May 11, 201214 yr This is a follow-up to a more general question about a project I posted a couple days ago (people were super helpful, thanks!). This is a lot more specific. If I take a segment of steel "box" tube (i.e. square tubing), 1/4 inch thick, and use a blowtorch to heat up an individual edge at a time while leaving the rest of it cool, can I then hammer that individual edge until it forms a bevel? Ideally the bevel should be about a half an inch wide and quite flat. Basically I'd be turning the square into an octagon, turning each edge into another flat surface. If this wouldn't work, could it be done using tubing with a thicker wall, say, 1/3 inch?
May 11, 201214 yr The easiest way is to cut out pieces and realdw the edges after you pull sides in,,,But you can try and forge it if you like!
May 11, 201214 yr You can taper sq tubing by hammering it just like one can taper pipe by squaring it and then hammering it. A "bevel" is just a short taper! Still have to weld in an end piece to get a "hammer"
May 11, 201214 yr what's the size of the tubing to start with? If 1" or > I'd think you would have a hard time with out some kind of v block or swedge on the bottom.
May 12, 201214 yr Yes it will forge. It will try to collapse on you as you forge it in between the corners. An old pipe benders trick cap the piece off and fill it with sand via a pipe plug welded in teh end or whatever. The sand help to keep it from collapsing but go slow and it should work out fine. Oh and heat the whole thing in my opinion not just one side. If the rest is cool it will fight against you.
May 13, 201214 yr Author It's 5" pipe, so it shouldn't be a problem. It seems to me that if I just heat one side then it won't try to collapse on me, whereas if I heat it all at once it'll deform when I hit it. And yeah, I'm going to weld end pieces on with bevels of their own. A bevel seems different than a taper to me though.
May 13, 201214 yr Author I will, but I won't be able to work on it for a while yet. I rent space at a forge and right now I'm still at college for another week or so and can't get to it, and even then I'll have to buy the materials first.
May 14, 201214 yr When you are tapering pipe you are upsetting the side walls---so they should be hot!. If you are just bending the ends in then the rest can be cold...
May 14, 201214 yr Do it in a "V" block, it isn't that hard but it does take a touch and some practice so be prepared to mess it up a time or two so do a test piece or two first. You can pack it with sand but it's not necessary unless you're in a hurry. I've done some really light wall sq. tubing without much problem, just don't get carried away on any one heat or step. You can get some pretty cool effects from forging tubing, makes for nice furniture and such. Frosty The Lucky.
May 17, 201214 yr Author When you are tapering pipe you are upsetting the side walls---so they should be hot!. If you are just bending the ends in then the rest can be cold... Ohh see I was planning to get pipe with thick enough walls that I could basically flatten the outside corner and leave the rest unchanged.
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