Bugs wrote:
You can make near perfect rings by winding the rod on a mandrel, then
clamp the coil in a vise and saw through them with a hacksaw. They can
be aligned by clamping each ring in a vise and twisting it with a flat
jawed wrench [large Crescent].
I made thousands of them in the 1960's as parts for various ornamental
iron products. I built a dedicated mandrel by slotting the end to start
the coil and mounted it in a sleeve and put a handle on it. A ball
bearing rider on the frame did the actual bending.
matohato


This is the best idea, assuming the OP has 1/4" rod in long lengths to
make it worthwhile.
The mandrel should be maybe an inch smaller in dia. to allow for
springback. It can be made of hardwood (maple).
It's necessary to wind the rod straight around the mandrel, a shoulder
at one end would help (just an area about an inch or two larger in
diameter at one end).
I would make it maybe 6" long, and mounted horizontally on a heavy base
at waist height. With a lever pivoting at the center of the mandrel, and
carrying the ball bearing rider, you'd walk around the thing to wind it.
Would take some more thought to actually engineer it, but hopefully you
got the general idea.

Ken Grunke

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