canada goose Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Has anyone here had experience forming screen to make curved or flat topped dome type of fire screen ? I mean the kind where the shape of the screen makes it self standing and it has a fairly light framework. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 I've not, if I was attempting to make a firescreen i wouldn't make it with curved, I'd make it "faceted". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 nice thing about "curved" it will stand up on it's own and be useful. We use three of these on different fireplaces. Put a handle in the middle 80% to the top. How to bend the screen good question, unfortunately all mine are at my other farm 200 miles away or I would take a close look see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Mesh, either woven or perforated, will form/deform just like sheet metal, only with less energy required. I would make up a female frame to trap and hold the mesh and a male form to push into it (from wood if you only have a few to make). Then trim off the excess mesh. The only area slightly tricksy is the compound curve in the corners, the straight runs of curves are obviously straightforward. Alternatively you can calculate the arcs required and cut out a curved (hollow wedge) from the top corners and weld them back together after forming the top and side curves. But I would rather form it from one piece rather than fiddle with fine and time consuming welding. The guards I have seen have just been plain mesh without the frame lines. I wonder if the one you have illustrated, used the frames to make and or cover joints in the four mesh panels? Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canada goose Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share Posted January 9, 2016 If I need to make a male and female " die" to form the screen then this is more of a woodworking than a blacksmithing project . Not that I am adverse to woodworking . I think the frame may be just to prevent inadvertent deformation of the screen. Thanks for all input so far . The smithing community is great with its supportiveness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beammeupscotty Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 40 minutes ago, canada goose said: If I need to make a male and female " die" to form the screen then this is more of a woodworking than a blacksmithing project . Not that I am adverse to woodworking . I think the frame may be just to prevent inadvertent deformation of the screen. Thanks for all input so far . The smithing community is great with its supportiveness. 40 minutes ago, canada goose said: If I need to make a male and female " die" to form the screen then this is more of a woodworking than a blacksmithing project . Not that I am adverse to woodworking . I think the frame may be just to prevent inadvertent deformation of the screen. Thanks for all input so far . The smithing community is great with its supportiveness. I suspect that you can form heavy gauge screen with the same tools as you would use for sheet metal which means that you can use a slip roller for a radius and a box pan brake if you want to do angles. I actually had some heavy stainless screen bent 90 degrees on opposite edges to lay over stainless frames for a dehydrator I built for a customer some years back. The fabricator just used a brake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 15 minutes ago, beammeupscotty said: I suspect that you can form heavy gauge screen with the same tools as you would use for sheet metal which means that you can use a slip roller for a radius and a box pan brake if you want to do angles. I actually had some heavy stainless screen bent 90 degrees on opposite edges to lay over stainless frames for a dehydrator I built for a customer some years back. The fabricator just used a brake. Yes it does work in the same way as sheet, as I mentioned above. But it is forming the compound curves in the top corners that is the difficult part to do cleanly. The brake and roller are great on straight runs but they have problems to produce the desired corners, whether it was solid sheet or mesh. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beammeupscotty Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 2 minutes ago, Alan Evans said: Yes it does work in the same way as sheet, as I mentioned above. But it is forming the compound curves in the top corners that is the difficult part to do cleanly. The brake and roller are great on straight runs but they have problems to produce the desired corners, whether it was solid sheet or mesh. Alan Were I to make a screen like the one shown above I would probably do it in two pieces. A large lower one with a radius on each edge and a much thinner upper section. I wonder also if it might be possible to cold form it over just a male wooden form using a soft mallet of some kind. The form needed would be pretty easy to make. It could probably be done in less than an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Greetings Goose, Depending on the screen you use I have had success forming screens on a sandbag with a bossing hammer. Just a thought .. Good luck.. Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnttoast Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 +2 for what Canada Goose stated, I have done a few challenging range hoods both tapered and radiused, for the i mock up the body and frame with plywood and 2x's....this aids in clamping your steel (or mesh) to and allows for a bit of stability until complete. It may seem redundant to make from wood then build with steel but in the long run your product will be much easier to complete. Your drawing seems to be needing the two vertical lines (in the field) to roll up and outwards towards the corners for this to work without distorting the natural flow of wire... How about using a 1/2" basket weave wire for the outside with the finer wire on the inside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I have seen beautiful and elaborate sculptures formed with the same mesh in galleries . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canada goose Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 Perhaps I could use flat bar such as 3/16 x 1 1/2 to frame the whole thing and the gently nudge the screen into shape. Is it possible to mig the screen flat bar once it's in place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I suppose it will depend what quality of surface and precision of geometry you require. You have to absorb the excess material at the top corners one way or another in order to create that compound curve...preferably without kinks and folds As far as I can see to do it well, you need a male and female form to sink the corner. Whether that is full size and does both corners at once as I described above, or whether it is just one corner at a time. Whatever tools or process you employ needs to bunch up the metal so that the mesh spaces will be at their smallest around the perimeter...alternatively cut out a piece or put in a deliberate pleat or series of pleats. The wedge shape you would need to cut out is obviously curved, a straight sided dart would yield a flat facet rather than the required curved return. That would then give you a mitre seam out to the corner. Just try with a bit of thin card or copper sheet or whatever you have to hand to get your head around the issues. It is perfectly doable to form it as per your illustration, just that the tool making will take much longer than the actual forming. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 You do not need much power to form the rounded corners. (If the mesh is wowen not welded). You might be able to do it over your knee. They will come out pointed so you will have to trim them The mesh openings will become rhomboid. I make small boxes of mesh (to keep rodents out). I just make the straight bends a little at the time and adjust the corners as I go. Easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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