I just took a look at your photos, and I have some suggestions. What
you've made is a bottoming punch and die. There is no way, IMO, that
you'll get enough force with that setup to get the bend radius you want.
It would take tons, springback or not.

If the idea is to have a fairly accurate radius and two very parallel
legs, your wooden die probably is a good place to start -- if it will
hold up with 1/4 in. bar. If it will, start your bend with that.

It appears that you have a bandsaw. So I would make some round disks of
wood, starting with 1 in. less radius than your desired end result.
After making the initial bend, clamp one leg firmly and then try bending
the other leg around the smaller-radius disk -- not all the way, but
just get it started bending a bit more than your original pressing.

Check your radius before you've gone very far. If you need a smaller
disk, cut it down some more. Bend some more. If you bend the legs too
far and your radius is not right, you'll probably have to start all over
again. Unbending would likely result in little increase in the radius,
but a likely "kink" where one of the legs emerges from the bend. If the
radius is too large, with the legs parallel, it's unlikely you'll get
the radius smaller by re-bending. The bend will be harder and stronger
than the legs. Or you may get lucky. You'll need some experimenting.

The thing you'll be up against is work-hardening. If you get the legs
parallel but you need a smaller radius, unbending the legs and
re-forming the bend over a larger disk will likely cause some local work
hardening that will prevent you from ever getting it right. It could
happen, as well, if the radius needs to be larger. The tricky thing is
getting the overbend just right so the radius is right, because you will
have some flexibility to bend more or open the legs slightly to get them
parallel. That's not true in adjusting the bend radius.

Your 1/8 in. test piece would be a good start for trying this out. You
know you'll have to overbend to get the legs parallel. You'll also have
to overbend to get the radius you want. Getting that radius right is the
tricky part, so inch up on that radius while the legs are still splayed
and you have some room to adjust.

Good luck.


I have access to a 12,000 ton press at work which is where I was
planning to use the wooden die. Though, I believe the results of spring
back would be similar anyway even if using the press. I'll consider your
suggestions. Thank you.