My son is making an RC Sail Car, now in limited production and growing. I'm
helping him tool for it and need some advice on forming the front steering
yoke made from a 7" piece of 3/16 drill rod or piano wire, bent in three
places. I'm using wire bending jig for now after heating to dark red (heat
treating after another par gets welded onto it). I'm about to make a forming
die for use on the arbor press to smash the wire into final configuration
but am wondering about the draw here and there as it gets bent. I plan on
heating 15 pieces in my electric furnace, then one by one forming them with
the die and letting them cool on an aluminum plate for next operation. If I
send you a .jpg image of the yoke and the proposed die, could you give me
your advice? I have a few bucks and could pay through Paypal if required.

www.rcsailcars.com
Waynelundatattdotnet

Wayne

Wayne Lundberg wrote:
My son is making an RC Sail Car, now in limited production and growing. I'm
helping him tool for it and need some advice on forming the front steering
yoke made from a 7" piece of 3/16 drill rod or piano wire, bent in three
places. I'm using wire bending jig for now after heating to dark red (heat
treating after another par gets welded onto it). I'm about to make a forming

Have you considered doing it cold?

Maybe changing material, or altering the bend radius.

"Ian Stirling" wrote in message
...
Wayne Lundberg wrote:
My son is making an RC Sail Car, now in limited production and growing.
I'm
helping him tool for it and need some advice on forming the front
steering

Thanks Ian. When in use the yoke takes a real beating on the parking lot
when the RCWindjammer gets to speeds of over 20 MPH and suddenly hits a curb
or other item. So I am using water quenching drill rod from McMaster Carr
and it does not bend cold without crystallizing immediately. Then we have to
weld a thin steering link and that adds problems to the equation. We have
these heat and anneal pretty much down pat. What I want now is to get a one
hit forming tool and it's no trouble to heat the parts before bending. Just
put them in my heat-treating furnace and it's a done deal. I've got the
stuff together to start making the forming die but am not milling the 3/16
groove until I feel more comfortable with the draw issue. I made a proof of
concept with tooling plywood and pressing some thick solder to see the
material movement as it forms. And there is a draw... so... the reason for
my request.

Also... if anybody out there would like to bid on making ten a month for
now, and hopefully more later, let me know. I'll send specs on request email
me at waynelundatattdotnet

Wayne

Hi Wayne,

How many pieces? I know, it's a crystal ball thing but guess. I have wire
parts formed for me cheap. Remember my machinist brush? Those parts cost
me $.07 ea in 5k qty. Does it realy have to be O-1?


"Wayne Lundberg" wrote in message
...
My son is making an RC Sail Car, now in limited production and growing.
I'm
helping him tool for it and need some advice on forming the front steering
yoke made from a 7" piece of 3/16 drill rod or piano wire, bent in three
places. I'm using wire bending jig for now after heating to dark red (heat
treating after another par gets welded onto it). I'm about to make a
forming
die for use on the arbor press to smash the wire into final configuration
but am wondering about the draw here and there as it gets bent. I plan on
heating 15 pieces in my electric furnace, then one by one forming them
with
the die and letting them cool on an aluminum plate for next operation. If
I
send you a .jpg image of the yoke and the proposed die, could you give me
your advice? I have a few bucks and could pay through Paypal if required.

www.rcsailcars.com
Waynelundatattdotnet

Wayne

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
.com...
Hi Wayne,

How many pieces? I know, it's a crystal ball thing but guess. I have
wire

Thanks Tom, we could buy 100 pieces at a time if the price were right. It
just needs to be tough when finished but not as hard as hardened tool
steel - in fact a bit of flex ability would be all right. I'm taking the
liberty of sending you a pdf file and an image of my proposed tool. Your
comments and advice will be more than welcome!

Wayne

WOW! I am consulting my good friend that has been in fab forever. I will
help any way I can. Interesting part!

"Wayne Lundberg" wrote in message
...

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
.com...
Hi Wayne,

How many pieces? I know, it's a crystal ball thing but guess. I have
wire

Thanks Tom, we could buy 100 pieces at a time if the price were right. It
just needs to be tough when finished but not as hard as hardened tool
steel - in fact a bit of flex ability would be all right. I'm taking the
liberty of sending you a pdf file and an image of my proposed tool. Your
comments and advice will be more than welcome!

Wayne