How To Make Dimples In Sheet Metal

No expensive tooling or fancy tools were used.

How to make dimples in sheet metal. Center out the die in the hole. Diy dimple dies no fancy tools. Metal ready for hammer texturing should be clean oxide free annealed and bone dry. What this will do is create a dimple in sheet metal for a screw or bolt head in this case a 1 4 fastenor.

Pic 1 shows the socket 1 4 bolt and washer i put the washer on the bolt and drive it into the socket pic 2 this will automatically center the bolt for welding. From throttle stop garage a simple how to video for making dimples in sheet metal panels. Start off by drilling a hole or series of holes in the panel or bracket that you want to make using a drill bit that fits the pilot hole of the dimpling die. Most common in the current market for experimental aluminum homebuilt aircraft are the 100 and 120 dimple dies for the 30 or 1 8th hole size.

After the hole is drilled insert the pilot bolt along with the male and female dies. To make the tool i used and old 1 2drive x 5 8 socket as the receiver for the forming dies. Punch and dimple die tooling is common in shops for making holes in sheet metal or to add strength enhancing dimples. There are different angles of dimple dies.

For the thinner sheet metal under 040 or so dimple dies are used. Punch dimple die arbor kit h 9000 our arbors your punch dimple make the mitey mate jr 1685s a powerful sheet metal punch. Tape the four corners down with painter s tape or masking tape.