I have tried to use my bender to make 14" perfect rings out of 1/4 inch steel rod, however I keep having the same problem! They are not perfect!! They are not flat rings--when I lay them on the table they are not even close to lying flat!! I can't figure out what I am doing wrong!! Also they are not perfectly round. Is there anything I can do--I kinda need to make a lot of them, any help would be greatly appreciated!
Shannan
Usual problem is a flattened start or finish.
If you can find a suitable mandrel, wrap (pull / heave!) your 1/4" bar round the mandrel as a long spring, then cut axially into hoops. If you do it cold, the steel bar will spring to a larger diameter hoop, but if you can heat it with a torch to red as it wraps on it should be fairly dead.
AWEM
What type of bender?
Rings never do roll round and flat. Rolling them round and helical might help, but then you need to bend them sideways a bit to join them up and that can bring in its own distortions.
Best thing is to weld them up whilst still uneven, then drop them over a conical mandrel and hammer them to perfectly round.
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