Project 2 from Winky. Category: tools

[Winky]

I'll post a link to the video after I up load it to Youtube ... but this is a little tool I made for making sharp bends in flat stock the pictures aren't great but the video will give you a better idea ... the pictures are of me welding it, tempering the blade and a shot of it finished. It's made to fit in a vise and will give you a nice clean 90 degree bend in 1/8" stock.

[Winky]

Here is the link to the video I promised ... sorry it took so long ... uploading can be a b---- hehehe
http://youtu.be/A-WLoN38Sgk

[Spike]

Manual press brake.
Good job. It'll also be good for putting tucks into sheetmetal for tuck shrinking in the future, too.

[Jason]

Nice..

Do you have a press? Using things like that in a press makes it really nice. One of my friends father made a jig that would do sharp bends in a press.

[Rambozo]

Mild steel doesn't have enough carbon content to harden or temper. The best you can do with it is to case harden the outside by cooking carbon into it with case hardening compound. Also if you do have a medium to high carbon content hardenable steel, there are are some that are air hardening, some oil, and some water, as well as a few special alloys that are dual hardening, meaning that they will harden in oil or water. You have to use the proper quench for the type of alloy. If you water quench oil hardening steel it will cause cracks in it, as the quench is too fast. The best way to test unknown steel is to heat it to critical temp, then quench in oil. If it gets hard you have oil hardening steel, if it doesn't, then do it again, but quench in water. If it gets hard you have water hardening steel, if it doesn't you have mild steel. The easiest way to test for hardness is to see if a file cuts it.

[Winky]

Thanks Rambozo ... I wish you were here to set me straight BEFORE I posted ... just when I think I've got it dialed a pro steps in ... UR AWESOME! That's why the disclaimer ... ooops! I feel so small ... should I delete my youtube post?

[Winky]

Rambozo I've read your posts for a long time and I respect what you say ... on the other hand what I have done ... I've tested and it works ... that's my only indicator ... I respect you're opinion and vast knowledge ... I truly do wish I could consult with you before I post ... then perhaps my confidence would be more intact. Thanks U ROCK!

[Winky]

Nice..

Do you have a press? Using things like that in a press makes it really nice. One of my friends father made a jig that would do sharp bends in a press.

Yes ... I do have a press ... a 12 ton job ... but I wanted to put out a project for those who didn't.

[Winky]

Nice..

Do you have a press? Using things like that in a press makes it really nice. One of my friends father made a jig that would do sharp bends in a press.

That gives me an idea ... I think I'll make one for my hydraulic press using a RR spike for the blade Hey Ramboso is that hardened steel? should work well don't you think? After I do that I think I'll make a long curve bender ... I have a bunch of 40mm x 12mm with 17mm shaft holes maybe I can put them side by side to give me an 80mm working surface ... any comments or suggestions?

[MuttonHawg]

Had you seen this kit for a hydraulic press? If I ever get a work area bigger than what I currently have in my garage, these sort of do-it-yourself tools are high on my 'want' list.
http://swagoffroad.com/12-TON-Press-...Kit-_p_72.html

I'm sure you could probably put something together with a similar design for less $$$, depending on what steel you have lying around. A whole row of railroad spikes would look pretty intimidating!

[sportbike]

Railroad spikes are typically .12% carbon, with "High Carbon" versions being .30%

Neither one is really a "high carbon"

Leaf or coil springs shoudl be a good candidate. Torsion bars from trucks should be as well. Maybe rear drive axles.

[Winky]

Had you seen this kit for a hydraulic press? If I ever get a work area bigger than what I currently have in my garage, these sort of do-it-yourself tools are high on my 'want' list.
http://swagoffroad.com/12-TON-Press-...Kit-_p_72.html

I'm sure you could probably put something together with a similar design for less $$$, depending on what steel you have lying around. A whole row of railroad spikes would look pretty intimidating!

That would be an awesome unit to have ... my press is only a 12 ton ... I was thinking about a devise for doing quick bends in narrower stock but something like that would be outstanding.

[Winky]

Railroad spikes are typically .12% carbon, with "High Carbon" versions being .30%

Neither one is really a "high carbon"

Leaf or coil springs shoudl be a good candidate. Torsion bars from trucks should be as well. Maybe rear drive axles.

Thanks for the info ... good to know ... I'll see what I can pick up from the junk yard ... I was just thinking of making a unit for up to 1"X 3/16" cold or hot rolled flat stock but eventually I probably will take you advise and build something to bend more serious plate ... for that I think I'll design something close to what was on the link that MuttonHawg left ... that was pretty incredible.

[MuttonHawg]

That would be an awesome unit to have ... my press is only a 12 ton ... I was thinking about a devise for doing quick bends in narrower stock but something like that would be outstanding.

That kit is for a 12-ton press. They have a 20-ton version available also, and you can get it without the material support/guide coming off the side for even cheaper. I love the 'making tools to make tools' approach, which is why I like your bender to be used in a vise - basic functionality to get the job done for way cheap!

[sportbike]

Thanks for the info ... good to know ... I'll see what I can pick up from the junk yard ... I was just thinking of making a unit for up to 1"X 3/16" cold or hot rolled flat stock but eventually I probably will take you advise and build something to bend more serious plate ... for that I think I'll design something close to what was on the link that MuttonHawg left ... that was pretty incredible.

If you do a search for knife making, there is a good bit of DIY info available as to getting hardenable steel for cheap / free.

[Winky]

If you do a search for knife making, there is a good bit of DIY info available as to getting hardenable steel for cheap / free.

Thanks I will check into that ... I've watched a lot of youtube vids on knife making too ... I've got about 50 lbs worth of RR spikes and was thinking about trying my hand at forging a few into knives. I just my go ahead and get the swag kit $119 for what you get isn't too bad I can get the back stop later. BTW 7.60 @194.27 Wow dude ... that is smokin'

[Rambozo]

Yeah, the home knifemaking guys have a lot of info on different steel alloys used in lots of things to be recycled. A few make Damascus type knives out of timing chains (no idea the carbon content of them). Gears are a good source for high carbon steel, too. Try to learn spark patterns from grinding. I can't say I'm very good at it, but it would be a useful skill to have. If you get a few samples of known alloys you can use them to compare spark patterns. Also gunsmiths have a ton of info on heat treating different kinds of steel for different purposes. Remember that just heating and quenching will make high carbon steel glass hard and just as brittle. Drawing back or tempering it is what lets you select the strength and hardness. You need to learn the colors of hot steel from straw to deep purple black, so you get the desired results. That is one of the advantages to case hardening mild steel, you can have a hard surface, with a soft core that won't break. Again the knife people will often do selective hardening to make tough blades that won't bend or break. You can also anneal high carbon steel back to a soft state for machining or forming, then harden it and temper to a finished state more than once.

And depending on use not everything has to be, or even should be hardened. For a home shop I would guess that a mild steel bending die would do the job fine. After all look at how many are just welded up angle iron parts.

[Winky]

Good things to know ... Damascus from timing chains huh? Interesting I do a lot of art with roller chain it's fun to work with and the hardest part is just getting all the oil off of it before welding but I manage ... always looking for new sources for it. I downloaded the pdf file from Swagoffroad on their press break ... nice design and the price is pretty good too I may just order one. Thanks for your input ... have a great day!

[Rambozo]

Here is one example with a press. I saw another with a power hammer. Never seen one done by hand, yet. Not sure I want to swing a hammer that much anymore.

[MuttonHawg]

Good things to know ... Damascus from timing chains huh? Interesting I do a lot of art with roller chain it's fun to work with and the hardest part is just getting all the oil off of it before welding but I manage ... always looking for new sources for it. I downloaded the pdf file from Swagoffroad on their press break ... nice design and the price is pretty good too I may just order one. Thanks for your input ... have a great day!

You're looking for sources of chains? I have a boatload of old bicycle chains, if you were interested in those. I kept them around because I heard of somewhere that would make picture frames and stuff out of them, but I never got around to collecting them all into one box and figuring out where to send them. Or were you looking for something bigger, like automotive timing/sync chains?