Best way to make these bends

Seems to me this is a perfect opportunity to make a bending jig. Hinged in the middle, it fixes both ends of the bar. After heating the middle with a torch, drop in a round mandrel and bend the jig, wrapping the bar around the jig. Each one will be exactly the same if jigged. With the bar red hot, you should have no problem bending the bar by hand, given a little leverage. The bar would cool down if you used a jack or any other slow method. Seems to me that you could make a jig for not a whole lot, less than you'd pay for a commercial bender. No expert in the subject here, but it seems reasonable.

I agree with Carl. One addition: have you checked steel prices lately? You may decide the tubing looks pretty good.

Steve

David Todtman wrote:

"Steve Smith" (Clip) have you checked steel prices lately? You may decide the tubing looks pretty good. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The thought of heating a foot of solid 1" square stock red hot scares me. It will take a big torch and use a LOT of gas. "You may decide the tubing looks pretty good."

Doing this will work a *lot* better if you heat it while surrounded by firebrick (the steel, not you). It shouldn't be that bad with brick to reflect the heat back on the steel.

Steve

Leo Lichtman wrote:

David , where do you live? If you are in the lower mainland I might be able to assist.

Pete

"Steve Smith" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com... | Doing this will work a *lot* better if you heat it while surrounded by | firebrick (the steel, not you). It shouldn't be that bad with brick to | reflect the heat back on the steel. | | Steve

Excellent idea You might find it worthwhile to have a number of bars arranged with a firebrick oven of sorts and the torch heating all of the bars in the middle. Sort of like putting a bunch in a forge to warm up. As you take a few out, put a few more in to start heating up. Saving the most heat for this many bars is definitely a good thing, especially for how much you're going to be using, and propane with a burner sounds like an excellent idea. Instead of 1", perhaps 3/4" would be a better choice, for heat mass, weight/cost, and handling. That quarter inch will add up fast for a hundred bars!

Either way, sounds like a good job to do in the middle of the night when it's coolest, and make sure you've got lots of liquid to keep you cool. I also opt for getting the kid/neighbor/girlfriend/wife you love the least/most to play apprentice. You really don't want to start and stop doing this any more than you have to, considering how long the steel takes to come up to temperature, so using all your resources efficiently is very important.

Harbor freight sells a weed burner for about $15 US when on sale

If I were doing it, I would cover some 4 to 6 inch pipe with vermiculite or similar insulating material and put the rods in there to warm up with the weed burner providing heat.

I have built a bender that is mostly some 1/4 by 2 inch flat bar. If you used somewhat heavier flat bar and a six foot pipe for a handle, you could probably avoid the heating.

Dan

With steel prices as high as they are, you may want to think again about tubing. Then again, square tube is more expensive per lb than bar.

Pretty simple to make a bending jig. I would build one with a air over hydraulic bottle jack.

Does that burner put out enough heat to do stuff like that? Is it worth having as a preheating torch? I passes on a freebie 'cuz I didn't have any weeds, but if it can put out a lot of heat I can come up with a few other uses for it, I'm sure.

Oh hell yes. They put out more than enough heat.

Gunner

Rule #35 "That which does not kill you, has made a huge tactical error"

How about a 2 to 2.5 inch diameter blue flame 18 inches long. Continous use produces ice on a 20 lb tank.

Dan

Hi Pete, I live in Duncan, on Vancouver Island. Thank you anyway, that was nice. David

First, thanks to each respondant. Once again, this group is a fount of good information.

I'll make a group of responses to points that I need more help with or bear further comment.

1. Price of steel--solid vs tube. Ugh! I did a cost estimate of just the hairpin pickets this morning and the price of all that steel is quite dear. However, I just don't think I can get the look I want with tube. It looks 'too clean' and slick. I want a "wrought iron" type look and feel and I think I'll have to pay the price of slolid. Do you have a sense of what I am getting at? I am not a metal worker by trade and can only go by fences I have seen in real life and the tube stuff is nice but it will look too modern for my little heritage home. Also, if I used tube then I'd have to use a bender for sure, I think. (Right?) So I would have to job that out or put out the bucks for a bender, thus putting up the cost.
2. I have a tiger torch or weed burner. I reckon it would not take too much thought to build a facsimille forge with the weed burner and some fire brick (around the flame, not me). It also makes great sense to put several bars into the 'forge' at once and keep up an assembly line process.
3. Some people suggested I get a second hand to help the process. Will do. Son-in-law owes big for reno help.
4. I was secretly hoping someone would write that I need a Hossfield type bender for this. Seriously though, is bending 1" or 3/4" stock a task that such a bender might be used for? I'll probably not get one even if it is an option but it is on my list for the future.
5. Thanks for various ideas about jigging. I will really enjoy figuring out and making the jig. Once I get past the planning stage, I going to prototype/practice so I'll first try cold bending with some sort of solid foundation and a big cheeter. Thanks for the comment to keep the bending lever-pipe diameter close to the size of the bar stock--that is an important concept for making the shape proper. I like the idea of a hinged jig to help with consistency, too.

Ciao, David Todtman

A good Hossfeld would bend 3/4 cold around a 4 inch round quite easily. Put the son-in -law on the end of the extension bar and show no mercy:') The bender will take it and you would not need heat for 3/4 round. Randy

"David Todtman" wrote in message news:_3Y7e.1026626$Xk.358320@pd7tw3no... | First, thanks to each respondant. Once again, this group is a fount of good | information. | | I'll make a group of responses to points that I need more help with or bear | further comment. | | 1. Price of steel--solid vs tube. Ugh! I did a cost estimate of just the | hairpin pickets this morning and the price of all that steel is quite dear. | However, I just don't think I can get the look I want with tube. It looks | 'too clean' and slick. I want a "wrought iron" type look and feel and I | think I'll have to pay the price of slolid. Do you have a sense of what I | am getting at? I am not a metal worker by trade and can only go by fences I | have seen in real life and the tube stuff is nice but it will look too | modern for my little heritage home. Also, if I used tube then I'd have to | use a bender for sure, I think. (Right?) So I would have to job that out | or put out the bucks for a bender, thus putting up the cost. | 2. I have a tiger torch or weed burner. I reckon it would not take too | much thought to build a facsimille forge with the weed burner and some fire | brick (around the flame, not me). It also makes great sense to put several | bars into the 'forge' at once and keep up an assembly line process. | 3. Some people suggested I get a second hand to help the process. Will do. | Son-in-law owes big for reno help. | 4. I was secretly hoping someone would write that I need a Hossfield type | bender for this. Seriously though, is bending 1" or 3/4" stock a task that | such a bender might be used for? I'll probably not get one even if it is an | option but it is on my list for the future. | 5. Thanks for various ideas about jigging. I will really enjoy figuring | out and making the jig. Once I get past the planning stage, I going to | prototype/practice so I'll first try cold bending with some sort of solid | foundation and a big cheeter. Thanks for the comment to keep the bending | lever-pipe diameter close to the size of the bar stock--that is an important | concept for making the shape proper. I like the idea of a hinged jig to | help with consistency, too. | | Ciao, | David Todtman

Now with all that metal fencing in your yard you'll be just another house in Vancouver! Every time I head north of the border that never ceases to amaze me about that. A fence made of square bar that big would likely stop a dump truck! I'm thinking again... Twist some smaller bar and bend it in the twisted area so it can look bigger, and it blends in better in the neighborhood. This sounds like a very interesting and fun project; it would be fun to peek in on you sweating your a** off despite being cold and rainy! I'll be up there for a car show in May, wanna save the job for then? :)

Most benders for tubing stretch the outside of the tube by using the mandrel and wrapping the pipe around it, giving it the concave look which looks like crap in the decorative sense. If you could devise a bender that would not stretch the outside, but compress the inside, you'd be more likely to get the look you want in tubing, but folks can correct me if the following thinking is in error in practice rather than theory. Seems to me (there I go thinking again) that if you used a motorcycle or bike chain(s) or something flexible like that along the outside of the bend that you could compress the inside. The chain or something will have to be a fairly small pitch chain to not dent the soft tubing, and capable of handling the heat. Providing you heated the tubing evenly through the bending area, the chain would keep the radius even on the outside. You'll have to clamp or jig the tubing to the wings and allow one end to move out a little bit. More to think about, I guess.

I'm puzzled. With the U upside down, how will anyone see whether it's tube or solid without getting down and dirty?

Ted