Fun with square tubing too

[wroughtn_harv]

Since the other thread was getting off on welding, a great and noble subject close and dear to my heart, I decided to start a new thread back on the original subject.

This is the ultimate simple bending jig for half inch and three quarter inch square tubing. It consists of a piece of four inch o.d. tubing welded to a piece of six inch channel. Underneath the channel is welded a piece of bar stock. The reason for the bar stock is to have something for the vise to clutch.

I have made these out of angle iron and then of course the vise clutches the down leg of the angle iron.

What is not obvious from this picture is that the stub that is holding the half inch square tubing is cut at a light angle. The reason for this is that makes and edge that bites into the tubing when it wants to slip.

When you get as old as I am your skin will get the sheen too. So don't laugh. Yours might get even more sheen. That wouldn't be good.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is the finished bend.

Please note that the vise has the old two inch heavy wall square tubing. And that it's slid into a receiver on the welding table. That table btw weighs over eight hundred pounds. It's a good friend of mine.

Also note the smoothness of the bend. And believe it or not that piece is really quite strong. I've got pieces like this strewn around the shop that I've used for oversized S hooks to hold this or that here or there.

A little imagination and another bend or two and you've got something to attach to the wall of the barn to hold the boss's plants. Boss's always like things that hold plants.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Another bend on the same piece of tubing getting ready to start.

Don't stare at the thumb. It's a little shy. Mostly it's shy of the pad that used to be there before a conflict over position was lost with a shaper blade in a table saw.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

You're right. That's a real start on a chain.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is the same bending die. But we're going to bend three quarter inch tubing.

Please note that we're at another table with another receiver hitch thingy dingy.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

It's so simple it almost makes you cry.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I know the place is messy. But I'm trying to cultivate the idea that I'm an eccentric. I understand it helps with the police.

If you don't think that's fun taking an old piece of scrap rusty tubing and making it into something pretty then I suspect there's no hope for you.

I love it. Sometimes the real fun is finding the thing that will give such a gem purpose.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Note the white line I made with the soapstone. Note the placement of the line. I made two lines eighteen inches apart.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Now look at the other line. Also you might notice my little tool I found to help out with the leverage for doing the second bend. Yup, it's another piece of scrap I picked up off the ground. It's a piece of sold bar half inch that was just begging to help.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

It's a little off. I'd guess yours truly wasn't paying too close attention when I did the second bend. Of course it could also be I haven't got the two bends perfectly parallel or square.

But this could easily be that piece that you had in mind for that rack to hold the cooler on that cart the lab is gonna have to drag if it's going fishing with you ever again.