Bending Tool

[brantley]

Since there have been a few posts of metal bending I thought I would share this location.

At this location, http://www.sandyscb.com/sail1.htm

The site is worth looking over as well. It documents very well the process of building a steel sailing boat. Its quite amazing to see how the boat has been built up over the last three years.
I check it out every month or so to see the progress that has been made.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

That bender works great on bar stock. It wouldn't work well on tubing except for real heavy wall.

BTW the concept that bender uses is the same as I'm using with mine except I am using hammer force instead of the pulling of the tightening of the bolts.

They make a commercial tool that consists of four sided blocks of different thicknesses at the two ends and one on a lever in the middle. You start with the thinnest thickness at all three points, pull the lever. When you've went the whole length of your bar at your decided upon increments you turn the three pieces to the next thickness and repeat. You do this until the curve you thought you want is a reality.

The concept of building a boat is intriguing. But with my short attention span and flight of fancy, well, there's a reason Noah got the nod instead of me even though I was obviously smarter and definately prettier, beard and all. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Kodiak]

Harv:

Have you given any thought to mechanizing the hammer operation. Maybe some sort of cam operated mini drop hammer. I have an old plate compactor with a dead engine. But the cam action might work for some thing like that. Or maybe something made from a large 3/4 drive air impact. just a thought.

Boat building ah yes, brings back memories. I helped one of my freinds buld a 42' aluminum commercial salmon seiner. 14' beam,26" draft and packed 32,000lbs. Powered by two Cat 3406's, and could do 14 knots. A sweet little boat.

Oh ya, I still think you ought to give the ol St. Nick beard a try.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Russ I have a fifty pound Little Giant Power Hammer. And I have a Valley Forge treadle hammer.

There's just something about using a three pound hammer on steel that is very gratifying.

My bro in law that's helping around the shop I think has decided that I never do anything the same way twice when it comes to bending steel. He might be right. Or it might just seem that way looking in from the outside.