Seeking Guidance on Bending Project

Glad I can help guide you. I had a small manufacturing company with my father in law in the 70's and 80's - I did all the tool and die work and made some specialty machines for some of the things we made. I've always liked designing and building things and its nice to pass along some of the things I have learned over the years. I never stop learning - always something I haven't seen before.
 
Do not forget black smithing techniques an addition to machining, heat hoy enough to easily bend, using fixture if necessary. You can rehardem/temper if needed also.
Bob
 
Great ideas, but looking at this part and the times I've attempted such a project I would say this won't work properly without heating the part just for bending. If you bend these cold, you will most likely get a weak point at least and at worst a crack at the reverse bend. Also, the effort bending the parts once red hot will be much less and the results will be cleaner and you won't have to worry so much about spring back after the bend.

Bob
 
I bought a small vice brake from Grizzly just to see if i could get satisfactory results. I certainlt can't make hundreds of the part using this method...

I started with 1 inch by 1/8 bar stock, cut to 5/8 wide. The result is slightly wider than 5/8. The small tab is slightly too long and my holes are slightly off center. I have never bent metal before, so this learning experience was quite an eye opener. Bending was somewhat easier than expected. Centering and drilling holes was harder. Work continues... more posts to follow as I seek consistent and faster methods.

Thanks!

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McMaster Carr carries 1/8 by 5/8 bar stock in both low carbon steel and stainless. I placed an order for both today. When polished, stainless looks a lot like vintage chrome or nickel plating. Finding a plating company for small jobs has always been a challenge, so I may use stainless.

Options for the rounded ends:
1) At the shop, someone suggested that I use the Tormach to cut the rounded ends on the bar stock. The idea was to cut each piece slightly larger than the finished length (approximately 4 inches), then punch the holes. Several pieces of bar stock would then be bolted to a jig. Thereafter, the rounded ends would be cut on the Tormach. I am concerned about lining everything up repeatedly and about punching the holes before bending. The hole spacing needs to be relatively precise and the holes need to be round.
2) The shop has a Jet 20 inch 2 HP disc grinder which sands bar stock very quickly! It took literally seconds to freehand each rounded end on this piece.I am considering making some sort of jig that could be mounted to the disc grinder table to 'swing' the bar stock back and forth at the required diameter. Link to Jet Disc Grinder: https://www.jettoolstore.com/collec.../jet-577010-j-4421-2-20-220v-disc-sander-3-ph
3) I also have access to a Jet mill and found this video....
4) I have considered but rejected the water jet, primarily because my original piece was likely made from bar stock. I'm not sure it can be seen in the pictures, but the edges are rounded along the length, so I'm guessing guessing it started as bar stock.
5) Impossible to tell from the pictures, but it appears that just the rounded ends were sheared off. Does anyone make a metal punch/shear that would only cut the rounded ends from my bar stock?

Thanks for all of the replies thus far and any additional thoughts. This forum is great!

Jim
 
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