# Metal Bending tool



## Victor (Jul 7, 2011)

Hello, Does anyone know if there is a post on "how to build a simple and effective metal bending device. The metal I will be bending is approx. 1/8th X 1 inch wide steel or aluminum up to 360 degrees, or something like an ornamental bender... Any suggestions? I would like to make one and have an idea, however, if anyone knows how to make one, or would it be cheaper to buy a commercial one??? Thanks so much, Victor


----------



## randyjaco (Jul 7, 2011)

Victor,
Are you wanting to make rings of steel and aluminum, make right angle bends or something in between? If you would give us a idea of what you want your bends to look like, it would be easier to help.

Randy


----------



## Victor (Jul 7, 2011)

Many Thanks Randy,

What is am trying to make is something that would resemble a planter type hook. Something that would have a U shape bend, maybe a 1-2 inch radius with the upper front or rather the beginning side of the...... U to curl over slightly over on itself. And the 
other side of the U the ending side (?) of this to extend up more then the beginning side. Let me try and find a picture that would show this better then I can explain. Yes, here is a picture I found and I am sending along as an attachment. This particular shows that it is twisted too, but I do not need it twisted. 

Thanks so much for your help on this Randy.
Victor


----------



## Victor (Jul 8, 2011)

Great, this is perfect Bill. Thanks so much...
Victor


----------



## gorilla (Jul 18, 2011)

I have one of the Harbor Freight benders, I find it quite useful. I've bent 3/16" x 1 1/2" flat bar and 1/2" round without any problems. It's not a tool that's easy to use until you figure out all the set ups. Be prepared to throw some material away learning how to use it.


----------



## Tenn (Jul 30, 2011)

I have a HF bender and it works good for me. I built my own on the same principle first to twice the capacity of a HF but traded it for some other tooling and bought the HF to replace it. I've bent 5/8" round in a 90* with the square attachment already. My first bender was made of 1/2" x 2" flat stock with about 4" inside dimension and approx. 10" clearance and was built using my 20 ton press that the bender is mounted to.


----------



## aametalmaster (Aug 15, 2011)

I agree with buying the HF bender. At 49 bucks it can't be beat. I have bent over 100,000 parts on mine. I found that getting longer pins and doing the bending on top of the frame is best. You can see what you are doing and get the bent parts out easier...Bob


----------



## randyjaco (Aug 16, 2011)

Victor,
What you show in your photo was forged, probably a blacksmith. It was heated red hot and formed using simple blacksmith tools, such as a hammer, an anvil and a simple bending jig.

You are going to have a hard time making such with aluminum. Aluminum is hard to cold work and is not typically shaped using black smithing techniques.

Randy


----------



## aametalmaster (Aug 17, 2011)

> author=Mayhem link=topic=2695.msg22340#msg22340 date=1313574424
> Out of curiosity, what does the HF one weigh?



Prob 15 or 20 lbs with the supplied dies for the bench model. The floor one prob is 25-30 lbs...Bob


----------



## Uglydog (Dec 11, 2012)

Simon said:


> I cannot recall where I found these but they will be of help to you.
> 
> [attachurl=1]
> [attachurl=2]



Thank you Simon!
I've been looking for these plans for about 6 months.

Uglydog


----------



## KBeitz (Jul 14, 2018)

I made mine. It can handle 1/2" x 2-1/2" hot roll steel with no heat...


----------



## pacifica (Jul 14, 2018)

For the money the HF bender is hard to beat and suprising quality. I had to drill 4   1/2" holes in my concrete floor, epoxy threaded stud so I could mount the bender. Quite a bit of side force is generated when bending.


----------



## Silverbullet (Jul 15, 2018)

I always planed on making a hydraulic bender , in the planning development and procuring , have couple cylinders , two may help.  Oh well I'm hopping


----------



## silverhawk (Jul 15, 2018)

KBeitz said:


> I made mine. It can handle 1/2" x 2-1/2" hot roll steel with no heat...
> 
> View attachment 271949
> View attachment 271950
> ...



There are three basic kinds of benders. The ones being talked about and shown above are great for bending flat or solid stock into ornamental designs.

They've also mentioned using hydraulic presses with those jigs, and those are great for harder and sharper angles.

There is a pipe bender, (harbor freight has these,too) but they will often kink your pipes if you aren't careful.

The one I am looking at (I've already purchased the metal) hails from the chopper builders forum, and they have plans for building a ratchet-style. This style will allow you to bend some larger stuff :

http://www.chopperhandbook.com/bender.htm

Good luck!


----------



## KBeitz (Aug 14, 2018)

This will be my next one whenever I get it finished...


----------

