Getting 12mm bar straight?

[gerrymoore]

Hi...I've been asked to make a reja (steel gate) for an apartment door (so they can leave the front door open when they're in the pool).

Went to the local friendly (NOT!!) steel yard this morning to get the steel and the only 12mm bar they had is anything but straight...had no choice but to buy it as not many steel suppliers around here...they don't speak English and my Spanish ain't too good :-((

Anyway, I've cut the five lengths I need ( 194cm each) but now I've got to try and straighten them for the gate - otherwise they will look awful.

I'm very limted for space in my workshop and don't really have a long enough flat floor to work with...anyone any ideas??

cheers

 

[awemawson]

I recently bought a second hand hydraulic pipe bender on eBay, and so far have only used it to straighten rod and tube. Makes an otherwise hard job easy. Sight down the rod, mark the bend point with chalk, and put that at the pressure point and gently pump the handle. Would have been easier to do though before you cut to length.

AWEM

 

[gerrymoore]

You've given me an idea.....I may be able to use my vice - as you say, mark it first then push or pull it......doesn't have to be exact just near enough will do...thanks :-))

 

[wyn]

If it's nearly 2m long and only 12mm diameter could you just bend it in the vice and check it by eye.

 

[Hitch]

If theres kinks as well as bends, just site the kink over open vice jaws and give it a tp, it will bend easily.

 

[astro_al]

Put the bend on something flat and robust (i.e. a makeshift anvil), with the hump going up like a bridge. Hit the middle of the lump until flat. With 12mm bar, should take no effort at all.

Don't try to position it like a valley ('V' shape) on the anvil & hit one end down like you always see people doing.

Al.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Why not "go with the Flow" and design something that does not require straight bars, Lose the bends in the design and end up with a much more artistic one off gate?

 

[gerrymoore]

Thanks for all the ideas fella's - can't get to my 'workshop' today so will hopefully have a go tomorrow. Will post some pics when it's finished.

It's still that hot here I could probably leave the bar outside and it would 'melt' itself straight!!

BTW Gordon...I like the idea of a 'wobbly reja' but not sure what the customer would say ....he's a big Scotsman who works away on the rigs and when he asked me to make his gate he said - not like a prison...... and not like a church!!

Thanks again - Gerry

 

[outofthefire]

I agree with Gordon and church and prison conjures up straight and rigid in my mind. If you do want to straighten it, do it in the vice gently pulling it straight if its twisted hold it in the vice and use a pair of stilsens to twist it back to straight

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Thanks for all the ideas fella's - can't get to my 'workshop' today so will hopefully have a go tomorrow. Will post some pics when it's finished.

It's still that hot here I could probably leave the bar outside and it would 'melt' itself straight!!

BTW Gordon...I like the idea of a 'wobbly reja' but not sure what the customer would say ....he's a big Scotsman who works away on the rigs and when he asked me to make his gate he said - not like a prison...... and not like a church!!

Thanks again - Gerry

Using not quite straight bar .....Make a pair of thistles with two leaf's on each flower stem ... in the gate ....one top , one bottom ...." fleur 'o' Scotland " and all that... it should chuff him to the top of his kilt.