What tool(s) to bend flat steel

Joe W.

Member
I'm building a parade wagon that will have 8 pieces of flat steel with one bend each. Four pieces will be l/4" x 1", 8" long with a 30 degree bend and four pieces will be 1/4" x 1-1/2", 14" long with a 45 degree bend. I really don't have any steel working tools except for a propane torch and an angle grinder and as a result, no skill. I've looked online and a vise may work and there are steel brakes available, but expensive. I would like to experiment with bending as there is some satisfaction in doing something new. But, it may be more economical to go to my local welding shop and pay them to bend the pieces as they have a huge industrial steel brake. They already do my welding for me. Any suggestions on how to bend flat steel will be appreciated.
 
1/4" steel is easy to bend, put it in a vise to the point where you want the bend and then hammer it till you get the right amount of bend. May not be the right way but it is pretty easy and with a vise it can come out pretty neatly.
Zach
 
Since you don't have the necessary equipment, and it sounds like this is a "one shot deal" having it braked by the steel supplier or the welding shop you are going to employ sure sounds like the way to go.
 
Joe if you want to try bending HF has a Compact Bender that will bend diff rent size of steel and can give you repeatable bends using stops.
Ypop
poke here
 
I guess I am lucky I own a pipe bender which works well for flat steel and have made my own clevis out of 1 inch steel. Way you can maybe do it is use a old car rim and clamp the steel to it and then lock that rim down to something and start slowly hammering it into shape
 
Just let the welding shop do it unless you plan to do this regularly, they will have all the tools and will get it right the first time. You have to take shrinkage into account when bending steel so it all fits.
 
Zach has it correct. It's very simple to bend in a vice with a hammer and a Try Square to gauge your bend. I do it all the time in my projects. Usually don't use the Try Square, just bend to fit.
Loren
 
The vise is right for that. I have bent much more complicated things with vice angle iron and vice grips. I have made a few toll boxes from heavier stuff like 12ga. that way.
You would be surprised what you can do with a piece of railroad rail.
 
A vice works well for me with 1/4" and thinner narrow stuff using a hammer. If I want a sharper bend with 1/4" steel I use a map cylinder on a propane torch to heat the outside of the bend. When you have an exact dimension needed at the ends it is best to bend long and cut or grind after bending to that dimension.
 
If you have the metal I would have a metal shop to bend them. It won't take them very long with their brake. Hal
 
Most metal brakes are good for up to 18ga. My 8 foot brake is rated for 18 ga. but it takes 2 people to bend 18 ga. 8 ft. long.
I bend some 16 ga. up to maybe 30 inches.

Dusty
 
Steel bends quite easily once it is orange hot. I would take my torch, heat it orange, pop it in a vice and bend away.

Cliff(VA)

And yes that is orange, not red or yellow!
 
Mild steel can be bent cold. I have a compound leverage small brake that I built many years ago that would do the job.
 
No problem doing quarter inch steel up to 2 inches wide if you have a solid 4 inch vise and a 3 pound hammer. Mark each piece and set in the vice on the mark, few good whacks and it"s done. Oxy torch just makes it easier, but not necessary.
 
ii you want a sharp bend,, i cut them half way thru and then they bend all the same in a vise and then i weld them..
 
Depending on the metal, if you bend it cold make sure to look for fatigue cracks in the bend afterwards. Bending it while heated would be the way to go. It helps to have a square handy to check for straightness while it is still warm and before it cools too much.
 

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