Thanks: 0
Results 1 to 12 of 12
Thread: Bending flat steel.
-
21st Feb 2018, 09:39 AM #1New Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- melbourne
- Posts
- 4
Bending flat steel.
Hi all, I’m normally over in the woodworking section but need your help with a project. I’m building a coffee table (American oak) for a client, and the legs are 2 ‘bands’ squared corners of flat steel. I’ve found someone to powder coat for me, however I’m hoping someone can provide some assistance in getting the legs bent into shape, as the quotes I’ve received are nuts! Ignore the band around the table top in the image, that’s been scrapped. Just need two rectangles bent into shape and welded closed. So far the quotes start at $800 with me providing the metal...
Cheers
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
21st Feb 2018, 12:22 PM #2
Hi gatesy
Welcome to the MetalWork Forums.
More than likely somebody will come by shortly and offer you some help.Someone in your local Melbourne area will probably already own or have built a bender that will do this task easily and quickly.
Before that happens it could be handy to give the dimensions of the flat bar.Is it 25mm x 6mm? As dimensions increase some benders may have their limitations.
Keep an eye out for a PM that I will send you to assist you in using the Forums.
Welcome to the forums
Grahame
-
21st Feb 2018, 12:24 PM #3New Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- melbourne
- Posts
- 4
-
21st Feb 2018, 12:31 PM #4
Hi gatesy,
Don't rush out just yet.
I thought it may be better for our members to know what you need to bend as members individual benders are all probably different in their capacities. Some one may have a unit that will do it. We will see what the blokes have.
Grahame
-
21st Feb 2018, 12:46 PM #5Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2017
- Location
- Geelong, Australia
- Age
- 57
- Posts
- 2,666
If there's any chance you might need to do another one or something similar you could buy something like this for around $200 and just bend them yourself.
Bender
Steve
-
21st Feb 2018, 07:27 PM #6Banned
- Join Date
- Jan 2018
- Location
- Aldinga Beach.
- Age
- 73
- Posts
- 148
-
24th Feb 2018, 10:16 PM #7
We used to have similar loops bent for us at Cordite Engineering in Bayswater when I was in the metal furniture frame game, materials to 100 x 10 SS. They used a press brake (about 80-100ton capacity). Things to be aware of include press capacity increases as inside radius of the bend decreases, material width or thickness increase. Also to get the bend positions accurate, you need to do some sample bends in the same material you will be using.
Most places with a reasonable tonnage brake press should be able to do the job fairly easily, the main issues being their time, machine utilisation and tooling availability (many fold sheet metal for their bread and butter and may not have a top tool of appropriate radius). Sometimes they may have a damaged section of top tool and you can have a length of bright mild steel or stainless rounded bar welded to that to give the required radius.I used to be an engineer, I'm not an engineer any more, but on the really good days I can remember when I was.
-
25th Feb 2018, 04:41 PM #8
Hi gatesy
Some questions for you. Do you have a welder and an angle grinder with a cuttter disc?
If so, you can grind a slot across the bar to weaken it, so it can be readily and neatly bent to a right angle with a small radius on the outside corner.
The trick is to not grid way too much and grossly weaken it but still remove enough meat to give an easy bend.
The welder can be used later to reinstate the lack of strength on the inside corner.
That's of course if the inside radius (or then, lack of it after the cut and weld) is not important to the overall visual effect.
From there it is only a matter of lining up all the legs in their flat form and marking so the cuts and the bends are all in the same relative alignment to each another.
Just a thought as a low dollar approach to it, if it helps.
I bend brackets and similar with this technique all the time.
Grahame
-
2nd Mar 2018, 05:30 PM #9Golden Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2010
- Location
- Ballina, NSW
- Posts
- 900
How about visiting the local Men's Shed and see if they have an oxy torch (which would be my pick) or grinder/welder or bender. For a reasonable donation, I'd wager you'd find some eager project helpers?
Cheers
Mick
-
2nd Mar 2018, 11:28 PM #10Senior Member
- Join Date
- May 2012
- Location
- Vermont 3133 Victoria
- Posts
- 248
I have a brambley bender that can easily do that, contact Me.
-
5th Mar 2018, 07:52 AM #11
Where in Melb are you? I have a bender and a Forge and torch for heat if needed. Also have welders here.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk…..Live a Quiet Life & Work with your Hands
-
5th Mar 2018, 09:04 AM #12
I left a PM message for gatesy over on the W/Work Forum so he should get back to us soon.
Grahame
Similar Threads
-
Bending Flat Stock To Form Polygon Then Weld
By meadow street in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 43Last Post: 24th Sep 2013, 11:09 AM -
How much muscle needed bending 2.1 m of 3mm steel on panbrake
By beefy in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 21Last Post: 17th Jan 2013, 06:39 AM -
bending 12mm steel rod
By 2zenmonks in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 14Last Post: 22nd Feb 2012, 09:21 PM -
Heating, Bending,... and Breaking a Steel Rod (Where did I go wrong?...)
By Batpig in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 9Last Post: 5th May 2009, 07:48 AM -
Bending steel
By smidsy in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 22Last Post: 2nd Mar 2008, 01:49 AM