Things that go bump...

[Jabba]

It's a nice idea, but they need to be fitted to 5mm thick section and my bumper is only 3mm (although I guess you could plate it to get the extra). Also it's box section which would make fitting them a tad awkward. Lastly, it's all costing less than £20 so far so and I'm on as tight a budget as possible!

[Bo]

When I made mine, I warmed the end of a length of bar up with the bottles until it was cherry red, then bent it by hand using the length as a lever, around an old wheel hub which I had removed all but one of the studs, I used this stud as a stop to lever against. It is important that you do not quench the bar in water to cool it as it may turn brittle dependant on what steel you use. Best bet it to throw it in a bucket of sand and let it cool slowly. A piece of tube the right diameter would also work if you welded a tube on it to locate the end of the bar and then held it in the vice and bent the bar around it.

[Jabba]

Thanks Bo.
The problem might be heating it up enough with my little gas lamp. It'll get there just take a bit longer.

[Matthews]

If you've got the bar I may be able to bend it in my pipe bender .
Matthew

[Matthews]

Dave , I've got 2 bends in one of your pieces of bar for you.
Matthew

[Jabba]

Excellent! Thanks Matthew. I'll pop down to Leeds tomorrow am to collect them if thats OK? Unless you live near Harrogate and I could drop in tonight?

[Matthews]

Live about 3/4 mile from work so no big commuting for me
Matthew

[Jabba]

Right then...

Holes drilled, bar bent, fit them up and weld away.


I've also trimmed the ends of the bar that poke through and just need to clean the surface before it's ready for paint.

[Jabba]

All done. Painted and fitted ready for Brotherton this weekend.

[TwoSheds]

you should go into business - that is a very neat job...

[Jabba]

Wait till you see it close up!

It was easier than I thought though. Working with new clean steel is sooooo much easier than rusty old stuff. Tools like a band saw and pillar drill would help, as would a decent blowlamp setup for heating the bar. Matthew did a good job getting the main bend in, but I needed to finish the ends to get them to line up.

[Zedman]

Sorry I didnt get to post sooner, but for stuff like this if u need to bend it and dont have any bending gear there is a very easy option, bar unlike tube is childs play, buy a 10' length anchor 1 end and have something to wrap it around, 10' leverage the bar will be like putty, save the remainder for another project.

[Jabba]

But surely then for the next project you only have, say 8' of leverage... Besides the excuse to buy an oxy set seems like a good one

[tecnick]

Who needs Simon Buck anyway Devon44 ----Shmevvon44

Cheers Nick

[Bo]

But surely then for the next project you only have, say 8' of leverage... :

Put a piece of 8' tube over it to extend it back to 10' of leverage it doesn't matter how much you cut off then.