I need to make up some 16" lengths of 1/4"diameter SS rod.
These will have some tight bends and have to be pretty much the same.
I need to purchase or make a simple jig but would appreciate any help or
suggestions.




--
Dave

_____________________________________________
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

"David" wrote in message
news:CwwVd.559053$Xk.109008@pd7tw3no...
I need to make up some 16" lengths of 1/4"diameter SS rod.
These will have some tight bends and have to be pretty much the same.
I need to purchase or make a simple jig but would appreciate any help or
suggestions.

Bending around a fixed pin of the proper radius works if you can hold the
loose end. Use a close fitting piece (tubing or pipe) over the end you pull
on, and secure the other end so it can't move away or rotate. By keeping
the outer piece close to the bending point, you can get a fairly tight,
uniform bend with little spring back. If you have multiple parts to make,
you can mark a line to which you pull once you know where to stop bending.
You should be able to make multiple parts that are very nearly identical
with a little care.

It's not recommended to heat stainless for bending because of intergranular
corrosion, but if your pieces are cosmetic, no load, that makes bending real
easy. I did that for the weight string bracket I had to make for my Wilson
Rockwell Hardness tester that I bought sans weights. Worked great, and
looks like it was done by someone that knew what they were doing. It does
require some cleanup afterwards to restore the original color, but that was
done easily with some abrasive cloth.

Harold

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 04:37:54 GMT, "David" wrote:

I need to make up some 16" lengths of 1/4"diameter SS rod.
These will have some tight bends and have to be pretty much the same.
I need to purchase or make a simple jig but would appreciate any help or
suggestions.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...yrodbender.php

http://ww2.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44094
http://ww2.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38470

gunner


Lathe Dementia. Recognized as one of the major sub-strains of the
all-consuming virus, Packratitis. Usual symptoms easily recognized
and normally is contracted for life. Can be very contagious.
michael

"David" wrote in
news:CwwVd.559053$Xk.109008@pd7tw3no:

I need to make up some 16" lengths of 1/4"diameter SS rod.
These will have some tight bends and have to be pretty much the same.
I need to purchase or make a simple jig but would appreciate any help
or suggestions.





First suggestion is to draw the pattern on a CAD system and plot it out
1:1. This gives you a guide to bend by.

Second, you could mill out a slot of the appropriate radius in a block
of steel and bend the rod into the slot.

Third and probably the best solution: Get ahold of a hand tubing bender
for 1/4" tubing.




--
Anthony

You can't 'idiot proof' anything....every time you try, they just make
better idiots.

Remove sp to reply via email

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 04:37:54 GMT, David wrote:
I need to make up some 16" lengths of 1/4"diameter SS rod.
These will have some tight bends and have to be pretty much the same.
I need to purchase or make a simple jig but would appreciate any help or
suggestions.

I've had good luck with 5/16ths mild steel, making 90 degree bends. Here's
what I did - with my hydraulic press, and some notched v-blocks. Lay out
a line on the rods at a specific distance from the end; line that up with
the edge of the V-block. Using a piece of round stock with a radius
consistant with what you want your finished piece to be, Press it into
the grooved section of the v-block, until it bottoms. I ended up
with more like a 92 degree bend from a 90 degree v-block, which for my
purpose was perfectly acceptable.

Does this get you closer to where you need to be?

Dave Hinz

--Here are photos of homemade benders for small diameter pipe. The
design for small diameter rod is no different...
http://www.nmpproducts.com/boiler.htm

--
"Steamboat Ed" Haas : Blah blah blah blah
Hacking the Trailing Edge! : blah blah blah...
http://www.nmpproducts.com/intro.htm
---Decks a-wash in a sea of words---

Thank you very much for all the great suggestions and links.
Now I have lots of options.





--
Dave

_____________________________________________
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯