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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
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    NZ
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    Default Basic handles and towel rail project advice

    I am a novice at metalworking.

    I would like to make a set of simple drawer handles, towel rails and coat hooks that are fabricated from flat SS 25 mm x 6 mm bent to a 90 degree angles (at each end for the handles and rails) at a radius of about 15-20 mm, and brush finished.

    6 mm looks to be a reasonable thickness both for strength/bend resistance and to allow drilling and tapping for concealed fixing for the drawer handles. For the towel rail I'd like to go with a stronger fixing so maybe mitre and weld fixing plates at each end

    Is this a reasonable project to tackle as a novice?

    How difficult will it be to get neat repeatable bends?

  2. #2
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Sounds like a good little project.

    6mm is pretty thick - 3 mm would be plenty for for drawer handles and lighter weight coat hooks, and at most something like 5mm for a towel rail.

    What sort of a bender if any do you have? If you intend on just putting the SS in a vice and bending it over a piece of rod with a hammer then you will want to think about protecting the SS because it will scratch and bruise easily.

    A simple towel rail could be bent like this
    -----------------------
    _| |_

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobL View Post
    Sounds like a good little project.

    6mm is pretty thick - 3 mm would be plenty for for drawer handles and lighter weight coat hooks, and at most something like 5mm for a towel rail.

    What sort of a bender if any do you have? If you intend on just putting the SS in a vice and bending it over a piece of rod with a hammer then you will want to think about protecting the SS because it will scratch and bruise easily.

    A simple towel rail could be bent like this
    -----------------------
    _| |_
    I was going for 6 mm because I had a look at some handles in the hardware shop and that looked like the minimum for being able to drill and tap for concealed fixings going into the edge so where the handle meets the drawer front is at 90 degrees to the front. It also gives a comfortable to use handle.

    I have a very small folder, but nothing to do this sort of thickness or to do a radius of this size so I would probably be using a vice and hammer. Can I minimise marks using a protective piece, and then clean up smaller marks with a brushed finish?

  4. #4
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spacey View Post
    I was going for 6 mm because I had a look at some handles in the hardware shop and that looked like the minimum for being able to drill and tap for concealed fixings going into the edge so where the handle meets the drawer front is at 90 degrees to the front. It also gives a comfortable to use handle.

    I have a very small folder, but nothing to do this sort of thickness or to do a radius of this size so I would probably be using a vice and hammer. Can I minimise marks using a protective piece, and then clean up smaller marks with a brushed finish?
    I reckon 6mm might be too thick to be done with a hammer and a vice. Any bruising will need more than a brushed finish to cover it up. It will probably need sanding to remove the bruises.

    Either way it would really pay to anneal the SS but that gets kinds tricky. If you look up SS annealing you will find that it can be done at higher temperatures (1000ºC) for about an hour and then cooled quickly (opposite to regular steel) or at 400ºC for about 3 hours and then a controlled temp decrease over a quite a few hours . SS work hardens pretty quickly and you may need several anneals per 90º bend in 6mm thick material.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
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    Murray Bridge S Aust.
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    For what you're wanting to do, I'd be inclined to get one of the Bar Bender similar to this: https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/B044
    You'd be looking round the $400 mark, but it'll save in the long run, as you'll find uses for it all the time.
    If you don't want to spend this sort of money, Bobs suggestion will do the trick, one thing that I'd add to his suggestion, is to use some hard wood either side to help cut down on the marking of the stainless.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
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    Hi Guys,

    I thought that handle description sounded familiar. I think its Ikea that have some aluminium handles that are like that.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  7. #7
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    Feb 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post
    Hi Guys,

    I thought that handle description sounded familiar. I think its Ikea that have some aluminium handles that are like that.

    Do they? We are a few thousand km and across a border from any Ikea.

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