Straightening Metal
 

I have a metal bracket that is rusted and bent. I will need to restore
it by first straightening it out and then sanding and either painting
or powder coating it.

But it's the straightening part that will be difficult. The bracket is
used to secure a 1/4" thick plexiglass marquee, and therefore is
shaped to "cup" the bottom of the marquee and hold it in place.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketA.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketB.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketC.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketD.jpg

I'd appreciate any ideas on how to best accomplish straightening it
out. (Would heating it be necessary?).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Straightening Metal
 

On Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:16:34 -0800 (PST), Searcher7
wrote:

I have a metal bracket that is rusted and bent. I will need to restore
it by first straightening it out and then sanding and either painting
or powder coating it.

But it's the straightening part that will be difficult. The bracket is
used to secure a 1/4" thick plexiglass marquee, and therefore is
shaped to "cup" the bottom of the marquee and hold it in place.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketA.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketB.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketC.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketD.jpg

I'd appreciate any ideas on how to best accomplish straightening it
out. (Would heating it be necessary?).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Clamp a nice clean piece of 1/4" steel plate (at least 6" tall or more)
in your strongest best mounted vise..after sand blasting..and gently
beat it back into shape with a hammer. Lead preferably..brass if you
dont have lead..steel as a last resort

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch

Straightening Metal
 

"Searcher7" wrote in message
...
I have a metal bracket that is rusted and bent. I will need to restore
it by first straightening it out and then sanding and either painting
or powder coating it.

But it's the straightening part that will be difficult. The bracket is
used to secure a 1/4" thick plexiglass marquee, and therefore is
shaped to "cup" the bottom of the marquee and hold it in place.
...
I'd appreciate any ideas on how to best accomplish straightening it
out. (Would heating it be necessary?).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Straightening one of nearly a dozen storm-damaged corrugated roofing panels:
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/...85907089791234
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/...85348223415954
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/...83909402381154

I used mostly a rubber hammer to shape it to the pipe underneath, then an
auto-body planishing hammer to flatten the sharper wrinkles. A steel hammer
thins, expands and distorts the sheetmetal so use it as little as possible.
A steel plate clamped upright in a vise makes a good anvil stake to
straighten thin angle. If you shape one to fit the "cup" it should be
undersized to allow for springback. I was taught to work out the damage
gradually all over rather than trying to complete one section at a time.

The tools are simple, the tricky part is learning where and how hard to hit.

jsw

Straightening Metal
 

"Searcher7" wrote in message
...
I have a metal bracket that is rusted and bent. I will need to restore
it by first straightening it out and then sanding and either painting
or powder coating it.

But it's the straightening part that will be difficult. The bracket is
used to secure a 1/4" thick plexiglass marquee, and therefore is
shaped to "cup" the bottom of the marquee and hold it in place.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketA.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketB.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketC.jpg
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...eeBracketD.jpg

I'd appreciate any ideas on how to best accomplish straightening it
out. (Would heating it be necessary?).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

I'd look for a piece of plate that would slip in the groove, then put the
groove over the edge of the plate and use a dead blow or a rawhide or some
other soft headed hammer to work if back into place. Slow and easy does it.
It looks like it could be salvaged.

Steve

Straightening Metal
 

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:16:05 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:


"Searcher7" wrote in message
...
I have a metal bracket that is rusted and bent. I will need to restore
it by first straightening it out and then sanding and either painting
or powder coating it.

But it's the straightening part that will be difficult. The bracket is
used to secure a 1/4" thick plexiglass marquee, and therefore is
shaped to "cup" the bottom of the marquee and hold it in place.
...
I'd appreciate any ideas on how to best accomplish straightening it
out. (Would heating it be necessary?).

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Straightening one of nearly a dozen storm-damaged corrugated roofing panels:
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/...85907089791234
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/...85348223415954
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/...83909402381154

I used mostly a rubber hammer to shape it to the pipe underneath, then an
auto-body planishing hammer to flatten the sharper wrinkles. A steel hammer
thins, expands and distorts the sheetmetal so use it as little as possible.
A steel plate clamped upright in a vise makes a good anvil stake to
straighten thin angle. If you shape one to fit the "cup" it should be
undersized to allow for springback. I was taught to work out the damage
gradually all over rather than trying to complete one section at a time.

The tools are simple, the tricky part is learning where and how hard to hit.

What about shrinking where the damned thing stretched when it bent,
Jim? I've seen body men shrink with a torch and cool wet cloth and
I've seen physical shrinking machines which look like 2 pair of vise
jaws which come together (or apart for stretching).

I think it would be easier (and not much more expensive) to replace
the thing than to attempt derusting and then sand/fill/primer/repair
it. Darren would have many fewer headaches that way.

--
Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.
-- Seneca

Straightening Metal
 

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
What about shrinking where the damned thing stretched when it bent,
Jim? I've seen body men shrink with a torch and cool wet cloth and
I've seen physical shrinking machines which look like 2 pair of vise
jaws which come together (or apart for stretching).

I think it would be easier (and not much more expensive) to replace
the thing than to attempt derusting and then sand/fill/primer/repair
it. Darren would have many fewer headaches that way.

If Darren can find it.

My 1970's metal shed took a good hit from a falling tree top and there's no
way I can buy replacement sections, so I had to reframe it with wood and
straighten and reinforce the crumpled doors. I didn't take pix of hammering
the door edge channel back to shape around a home-made dolly milled to the
channel's inside shape.

The 29 ga Lowe's & HD roofing was bent or crinkled, not stretched. It seems
to tear rather than stretch much. The one area that was scrunched together
cracked along the tightest creases when I bent it out flat, so it's been
moved to an overhang. The roofing is stiff and brittle and doesn't shape as
well as auto body or tin can steel.

jsw

Straightening Metal
 

On Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:37:24 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:


"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
What about shrinking where the damned thing stretched when it bent,
Jim? I've seen body men shrink with a torch and cool wet cloth and
I've seen physical shrinking machines which look like 2 pair of vise
jaws which come together (or apart for stretching).

I think it would be easier (and not much more expensive) to replace
the thing than to attempt derusting and then sand/fill/primer/repair
it. Darren would have many fewer headaches that way.

If Darren can find it.

Isn't this RCM? Um, I was thinking he could make one if he couldn't
buy one. He could even build a brake if necessary. Or one of the
local gutter or roofing guys could bend it for him.

--
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable
one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore,
all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-- George Bernard Shaw