studs and track are joined together
by 7/16 inch long tech screws (self taping) or with a special crimping
tool. If you use the crimp tool, float your 48" centers and don't
attach them, that way you can adjust for the vagaries of your seams..

Make sense? Hard to write easy to show.

by the way, I still listen!! Love to hear more about sheet metal RM
Brock!! Maybe we should expand the list to include these issues.

best,mr

On Apr 26, 2004, at 5:21 AM, Bo Atkinson wrote:

>> List,
>>
>> Anybody know where I could go to get some information on bending 2x6
>> steel studs?
>
>
> --A very unusual material for bending.
>
>
>> Anybody know anyone that has done it. Anybody know someone that has
>> set up a jig to do it?
>
> --Closest is tube bending like exhaust shops. Where there is a will,
> one could find a way to customize rectilinear formers , to some
> reasonable extent.
>
>
>>
>> Can you tack weld steel studs to steel studs? Do you need to heat
>> them prior to bending? Are they still considered structurally sound?
>
>
> --With care, very thin metal welds nicely using MIG welders. Heating
> would be an expensive last resort, probably not reasonable since
> solid, uncrimped channel stock might be cheaper than heating, (but
> high in cost regardless). However all steel pricing is way up in
> costs today. Solid square tubing bends fairly well, but where typical
> studs are inherently punched with holes, folded and crimped, then
> these present fatigue points , messy distortions and bending
> challenges. How much fatigue and how much structure, one should test
> first hand. I'm using bent EMT conduit for light structural purposes
> because it sculpts very easily and with low cost tooling. It readily
> accepts self threading screws for later attaching of sheathing.
> Complex curves can be projected graphically (from NURBS CAD), to
> bypass more costly digitizing schemes. I'll be posting my latest work
> on link below, within a couple weeks.
>
>
> --
> Bo Atkinson
> http://www.midcoast.com/~bo
>
Received on Tue Apr 27 10:45:48 2004

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