How to bend 5/16" rod?

[DavidR8]

I've been handed a project where I need to make maybe 30 U-shaped bends in 5/16" solid rod. The radius will be about 6 inches, with straight legs about 12"-14" long
I have a bench mounted ring roller and a floor mounted bender. Also have oxy/propane.
The stated capacity of the ring roller is 1/4" and the floor mounted bender is too small to make a 6" radius bend.
I was thinking of making a jig, basically a plate with some means to secure the stock while the free end is curved around.
Having never bent 5/16' rod I have no idea how much force might be needed.

 

[Chicken lights]

When I made battery hold downs, I used 5/16” stainless rod. To make the bent “foot” buddy of mine just put them in a vise and yanked on them by hand. I thought he might need to use a press. I’d think if you used a little heat and a short cheater pipe it will go easier than you think

 

[140mower]

I know..... I am being unreasonable, but this would be a fun way....

 

[phaxtris]

It takes nothing to bend 5/16 round, you can defiantly do that large or a radius by hand easily, it will just take a few goes to figure out how much over bend it will take to maintain a 6" radius when you let off

 

[DavidR8]

Thanks gents. I'll maybe pick some up this weekend and see how I get on.

 

[YotaBota]

It takes nothing to bend 5/16 round

Agree, wrap it around a piece of 6" pipe or make a template out of 3/4 plywood. The plywood would allow you to build in the overbend so they all come out the same.

 

[DavidR8]

I know..... I am being unreasonable, but this would be a fun way....

Step 1) Buy a shaper
Step 2) Build an forge
Step 3) ...
Thereby reinforcing my wife's firm belief that shops exist to make tools...

 

[140mower]

Step 1) Buy a shaper
Step 2) Build an forge
Step 3) ...

Yup...... Sounds about right... If you were ever looking to expand the shop tools, this could be your opening argument when you face the tribunal. (SWMBO)

 

[LenVW]

I thought you said 6” RADIUS ?
6” Pipe even with heavy wall would only guide about 3-3/4” radius.

Use heavy 12” wall tube or a HD trailer rim as a forming guide.
As Ryan said, use a pipe extender to increase the torque production and use a sturdy, mounted forming guide. Trial and measure for over-bend.

 

[DavidR8]

I thought you said 6” RADIUS ?
6” Pipe even with heavy wall would only guide about 3-3/4” radius.

Use heavy 12” wall tube or a HD trailer rim as a forming guide.
As Ryan said, use a pipe extender to increase the torque production and use a sturdy, mounted forming guide. Trial and measure for over-bend.

Yup it's somewhere around a 6" radius, maybe a bit less. I need to measure the existing item (garden fencing) to be sure.

 

[Six O Two]

It'll definitely take a bit of experimentation to figure out the correct radius for the form, given the spring back. I was recently bending 3/8" rod. I needed a 31" radius, so made a ~25" radius form (essentially segments cut out of wooden planks on a band saw, brad nailed to a plywood sheet). The radius still ended up way too big because of the spring back, and I had to approximate the larger curve by making occasional tighter bends with a conduit bender.

 

[DavidR8]

Looks good @Six O Two!
I might try one using my floor bender and see if I can basically coax it into the right radius a bit at a time.
Or is this an excuse to buy a bigger ring roller?

 

[Six O Two]

Thanks, @David_R8. I was definitely alternating between talking myself into and out of aquiring/fabri-cobbling a three wheel tubing roller... It's kind of stupid how many of my projects end up being side-tracked so I can make or get new tooling. This particular project is meant to be a table for getting my seedlings started indoors before the growing season, so it's about a month late as is, hence the need to make do with what was on hand...

 

[whydontu]

A 6" Class 150 pipe flange is 11" O.D. Has eight bolt holes. Bolt it to a chunk of plywood. Simple jig to put a fulcrum in the bolt holes to drag the rod around the outside of the flange. 11" O.D. is going to spring back pretty close to 12" c/l radius on 5/16" rod, and if it's too tight increase the flange o.d. with some small spacers of 1/4" aluminum bar.

6" Raised Face Slip-On A105N Carbon Steel 150# Welding Flange

www.flocor.ca

Scrap metal dealers end up with zillions of pipe flanges, they're worthless.

 

[DavidR8]

Thanks fo

A 6" Class 150 pipe flange is 11" O.D. Has eight bolt holes. Bolt it to a chunk of plywood. Simple jig to put a fulcrum in the bolt holes to drag the rod around the outside of the flange. 11" O.D. is going to spring back pretty close to 12" c/l radius on 5/16" rod, and if it's too tight increase the flange o.d. with some small spacers of 1/4" aluminum bar.

6" Raised Face Slip-On A105N Carbon Steel 150# Welding Flange

www.flocor.ca

Scrap metal dealers end up with zillions of pipe flanges, they're worthless.

Thanks for the idea, I'll see if I can find something like that locally.

 

[kevin.decelles]

+1 to the shaper method. The mystery shaper I picked up was being used to make bends by @johnnielsen at one time. Some of the jigs were still with the machine. John, do you know the thickness of rod?

 

[140mower]

+1 to the shaper method. The mystery shaper I picked up was being used to make bends by @johnnielsen at one time. Some of the jigs were still with the machine. John, do you know the thickness of rod?

That settles it then........ David, you need a shaper........

 

[phaxtris]

I like where this thread is going, more tools for everyone !

 

[140mower]

I like where this thread is going, more tools for everyone !

That my friend, is why we are here. To enable each other in our quests for the ultimate home shop.

....... Errrr ummm, help each other meet our goals and needs, yeah, thats it.....

 

[johnnielsen]

+1 to the shaper method. The mystery shaper I picked up was being used to make bends by @johnnielsen at one time. Some of the jigs were still with the machine. John, do you know the thickness of rod?

I bent up to 1/4" stainless rod with that set up.