A method for bending sheet
metal includes introducing to the sheet
metal thinned regions which are positioned either along or immediately adjacent to a bending line. These thinned regions allow the
metal to be easily bent along the bending line using conventional hand tools or non-specialized machines. The thinned regions may be shaped as slots having a specific width, length, end shape, spacing from each adjacent slot, and depth into the
metal sheet. According to one embodiment of the invention, each slot is
cut through the entire thickness of the
metal sheet. Other related embodiments require that the slots be only partially
cut or etched thereby having a depth that is less than the thickness of the
metal sheet. The thinned regions may be any appropriate shape as controlled by the shape of the bend, the type of metal, the thickness of the metal, the
ductility of the metal, the angle of the bend, and the application of the metal (e.g.,
load bearing, etc). According to a second embodiment, two generally parallel sets of thinned regions are formed adjacent and generally parallel to the bending line. In a preferred application, the two sets of thinned regions are slots (
cutting through the metal) and are staggered or offset with respect to each other.