edge bending of flat bar

I don't know that I'd call myself "skilled", but I do this type of bending whenever it's needed. Exactly what do you want to know?

I do it both hot and cold. Hot is easier when the forge is running, cold is easier when the Hossfeld bender is set up. Sometimes it is easier to bend cold, even if a forge is available, simply because it is easier to hold the stock when it is cold. ---You don't need tongs.

I simply lay the stock on edge supported in two places a little ways from eachother and hit it about half way in between the supports, move along a little, hit again, etc. The smaller the "bites", the smoother the bend. The stock may bend sideways (kink) depending on the accuracy of your hammer blows, etc., so from time to time I lay it on its side to flatten it before things get out of hand, then back to edge bending again. The outside of the bend tends to become thinner, so one may have to make some adjustment for that. If the bend is not sharp, that may not be an issue. If it is an issue, then bending hot may be preferable, because you can correct for outside edge thinning as you go.

A lot depends on what you are bending and how far you are going to bend it. The ABANA Ring project, for example, requires a 10 inch OD circle made from 1/4" X 1" mild steel. In this case, the "bend" needs to be 360°. When doing an edge bend like that, it's good to take a hint from the farriers. They start by bending the stock from one end until it is about 90° to maybe 120° of a circle. Then do the same thing to the other end. Finally close up the circle.

My Hossfeld #2 bender can bend this kind of stock cold, easily, using that accessory edge bending fixture.

What else do you need to know?

Pete Stanaitis

Mark F> have any of you skilled blacksmiths out there had any experience with

what else do i need to know ? oh pete, you walked right into that one. let me think.....how do you make the most amount of money using the least amount of material doing it as quickly as possible ? here's one, how do you sell your scraps for more than the object they came from? or.... how do you accurately second guess the public 99% of the time ? have fun, mark

I meant about edge bending.

Mark F> what else do i need to know ?

You only have to do that if you have a commodity type of product---- or be a Chinese mfr.

here's one,

Depends on how the scraps are shaped and upon your marketing ability

You TELL them what to think.

Pete Stanaitis

i think maybe you're a smart guy pete, so how would you edge bend flat bar without leaving hammer marks or bruising ? have fun, mark

The hammer marks are what allows you to charge extra for the work!

The Hossfeld Bender does a pretty good job of that.

Otherwise, you grind or file to get rid of them if you aren't into planishing the hammer marks out. Have you seen a flatter in use? It does a great job of cleaning up hammer marks.

Come to think of it, a friend of mine has a 50 pound Little Giant with flat, 8" long matching upper and lower dies that does the job real well. He used to hold "Poz Tongs" workshops. The students would hammer out the reins and then he'd finish them in that hammer. They looked like they were machine stamped when he got done.

By the way, I got my Hossfeld #2 bender with about 500 pounds of dies for $350 some years ago. It did not have the edge bending accessory dies, so I made my own. Works fine. If you can find one used, you can still buy parts and instruction books from Hossfeld. They are very useful. A handy person can see enough in them to make many of the dies he/she might need.

Pete Stanaitis

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Mark F> i think maybe you're a smart guy pete, so how would you edge bend flat

thanks for the info pete. i think i might try another idea. i'll tack weld 1 " X 1/8 " flat bar on some 3/4 " square tube (both top and bottom) and run it through my square tubing roll bender using the 1" dies. it might work? then cut the flat bar off and sand out the tack welds. tomorrow i'll let you know how it worked. have fun, mark

That one's easy - car breakers have been doing it for years.

I bought a Ford mondeo (European car) with 5 alloy wheels for £35 ($60-$80 US?). There's an alloy gearbox + 4 wheels which will keep me in casting material for months. The half shafts and some of the suspension parts are a nice (forgeable) steel. Two suspension springs will make some lathe chisels (or knives - haven't decided yet) I took the radiator for a solar-power experiment. The battery is now part of my rust-remover (electrolysis) All the engine oil and hydraulic fluids (steering and brakes) go as waste oil burner fuel. I sold the (diesel) engine for £80 (150 U$?) I sold the interior for £15 (25? U$) then sold the rest to a metal dealers for £60 (100? US).

So I took everything off I wanted, and made £120 (200? US)

It helps I have a big yard and no neighbours, but pick the right sort of small items (PCs?), and you could probably do the same sort of thing in an apartment, selling via ebay.

i had a good day experimenting with the 3 roller bender. i found that only tac welding the inside of the bend works the best. also less cutting and sanding afterwards. by letting the outside of the edge bend stretch and move i got a flawless perfect bend. true you wind up with a bent piece of square tube,( i'll find a use for that someday.) this method works well when you will need a long gradual even bend. like for a window frame. for a shorter bend, like for starting a coned hoop, i think pete's method of hammering in between two supporting points is the answer. and yes, sometimes you find hammer marks add class to your work that make it worth much more. have fun, mark

It's easier with non-PC brands like Sun, Cisco, etc. People don't know as much about them so it's a lot easier to get good finds and piece them out. A friend of mine supported his Ebay habit this way for years.

Chris