Hello, I need to bend a 1.5" x 1.5" piece of angle iron into a circle about 32" in diameter with the leg out.  I searched this site for anything similar, but didn't see it.  I have the Harbor Freight compact bender and ring roller, but neither one of them are quite right for this job IMO.  I would expect there should be a good "old school" method to get this done. 

I was imagining cutting a disc out of thick plywood to this diameter, cutting holes around the inside of the edge to clamp the angle to.  Heat with a torch and clamp, heat and clamp, rinse and repeat until all the way around the disc, all without catching the disc on fire. 

However, I thought I would just inquire to this group of experience as to a better method.  Thoughts?

Thanks in advance...

Greetings Vini,

          You could make a split lower roller for your ring roller and make several passes. Streatching the outer leg material will take a bit of time. I used to do this operation on my much bigger Eagle roll former cold. 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

Vini, see if you can find one the books written by Francis Whitteker,[sp]  He has a way of doing angle iron leg out . I donthave the book but i have seen the trick many years ago You have to prebend the opposite side a little then bend the other way. I am sure someone on this forum has acess to that book. Sorry i cant be of more help. Smokey     My mistake;;;; the other half told me i do have the book.  THe Blacksmiths Cookbook by Francis Whitaker. ISBN 0-939415-00-3 By  Jim Fleming Publications   on page 32 it shows how to prebend angle for leg in and leg out.  Smokey

Edited January 9, 20188 yr by smokey07

I have one of his books at home (an InterLibrary Loan copy that I couldn't return because -- and I'm not making this up -- my dog ate the cover), and I'll check this evening.

Fellas, Thanks for the input.  I found the book "The Blacksmith's Cookbook: Recipes in Iron" on ebay.  I looked at the pictures on the posting and one of the pictures apparently alludes to the technique you are describing.  I ordered the book.  There is one more available.  This is the link should any of you be interested...

<Commercial link removed>

 

Edited January 9, 20188 yr by Mod34
Commercial link removed per TOS

JHCC---how much gravy did you have to apply?

 

None -- it was already high in iron.

(And it would have been a LOT cheaper just to buy a new copy. Word to the wise: when it comes to demanding repayment for damaged ILL books, the University of Kansas is NOT messing around!)

You still have your fingers?   If so: They were treating you with Grandmotherly kindness...

 

Let’s just say I’m not in Kansas anymore. 

Blacksmiths’s manual illustrated by J W Lillico pages 82 and 83 shows some useful information as well. 

I just received The Blacksmith's Cookbook in the mail.  It is an interesting explanation and no doubt what I assumed I'd find (more or less) when I asked the correct group of people.  So, thanks again and I'll report on the success of this procedure when I get time to get to it...!

Thinning the leg and flattening out the buckles will be the troublesome part.  There's a good vid on youtube that shows two smiths forging a curve into some angle, but I can't find it right now.  Basically, the gist of it is that you work on a large steel table with a couple pegs in it that you can use to bend the section that's hot.  Most of the time is spent working to maintain the shape of the angle because it wants to go all wonky when you're trying to bend it.  It's a constant battle between bending, flattening and thinning.

It gets done, though!

On 2/14/2018 at 9:40 PM, VaughnT said:

Thinning the leg and flattening out the buckles will be the troublesome part

Try it "Whitaker" style. It will bend your mind, so to speak, but when you figure it out, it works quick, you can do it cold, and it's precise.