Need Info on Bending Wrenches

[chopper1]

I want to make some jacket hooks like the ones in the pic, but will use combination wrenches so they don't snag the material. Also, they will be decent looking wenches made in India not better quality pieces.
What is the best way to bend them without heating them. I don't want the discoloration that heating would cause.
Thanks in advance.
mike

 

[Stick]

Just heat them, bend, and hit with a wire brush. Don't try to quench them, just let them cool naturally.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

No problem. Just put them in a vise and bend them over. The "made in India" wrenches will either break or bend very easy. After all, they are not high quality Harbor Freight Taiwanese wrenches.....

 

[Jack Olsen]

A cheater pipe that you fit over the head might increase your leverage so you can do it slowly and carefully, moving the wrench up in the jaws of the vise in increments of a half inch or so.

Be aware that they might snap.

 

[Boiler]

The ones pictured look like they were bent around a diameter. Personally I'd rig something in a vise or a press using a 2-1/2" diameter piece of steel round. Best way would be to use a round on one side, and two more pieces, spaced about 3" apart on the other. The two pieces would need flats welded between them on both ends. Basically making a homemade bending die. This is all of course assuming you want them really round.

 

[chopper1]

Thanks guys.

Good suggestions. I think I'll combine a couple of them gradually bending them over a pipe in a vice using a cheater. And as Jack mentioned I'll be aware of the possible breakage of a cheaply made wrench.
The wrenches I have aren't plated or polished so if all else fails I try some heat and the wire brush.

 

[NUTTSGT]

That's an interesting coat hook. I would powdercoat them if they changed color and I couldn't get the discolor off.

 

[dankicksass]

I like where this is going but I don't have any useful input otherwise.

 

[kbs2244]

Looks like a good reason to get a press.

 

[Boiler]

Looks like a good reason to get a press.

You have the same reasoning as I do. I need a $250 dollar tool to do a $10 job.

 

[jxxxoxxxe]

This is a good idea...I also like the idea of the toilet paper holder made from wrenches...

any other good uses for them besides the norm?

 

[srupp]

hi bandit 1/32 when were you in

 

[chopper1]

hi bandit 1/32 when were you in

From 63 to 65. How'd ya know it was the 1/32?
When were you there?

 

[Wanna Ride]

Bend them with heat, then polish them with a hi-speed wheel.

 

[DanCo]

...any other good uses for them besides the norm?

- you could bend them into mini boomerangs and throw them at your co-workers.

 

[Cargo]

Originally Posted by jxxxoxxxe
...any other good uses for them besides the norm?
.
My kid makes music with cheap wrenches at tool sales and pawn shops. If I could get her mother to come along to pick out which ones are the right notes (she has 'perfect pitch' & I've lost count of how many instruments she can play), a generic wrench dulcimer could be in her future.

 

[dankicksass]

One of my buddies bent up a mirror holder a couple weeks ago, seems like it goes with the spirit of this thread. Preserving the finish was not part of the plan.

 

[blaze_125]

you know you liked an idea when you go out and buy a cheap set of wrenchs just for that...

some cheap wrenchs, a blow torch, a hammer and a vise are all you need to make it happen

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

you know you liked an idea when you go out and buy a cheap set of wrenchs just for that...

some cheap wrenchs, a blow torch, a hammer and a vise are all you need to make it happen

From the looks of those wrenches, a zippo would give you enough heat and an 8 oz hammer might be too much force....

 

[blaze_125]

From the looks of those wrenches, a zippo would give you enough heat and an 8 oz hammer might be too much force....

lol its funny you say that cause...
friday I did one with a semi good wrench. It took me about 5 or 6 minutes to get it cherry red with the torch.
Those... 1 or 2 minute was plenty

 

[blaze_125]

lol its funny you say that cause...
friday I did one with a semi good wrench. It took me about 5 or 6 minutes to get it cherry red with the torch.
Those... 1 or 2 minute was plenty

easy to heat and bend, but those suckers are hard to drill

 

[chopper1]

The wife's been seriously under the weather so I've been camping out at home, but as soon as I have the opportunity to go to the shop I'm going to try and form them on the press without heat. If it doesn't go well I'll have to use the flame wrench. I figured they my be tough to drill and c'sink but the bridgeport should handle it.
I'm glad I gave someone the inspiration to try this, way to go Blaze.
I like the mirror stand-offs on the Ram Charger, too.

 

[JPRACING]

One of my buddies bent up a mirror holder a couple weeks ago, seems like it goes with the spirit of this thread. Preserving the finish was not part of the plan.

very nice i like

 

[mcdtommy23]

The mirror holder is awsome. The India wrenches do bend very easily, they also break real easily.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Drill before heating/bending.

 

[blaze_125]

Drill before heating/bending.

Too late... I was able to drill only the biggest of the wrenchs I bought. I already went through 4 drill bits on the smaller ones and only got 1 hole done I guess I heat treated them?

I know it's not cutting oil, but I used wd40 to cool things down throughout the whole drilling process(from start to finish) and niet... no holes... just small indents has if I punched the tool using a bfh.

 

[Tbucit]

Try a carbide dill bit.

Randall

 

[dankicksass]

Just realized there's another pic of the bent wrench mirror arm.

How'd the coat hangers turn out for the OP?

 

[Krokodil]

That looks very nice!

 

[shotgunfatcat]

How'd the coat hangers turn out for the OP?

He is probably still trying to drill them

 

[blaze_125]

He is probably still trying to drill them

I dunno about the OP, but I gave up. I don't have carbide drills and I can't justify the cost of buying some.
I got a new set of wrench this last weekend to try to drill them before bending and I got the same results...

I was able to bend/drill a Korean made wrench that's currently holding my shirt in the garage, so I'll probably end-up drilling/bending all of my Korean made wrenchs.

 

[chopper1]

How'd the coat hangers turn out for the OP?

He is probably still trying to drill them

To be perfectly honest, I haven't been able to take the time to try and drill them yet. With the wife taking ill early this month I haven't ventured too far from home, only going grocery shopping, garage/estate sales very close to home and club meetings. I plan to do it on our club Bridgeport but haven't spent much time at our garage, except for meetings. Hopefully, September will be a much better month

 

[reinhardt]

talking about drilling holes in tools.... lemme yank this topic to the left a little please.

i tried to drill a hole in my irwin i-beam clamp and had no luck. i used my c-man 1/3 hp drill press @ 400 rpm w/ a 1/8" cobalt drill bit w/ plenty of tap magic. all i got for my effort was a divet in the steel. i was trying to drill a 1/4" hole in the end to hang it on my pegboard. any suggestions?

thanks for entertaining my side-step from topic.

ben

 

[Sulzy426]

I want to try my hand at possibly making a new side kickstand for my motorcycle with a combo wrench but I have limited tools and not sure if a wrench would support the weight of my bike The internet specs says the weight on mine is 412lbs (wet)