Bending angle iron

[mnt]

I want to build a small cabinet out of angle iron. The cabinet that I am modeling this after is a Restoration Hardware Pharmacy Cabinet http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1613010&navAction=jump

The only reason I want to make it is because they (Restoration Hardware) charges $1200 for this thing. I want to make it for as little as possible and have it be as close to theirs as I can get.

My question is how can I bend the angle for the legs without distorting the edges. I was thinking of making a form out of steel, and heating and bending the angle over the form, that way I would have uniform bends. I just don't know if that would be the easiest. I might be able to make somehting where I could use my cheap HF bender, but I don't know for sure.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

[trial&error]

I would imagine looking at the pics that those were done in a huge press with a special jig. It may benefit you to either leave them straight which you don't want to do or spend a considerable amount of time with a band saw and cut several small kerfs on the angle bend then weld back to solid and grind smooth.
this technique is often used on tubing.

[enlpck]

The bends could be done with heat-and-beat, but probably a lot easier the kerf them, bend, and weld up the kerfs, as T&E mentioned. Either way, some heat-and-beat is probably going to be needed to make them match.

Forms to help would probably want to be done out of steel. You could do it on a lathe, if you have one and the material, but I would probably profile a thick hunk of scrap for the inside bend and the outside bend using a grinder. One will have a profile that looks like a segment of a vee belt pulley, the other like a segment of a pizza cutter.

[012LDY]

They must be smoking crack over there...you can make a finer quality item and you say you built it yourself....get to it and post some picts !!!

[Rocky D]

I don't believe there is any way you can do it by hand and maintain the legs at 90...the legs in the sample were done in a press, and stainless will press easier than steel. Heat and beat? I doubt it. Anyway...prove me wrong, and I will learn something. :D

[Hotfoot]

...being a practical , down-to-earth type guy, I'd simply "Vee" cut the angle, do two bends. weld, then "blend the curves" with a Flap Disc. Virtually the same effect in the end....and do-able!!:p

http://i32.tinypic.com/wgqde8.jpg

[Wyoming]

I might be able to do the angle IF the bends aren't on the V section of the angle. I have the Hossfeld die sets for bending angle flange in and flange out if it will help. I can't tell from the pictures whether the angle was bent on the flanges or the V....I'm thinking it is the flanges, but not sure. I never saw the need to purchase the die set for bending on the V section.

[mnt]

It's on the V, which is what makes it seemingly difficult. I have a a decent amount of scrap angle, so I will probably try a few of the methods. See which one works the best and is easily duplicate-able and go with that. Most fun I think would be heat and beat, but I am worried about distortion, the more I think about it.

Thanks everyone for the ideas and info.

[vicegrip]

no harder to make form-tooling, than it was to draw it.
angle-stock like in your pic will easilly form with out cuts.

vg

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p92/swadge/formdie.jpg

[mnt]

I like it. I haven't moved forward yet on this, I need to finish my table first. So I am still at the beginning point.

So what I am seeing is make a die out of some heavy wall angle and use a hydraulic press to form the shape?

If that is the case, that makes this project extra cool, because I will have to make a press. I actually have some pieces gathered to make a mini press (4 ton bottle jack (it was only going to be 6 inches wide.) So I might have to make a bigger one.

If I make the die, and no press, do you think I would be able to use the die and good old fashioned heating and beating to form those shapes?

Thanks much

[vicegrip]

If I make the die, and no press, do you think I would be able to use the die and good old fashioned heating and beating to form those shapes?

Thanks much

NO! not beating......but you could heat and push / weight.
Push the die closed with a large fast acting vise.
OR
Lower several hundred pounds on the die (if it has guide-pins).

VG

[dakkasnik]

Ok.....I guess its good to be old. With age comes experience, and some scars huh?

To bend that angle easily, without a hammer or dynamite, you need a vise. A good, extra heavy duty vice, without it, this ain't a "portable" job.

Ok...lets build a jig. You need a 6" piece of angle iron bigger than the angle you want to bend. you might want a few for the bend jig as well, we are building the "anvil" part now. Ok, so lets say you are gonna bend 2" angle, get you some 4" angle to make the anvil. Weld the angle, open face down to a piece of 6" wide by 3/8' or 1/2" flat bar...so that the 2 pieces are the same length.

Ok....so now we have an upside-down "V" welded to a big piece of flat bar. weld a good solid chunk of flat to the flat, untouched side of that piece you just welded....this is what will be held in the jaws of the vice.

Ok...so now we have a upside-down "V" welded to a "T" shaped anvil. Should look kinda like a letter "A" on top of a letter "T". This is your finished anvil. to bend any size angle that is smaller than the 4" angle we used...first lock the anvil in a vise...then clamp the "soon to be bent" angle on top of that, using another piece of that 4" angle to clamp down and a couple of pairs of vice grips to hold it together. So, from the top.....4" angle, open face down, the "soon to be bent" angle is in the middle, and your welded master piece of "A" welded to "T" as the anvil. GONGRATS....thats a angle brake. apply some heat and bend slowly. If your "soon to be bent" angle is so thin it starts to distort.....use 2 more pieces of that 4" angle and sandwich the thin metal in the middle and hold it together with clamps or vice grips. Add heat and bend slowly.


Ill try to find my old jig and add some photos later.


YUP....JUST REALIZED...you can weld 2 pcs of angle together to form your "T"...so, all you really need to do this.....is a few feet of heavy, wide angle. I hate it when my wife points out the logic in my unsound reasoning.

[mnt]

That is an informative and easy to understand write up. You know it is easy if I can figure out what you mean without the pics.

I still haven't gotten anywhere on this, life keeps getting in the way of the projects, but life is good, so it is ok.

Thanks again.

[jamejone]

go to this site - http://www.hossfeldbender.com/about/index.php

This will show you that it can be done with no heat and not welding the legs to form them. As to whether you can do this on the cheap depends on you!

[bcraytor]

Here is a tool which can be used to shape up to 20 gauge angle stainless.

http://www.eastwood.com/metal-fabrication/shrinker-stretcher/shrinker-stretcher-set-one-body-two-jaws.html

[Zrexxer]

Here is a tool which can be used to shape up to 20 gauge angle stainless.Which unfortunately is probably less than useful in this application, as 20 ga is less than half the thickness of a dime.

[bcraytor]

Resoration Harware's Pharm Cabinet probably isn't any thicker than 20 guage. I have Eastwoods shrinker/strecher unit as well as a 4 foot brake making parts with 26 guage sheet. Using it to turn 3" strip of sheet into 1 1/2 inch angle and then using the shrinker strecher to shape the curves is quite strong. But then again, some people will want 1/4" thick stuff cause they can't weld thinner without burning through... LOL

[walker]

Just stick the end in the vice, heat up a localized area (but don't be afraid to use some fire) and tweak until you like it. Move it until the vice is between the bends heat another localized area and bend until it is opposite the other bend. If it starts to distort beyond your liking just tack weld a piece of flat bar to the back and remove after bending. With heat it is not goin to distort as much as you might think, and if it does you can massage it back with a hammer on a flat surface (anvil, welding table). I have done similar bends on caprail with great sucess, and those were much tighter bends.

[mnt]

Well, I still haven't moved forward, but it is because I got some free steel to make a new table.:D

The cabinet I saw was definitely thicker than 20 gauge. I will probably use bed rail, because it is free. The goal with this is to make this thing that is selling for stupid money, for almost nothing. Not sure what I am going to use for the glass, but, I'll figure it out.

Thanks again for all the great info. I think sometime in the next 1 to 37 months I might actually get started on this.:rolleyes: