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Need advice on bending thick wire

My son is making an RC Sail Car, now in limited production and growing. I'm helping him tool for it and need some advice on forming the front steering yoke made from a 7" piece of 3/16 drill rod or piano wire, bent in three places. I'm using wire bending jig for now after heating to dark red (heat treating after another par gets welded onto it). I'm about to make a forming die for use on the arbor press to smash the wire into final configuration but am wondering about the draw here and there as it gets bent. I plan on heating 15 pieces in my electric furnace, then one by one forming them with the die and letting them cool on an aluminum plate for next operation. If I send you a .jpg image of the yoke and the proposed die, could you give me your advice? I have a few bucks and could pay through Paypal if required.

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Waynelundatattdotnet

Wayne

Reply to
Wayne Lundberg
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Have you considered doing it cold?

Maybe changing material, or altering the bend radius.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

Thanks Ian. When in use the yoke takes a real beating on the parking lot when the RCWindjammer gets to speeds of over 20 MPH and suddenly hits a curb or other item. So I am using water quenching drill rod from McMaster Carr and it does not bend cold without crystallizing immediately. Then we have to weld a thin steering link and that adds problems to the equation. We have these heat and anneal pretty much down pat. What I want now is to get a one hit forming tool and it's no trouble to heat the parts before bending. Just put them in my heat-treating furnace and it's a done deal. I've got the stuff together to start making the forming die but am not milling the 3/16 groove until I feel more comfortable with the draw issue. I made a proof of concept with tooling plywood and pressing some thick solder to see the material movement as it forms. And there is a draw... so... the reason for my request.

Also... if anybody out there would like to bid on making ten a month for now, and hopefully more later, let me know. I'll send specs on request email me at waynelundatattdotnet

Wayne

Reply to
Wayne Lundberg

Hi Wayne,

How many pieces? I know, it's a crystal ball thing but guess. I have wire parts formed for me cheap. Remember my machinist brush? Those parts cost me $.07 ea in 5k qty. Does it realy have to be O-1?

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Thanks Tom, we could buy 100 pieces at a time if the price were right. It just needs to be tough when finished but not as hard as hardened tool steel - in fact a bit of flex ability would be all right. I'm taking the liberty of sending you a pdf file and an image of my proposed tool. Your comments and advice will be more than welcome!

Wayne

Reply to
Wayne Lundberg

WOW! I am consulting my good friend that has been in fab forever. I will help any way I can. Interesting part!

Reply to
Tom Gardner

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