Bending and flattening stainless rod ?

sarabande

sarabande

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Whilst I am still confined to quarters, I have dug out some 8mm stainless rod from the store, and want to bend it and flatten the ends to make "cages" to protect the throttle and various sockets and connectors on board.

I cut off a 200mm length as a trial piece and laid into it with a 2lb club hammer and gusto to try and make one end flat enough to drill for self-tapper. Evidently I need yet more Weetabix, bcs the net effect of about 100 bashes is just more than nothing .

To flatten an end properly, I guess I should be taking the torch to it and heating to ? cherry red. I don't know stainless, but will that be enough before taking the hammer to it, or too much ? And what about discoloration afterwards ?

Finally, bending. The rods seem extremely stiff and resistant to trying to bend round a mandrel I use with success for rebar shaping. Again, what's the best way to achieve neat 900 bends without distorting the cross-section too much, please ?

I am happy to buy some simple kit, as there are lots of agri things I could shape up when I can learn how to work SS rod.

here's a pic of my weedy results after about 5 minutes !

57YLZ9c.jpg


TIA .



EDIT


I have just looked at the prices of anvils on ebay !!!! Anyone got one lurking in a shed please ?
 
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As you probably know from the interminable questions about drilling holes in it, stainless steel tends to work harden rapidly. So each of your blows was hardening the metal a little more: a self defeating exercise. Heating to cherry red before hammering will make all the difference but there will be some surface discoloration that should easily be overcome with abrasives.
 
Personally I find drilling and shaping stainless steel to be more trouble than it’s worth. But cutting it with an angle grinder with a ss cutting disc is quite easy. So I just cut the stuff into component parts, arrange them into the shape you want and weld it up
 
sarabande said:
Whilst I am still confined to quarters, I have dug out some 8mm stainless rod from the store, and want to bend it and flatten the ends to make "cages" to protect the throttle and various sockets and connectors on board.

I am happy to buy some simple kit, as there are lots of agri things I could shape up.
Click to expand...

Nothing trivial, I trust? :D

As for buying 'simple kit', go fetch some 8mm stainless tube. 'That'll do nicely.....'
I have some from IKEA.... some remaindered long drawer handles repurposed from their 'Bargain Corner'. They always seem to have lots of such 'useful' stuff.... and one needs something to do while Madame is hunting for the packs of paper napkins and tealight candles we've just driven through an hour of snarled-up Bristol traffic to get!!!


Edit: once you have some 'toob', let me know and I'll tell you how to bend it without 'wall-collapse'.
 
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Thanks Z, I have Rothenberger gas pipe bending kit for 8 and 10mm copper tube, but the 8mm rod is to provide structural protection to the throttle from being accidentally kicked.moved out of gear.

VicS also thanks. Somehow I had not equated work hardening by drilling with the same process by hammering. Live and learn ! I am going to set up a chunk of solid tractor weight as a makeshift anvil tomorrow and use a propane torch to encourage the steel to be be more pliant.

Roger - those links are v useful and encouraging, thanks. I suspect that I shall end up buying a bender rather than making my own - however much that may be against the PBO ethos.


This DIY sailing business relies on so many other disciplines :)
 
It was Matt, I believe - with some valued support from the radical wing of the Loungistas - who created the Rules of Lakesailoring.

'The good old days' when the Forum Admin was one of the gang.... ;)
 
I know nothing about bending steel, or not very much

When we moved to Oz I was introduced to a 'bending dog' (spelling).

It is very simple, just right for PBO - and typically Australian

The one to which I was introduced was a approximately 100mm diameter short section of heavy duty steel pipe (wall thickness maybe 5mm). It had 2 holes at around 30 degree above the wider part one on either side - so they matched. another 2 holes set at the widest part. The item, rod, to be bent was placed in the first of my 2 holes and a lever in the other holes. The rod, or whatever was being bent, was held in a vice. You simply bent the rod, gently, and moved the dog as needed to develop the right bend.

I have no idea if the location of the holes was critical

It was remarkably successful for bending re-bar (just the sort of thing most boat owners frequently need to do :) )

Jonathan
 
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