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Sheet Metal Staircase​
This was a personal project inspired by a piece of sheet metal I found in Home Depot that I wanted to integrate into my room. I made two prototypes, and included rivets in my final design so that the staircase is fully weight bearing, and can hold up to 200 lbs.
Prototype I
For my first prototype, I used a waterjet to cut the profile of my sheet metal and bent it into shape using a sheet metal brake. I was satisfied with the results of the bending, but the springback resulted in gaps in the staircase that I found undesireable. These gaps led me to add tabs and rivets in my second prototype.
Prototype II
In my second prototype, I added tabs and rivets, which successfully closed the gaps seen in prototype I. After preliminary bending on the brake, I hammered the metal into shape around a piece of 2x4, resulting in the denting that can be seen. For my final design on the textured sheet metal, I sought to minimize the denting.
Final Staircase
For my final model, I extended the bottom profile to close a gap I noted in the second prototype. Additionally, I used a vice to clamp the staircase around a 2x4 and acheive 90 degree bends. This was very successful in reducing the denting from the hammer in prototype II.
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