5mm round bright steel rod bending

[Dapph2]

has any one got pictures of their small round bar bending jig . I need to make right angles 12 mm from the ends of of a rod and also four other 90 degree bends on the same rod
I'd like to get the bends as sharp as possible say 5mm + 2.5 mm radius , so I might have to heat the rod first then bend on jig that I can make whilst it's held in my 6 inch vice . set on a 10 mm thick steel welding table .

 

[Agroshield]

I need to make right angles 12 mm from the ends of of a rod

I hope I am not teaching you to suck eggs here, but don't try to make the bend 12mm from the end of a cut piece of rod. Allow a bit more (maybe 20mm) and then trim to length after. Similarly, cut the rod over-long before you start and trim the trailing end.

Pulling the starting bend will consume some material and you have no easy way to guarantee it will not be consumed from the 12mm part. The only way to stop it would be to pin/restrain the end, and with only 12mm to grip, that could be difficult.

An M5 HT capscrew, a longer one whose shank is not fully threaded, would make a good former of R=2.5

Are all the bends in the same plane? If not, you have to think of a reliable way to clock them. Clamping a vee-block or ER square collet block onto the material allows you to index it in 90 degree increments.

 

[Redsailor]

Take note of the post above, good advice there. Photo is of a simple set up I made to bend some 16mm tube. As you are using a small diameter solid bar a much simpler former will suffice, even a piece of solid bar or a bolt would probably

do.

 

[Dapph2]

Thanks for that Argo shield . , I picked up a metre of 5mm bright drawn steel just before B&Q closed
I'll have a play with 5mm longish shank cap screws
Thinking of cutting up some polystyrene blocks and use one as a guide for the form. as the bends are mirror images but not all in the same plane .

Sadly I don't yet have a square collet bock but super accuracy is not really a problem as the piece is a simple U handle with a 7 ish mm lug at each end & at right angles to the upright of the u . There is however a kick back 20 mm from the bend of the lug similar to the wired lock down on a plastic dustbin.

It comes from the lug straight and then takes a half inch bend for 4 inches then a right angle & zips across to make the handle then a right angle back & bend again etc to the lug locating hole
Here's a picture of the smaller Titan wet & dry cleaner . mine is a 40 litre one without those wire looking handles for cable & hose management . It's those wire handles that I aim to make as the free un restrained suction tube is a great danger to my lass who has a sever form of MS & can trip over a WIFI signal on bad days It will also make cable management a lot easier & safer too as all . too often unless it is tightly wound round the motor housing it slips off along with the suctiuon tube & tools .