Adjustable wrenches for flanging metal--got some offset handles this week!

[Brad54]

I like to use adjustable wrenches to slowly bend a flange on sheet metal around inside and outside radii while fabricating projects.

I've got a full set of adjustables from large to small for grabbing metal and bending.

The only problem is the straight handles of the wrenches puts the leverage even with the plane of the work at the start, and below plane at the end.
I've been looking for vintage bent-handle adjustable to get better leverage on the work, and finally found this pair of 10-inch wrenches at a local antique store (brought them both home for $30).

I'll probably weld blocks of steel into the jaws: onse side will be flat, the other will have a 1/16-inch deep 1/2-inch and the other wrench will have a 1-inch notch, to act as back-stops for the metal to give a uniform bite along the whole edge.

These bent-handle wrenches aren't rare, but I've never wanted to pay what people ask for them.

I'll keep looking for smaller ones to complete the set.

-Brad

 

[ocloc24]

Never seen one of those before. That would be handy for the application you described and other uses I'm sure. Nice find

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[MP&C]

Nice find Brad!

 

[bbirder]

Nice find. Any reason you don't use duckbill pliers to bend your flanges?

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[Dumber than lumber]

Very nice. Does that warrant a "you ****"?

 

[Brad54]

Nice find. Any reason you don't use duckbill pliers to bend your flanges?

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I've got a small pair (if my definition is the same as yours).
Pliers don't have as much handle, as wide a bite, or as much leverage.
I've got a set of glaziers pliers... I've had two, actually. A modern one that worked okay, and now an older, heavier one. It's good for straight line work, but only in a pinch. The longer, older ones are definitely better than the newer ones.

But back to the duck-bills; I also don't like that you have to squeeze the pliers together while working them down a flange. As you pry down, they're tendency is to open up, so you have to squeeze them closed with your hand. Lots more hand fatigue that way.

With adjustables, the jaw is set, so all your hand has to do is hold the handle as your arm pushes down.

The bigger wrenches have a wider jaw, of course, so you can't do a real tight inside radius. The smaller wrenches have a more narrow jaw, allowing more bites in a tight radius.

Another trick is to make a thin cut in the edge of a 1/4-inch thick piece of steel; make it the depth of the flange you want, and walk it around the edge.
If your piece of steel is an inch wide, you can put two cuts per end, each at a different depth.

-Brad

 

[Brad54]

Very nice. Does that warrant a "you ****"?

Maybe!
I've been hunting some of these for years, but I'm a cheap *******. I just wouldn't go the $25 or more guys want for them. I don't do THAT much fabrication, but what I do make, I'm fairly competent at.

If I did this every week, I'd have gladly paid the going rate for the bent-handle wrenches. But it's only a few times a year, so I made due with the straight handle wrenches... and, of course, grumbled the whole time because I didn't have a bent handle!

-Brad