How to make this table?

[Gareth J]

Personally, I'd go with the flat bar idea but make it with two flat bits of thinish bar for top an bottom and infil with small bits of 15x15mm (or whatever is appropriate) square stock, also bent, to space the gaps. All easily tweakable with a hammer and will give a nice crisp finish when welded up.

A 1" solid bit of bar will pucker somewhat and need lots of heat and/or force to smoosh it into shape.

Cutting out curved profiles for the sides would be easier if you had a CNC plasma or similar I guess.

 

[mtt.tr]

If you roll the box hot it won’t crack or buckle.

You will always get rippling though on the compression side.

The problem the compression has to be lost somewhere you wont get the smooth radius

 

[Johnrob]

With the equipment I have, I would bend it (got a Clarke hydraulic thing), then using a hammer, mig or tig and bits of scrap, angle grinder, flap wheel, - repair any bulges cracks and wrinkles.

I am sure there are better ways of doing it, but I don't have any more sophisticated equipment for that job.

 

[bigegg]

cut the sides and bottom of the tube off where the bend is.
form the bend in the top "side"
fill with expanding foam.
cover with filler.
paint.


or is that just chassis repairs on transit vans.

i have no sensible suggestions beyond what has already been said.
i'd use the "cut slots, bend, weld" method personally.

best pic i could find:

 

[Johnrob]

cover with filler.
paint.

I hope you mean load bearing paint....

 

[bigegg]

I hope you mean load bearing paint....

unfortunately not.
i should point out: my van. not my repair.

it snapped. beyond economic repair.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

@fizzy Have you considered searching around and finding something already bent and formed, like old school work tables, desks etc which you could adapt....in fact, 'upcycle'.....

 

[fizzy]

@fizzy Have you considered searching around and finding something already bent and formed, like old school work tables, desks etc which you could adapt....in fact, 'upcycle'.....

I have looked - can only find round tube or ones with right angled bends.

 

[fizzy]

cut the sides and bottom of the tube off where the bend is.
form the bend in the top "side"
fill with expanding foam.
cover with filler.
paint.


or is that just chassis repairs on transit vans.

i have no sensible suggestions beyond what has already been said.
i'd use the "cut slots, bend, weld" method personally.

best pic i could find:
View attachment 188696

I like the way that made that into a feature!
I did think of this method but it needs to be smooth on the inside as lots of cables will be fed through.

 

[Hitch]

One way to bend erw box is to use a former that squashes in the inner wall of the box on the inside, and formers on the outside to restrain the width a much a possible. The outside will still buckle inward a bit.

I imagine it would be a pretty wobbly table if you pushed it from the end.

If you're handy with a grinder, you could get some solid formed to the radius and weld on the straights... would need a weld prep, welding and then careful blending in of the sections. Solid forms easily a it doesnt squash.

 

[Hitch]

The problem the compression has to be lost somewhere you wont get the smooth radius

Youd end up squashing the box when you put pressure on it i'd think. It will end up 100x10 box around the rolled bits.

 

[bigegg]

I like the way that made that into a feature!
I did think of this method but it needs to be smooth on the inside as lots of cables will be fed through.

that puts a kaibosh on the "solid corners" then.
the kerf bend method with still work: just debur the cuts first?
welds should be smooth. or maybe some flexible conduit inside?

 

[Hood]

You could still do it on the lathe by doing a face groove to remove the inside and then making a thinner one to weld on the top . I personally would do it on the CNC Mill but it could even be done on a manual mill if you had a rotary table.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@fizzy

My local steel stockist had bends like that waiting for a customer collection.
Each bend had a 50mm tang to allow it to slide inside the box section of the frame.

You may want to investigate that approach.

 

[fizzy]

@fizzy

My local steel stockist had bends like that waiting for a customer collection.
Each bend had a 50mm tang to allow it to slide inside the box section of the frame.

You may want to investigate that approach.

Definitely!
Who are they?
Only problem is my brother wants rectangular tube that is fairly wide in relation to height - not many people do that - only the ERW stuff fits the bill and a lot of steel stockholders don't even have that.
Having said that if you can get nice bends in other rectangular tube it will be worth a look.

 

[Ped]

I make my radius corners by cutting up tube the right size and welding it in. Makes the table easier to build too.

 

[mike os]

Bend it out of 25mm solid ?

 

[mtt.tr]

I make my radius corners by cutting up tube the right size and welding it in. Makes the table easier to build too.

View attachment 188766 View attachment 188767 View attachment 188768 View attachment 188769

thats brilliant

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Only problem is my brother wants rectangular tube that is fairly wide in relation to height

Suggest that if he sources the materials, you'll certainly do the build of it - you may find his wants alter.....