Newbie- Bending 1/2" square steel rod

[Rjarman]

Hello,

I'm fairly new to metal working and its a pretty harsh learning curve. You all seem to be quite versed in the trade so I figure this would be a pretty good place to ask. I'm attempting to build a wine rack and part of the design consists of bending one long piece of square steel rod at 1/2" into a large "U" shape. I need the radius of the "U" shape to be about 10-12". I've searched a lot online for an answer of the best tool or method to accomplish this but everything I come up with generally talks about compact benders which from my understanding can only bend much smaller radii. This is the largest piece of the project so it is sort of holding the whole thing up. If anyone has any insight into the best method, or a reasonable tool I can purchase to do this that would be awesome. Thanks in advance.

[Geof]

That size can probably be bent around a wooden form cut to the desired radius, see the picture:

Black is a circle of wood screwed to a plywood base.
Blue is a block to hold one end of the bar.
Red is the length of bar.
Yellow is a piece of pipe to give leverage. Start with the pipe slid down close to the circle of wood, bend a little then pull it back slightly and bend some more. This keeps the bend tight against the wooden form.

[Rjarman]

I didn't really think of doing it like that, but that seems fairly simple. The blue block is just another block of wood? I had thought of bending it around a wooden form but thought it would require heating up the metal to make it bend. I figured that the form and the "blue square" would be difficult to secure to a piece of plywood and have it stay in place without ripping apart. Thanks though i'll have to try that, much better than buying a new tool right now as I just bought the welder and a horizontal bandsaw.

[Med-Pac]

A low buck tube bender could also do this.

[Rjarman]

See thats exactly basically what i was looking at buying, yet it didn't seem that it could bend that large of a radius. If it will bend that much then i'll just head to harbor freight and pick one up that I think they have for 69 dollars. Maybe its more i just don't know how to use one of those other than just make the large bend in small incremental bends, but then i feel like when i go to make the second one they wont match up.

[Med-Pac]

.5 sq is fairly easy to bend......maybe do both at the same time. If that doesn't work, the old theory comes to mind.........practice, practice, practice.

Mike

[Geof]

1/2" square you can bend around your knee if you need a 10" to 12" radius. My method is less painful and much cheaper than buying a tool which probably will not go up to that radius.

Yes both the blue and the black are wood bolted to a plywood base.

[panheadmat]

this is easy . geof is right on . if you heat rod ( preferably red hot ) up and keep it red just ahead of bend andtake your time you will be fine . we do this with up to 5 inch round stock and a metal slug , works good .

[Geof]

I have to disagree with the heating as it is unnecessary for a bend of this radius. Actually it could be counterproductive because it is practically impossible to heat enough length evenly so instead of bending smoothly the metal kinks sharply at the hottest points.

[CNC Lurker]

Geof has the right idea, and for that big of a radius, you wouldn't need to heat it up to bend it. Attached is a PDF with 2 bending jigs, one is for radius work, and the other one is a kind of like a brake press.

Instead of using the pins, make a wood forming wheel to match your desired radius, or you might want to make the diameter ±1/16" smaller to take of spring-back. Then again, your project may not have to be spot-on, so you may not have to worry about being of a wee bit.

Here is a link to that jig: