DIY wire/steel rod bending jig?

[SteveL]

Need to make a number of modified S hooks out of 1/8" zinc plated steel rod and would like to come up with a consistent, easy method with some sort of jig. Anyone have any good ideas?

Have looked on YouTube but did not really find anything.

 

[machine_punk]

Grizzly and other sell a jig you might be interested in (if you have any fabrication skills, would be easy to make. I suspect making it out of hardwood would be adequate...then get one of those huge spikes/nails, cut it into short bars and drill holes in a block for them. I've been meaning to get this little jig for a while.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Wire-Bending-Jig/T10163

 

[theknurl]

you want a small version of a Hossfeld bender;
http://www.hossfeldbender.com/benders/model-2-bender-standard.php

i have a small one but there is no name/markings its great for bending wire but its fixed radius

 

[racingtadpole]

Something like this? (its not to scale, but you get the idea) Pins to suit the radius you want, spaced at the distance apart you want them.

 

[lilredex]

These work OK, and are easily made.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006MZMH8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[welder4956]

1/8" wire bends pretty easy. You can clamp a bolt in the vise with the bend radius you need, then clamp the wire to the bolt with vise grips and bend.

 

[Graham08]

Here's mine.

The round stubs are 1" rod. I forget what the dimensions of the base are exactly, it was just a drop I had left over from another project.

Here's a part I bent with it. The rod is 1/4" 1018.

 

[kazlx]

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=172321&highlight=bender

 

[Outlander]

Grizzly and other sell a jig you might be interested in (if you have any fabrication skills, would be easy to make. I suspect making it out of hardwood would be adequate...then get one of those huge spikes/nails, cut it into short bars and drill holes in a block for them. I've been meaning to get this little jig for a while.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Wire-Bending-Jig/T10163

I grabbed one of those from Lee Valley. Handy little thing.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?c=&cat=1,43456,43407,32012&p=32012

 

[SteveL]

Thanks for the ideas! I will see what I can come up with in the scrap bin to whip something up.

 

[ADSR]

I grabbed one of those from Lee Valley. Handy little thing.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?c=&cat=1,43456,43407,32012&p=32012

That looks great! Good price too!

Thanks bud

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I would like to build something like this too. I need more scrap bits of metal for a base like this.

Having a friend with a mill would be useful here too.

 

[Kevin54]

Need to make a number of modified S hooks out of 1/8" zinc plated steel rod and would like to come up with a consistent, easy method with some sort of jig. Anyone have any good ideas?

Have looked on YouTube but did not really find anything.

Do you have access to a mill and lathe? If so it will be easier to bend your "S" hooks by making a jig that lets you roll the hooks around some post.

Can you post some more info as to how large the hooks their self need to be? By that, I mean height and width? If you have a mill, lathe, and some material, you can make a nice consistent forming jig. I can give yopu a drawing as to what you need to do to make it.

 

[SteveL]

Do you have access to a mill and lathe? If so it will be easier to bend your "S" hooks by making a jig that lets you roll the hooks around some post.

Can you post some more info as to how large the hooks their self need to be? By that, I mean height and width? If you have a mill, lathe, and some material, you can make a nice consistent forming jig. I can give yopu a drawing as to what you need to do to make it.

Yes, I have a small mill & lathe, both manual feed. The S hooks need to fit on a 5/8" dia pipe and need to be approx 2" total length.

 

[Outlander]

That looks great! Good price too!

Thanks bud

 

[Kevin54]

If you have a mill and a lathe, here is a quick and dirty tool to form the hooks.

I made it for 1/8" dia. rod. If the rod is larger or smaller the centerlines of the hole and 1/2" dowel on the handle will change

 

[kevin47]

That grizzly contraption looked kinda nice for small stuff...If you have a bunch of it to bend...

 

[SteveL]

Thanks for the drawing! Now just need to get some stock.

 

[jmarkwolf]

A little late to the discussion, but I recently had a need for numerous s-hooks for hanging some welding curtains.

The local hardware store wanted over $20.

I built myself a jig by bolting a couple of wrench sockets to some hardwood scrap, and bending some 9gauge (approx 0.140in dia) wire around them.

You can see your self it turned out pretty good. The original, from one of those black rubber bungies that dry rotted out, is on the left. Just trim the ends to size.

 

[larry4406]

I don't get the S-hook bender. I think a 3rd peg where arrow is shown is needed to start the first bend.

 

[jmarkwolf]

I don't get the S-hook bender. I think a 3rd peg where arrow is shown is needed to start the first bend.

Your'e right.

I jammed a big friggin screwdriver in the slot at your red arrow to get it started.

 

[crerus75]

I'm late to the party too, but maybe something like this would work.

 

[Kevin54]

I'm late to the party too, but maybe something like this would work.

I like that

 

[steel 35]

I like that

That is really nice. Got a drawing Yet?

 

[Kevin54]

That is really nice. Got a drawing Yet?

I could probably make a drawing up that comes close to it if anyone is interested if crerus75 didn't mind.

 

[jmarkwolf]

I'm late to the party too, but maybe something like this would work.

I was actually thinking along those same lines, a plate with a spiral pattern, but employing some custom "pegs" that are round (or threaded) on one end for inserting into the "spiral plate", but 3/8" square drive on the other end to accept any socket wrench in your collection.

This way, any radius at any position on the "spiral table" could be accommodated, and you've already got all the "anvils". Except, I guess, when you need the same radius at more than one location.

Remains to be seen, I guess, if the square peg would hold the sockets firmly enough. The more I think about it, the square peg probably wouldn't secure the socket well enough. A 3/8" bolt would though.

 

[crerus75]

I could probably make a drawing up that comes close to it if anyone is interested if crerus75 didn't mind.

It's not my design. It was made by Frank Ford, a luthier who runs the Frets.com website where that page is hosted. AFAIK, it's his design.

Slightly O/T: The entire Frets website is a pretty good resource of neat projects and ideas. Frank turned to machining as a means of making tools, jigs, fixtures, etc. for guitar building. A lot of his ideas are clever and simple.