Can Diamond Plate be bent?

F250inTX

F250inTX

Adventurist
I know maybe dumb question :( I'm upgrading my trailer and want to try and put Diamond plate on the front. To make it useful I'd like to bend maybe a 1" fold on each end to wrap around and rivet.
I'd have to drive a ways to have it done on a break as I live a bit out of nearest metropolis.
Any recommendation on gauge? It is just covering an existing sheet metal box.
 
Yes, I used 1/8" on my fenders. 1/8" and smaller should work good
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One last thing: Check the grade before you bend it to see if you need to anneal it further.

Most diamond-plate is 3003-H22, which is hardened, then partially annealed. You can usually bend it without further annealing, but if you're doing tight corners, you may get some cracking unless you anneal it further. Some diamond plate is fully annealed, and is fine for bending (but can still crack if you really work harden it during the bending process)

Here's a great reference for the different grades of aluminum: http://www.metalreference.com/INFO_Aluminum.html

IF you are at all concerned about cracking and want to anneal it, you can do this relatively simply just along the bend lines if you have a good source of heat. A propane torch might do it, depending on thickness and overall material size, but a rosebud torch would be better. You want to work somewhat fast, since aluminum is such a good heat sink you'll warm the whole piece too much if you go slow or don't use a big enough torch. Mark your bend area with a sharpie, then heat evenly along the line until the sharpie mark is mostly gone. Burning off the sharpie happens at pretty close to the right temperature. Old school guys will use the soot from their torch to mark, then burn it off, but I like the sharpie for repeatability. Let it cool, and you're good to go.
 
THANKS!!!! Now all I can do is try. I should have asked first but what tool is best for the straightest cut?
 
I typically use a 60 year old B&D Jig Saw with a fresh metal-cutting blade. (I can't kill it, despite many attempts)

If straight cuts are paramount, I'll clamp a guide onto the material and just run the saw up against it. More often than not, I'm cutting curves or to a template, though.
 
Herbie I know I started this a bit ago but.... If I can bend a sample piece that is only a couple inches wide with no cracking. Do you think a 22" piece will bend OK? A friend has a press I am bending a 90 degree bend, bending over just 1 inch of material to go over a front corner. Just a bit lot of material to ruin if it cracks :(
 
Bending to the same angle over same radius? Probably ok. If it's going to crack, it'll happen at the edges or anywhere else where there's a stress riser. (Example: your bending jig or form has a high spot or other defect that concentrates extra stress). So if your sample 2" piece bent fine (really check it), then your longer piece is probably ok too. If you see any craze (stress) lines or cracks starting at the edges, then I'd try to figure a way to anneal it first.

Just working the material in a bending brake or press will work-harden it again, so sometimes even annealing is no guarantee of success. How thick is the material?
 
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