Cheapskate's bending iron
- Thread starter Dougf
- Start date
gokidd
Well-known member
Wow! Very cool. Err ... hot!
dave g
Well-known member
That's essentially what I use (mine's a little more fancy, but not much 
).
).
I thought you weren't supposed to breathe in fumes from heated galvanized pipe/metal? (Eighth grade metal shop.)
I've always thought that is a hazard of welding galvanized metal. Check this out:
http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/weldhlth.html
"Inhalation of zinc oxide fumes can occur when welding or cutting on zinc-coated metals. Exposure to these fumes is known to cause metal fume fever."
Bending is done at around 300F, and both gas and electric welding are done at several thousand degrees.
http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/weldhlth.html
"Inhalation of zinc oxide fumes can occur when welding or cutting on zinc-coated metals. Exposure to these fumes is known to cause metal fume fever."
Bending is done at around 300F, and both gas and electric welding are done at several thousand degrees.
Doug
Well-known member
What wattage is the bulb?
ksquine
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Out of curiosity, what diameter pipe did you guys use?
spookefoote
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I've often thought isn't it a little dodgy having a wet piece of wood near to mains lecky in the form of a light bulb? Or am I missing something?
Liam Ryan
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I use a gas torch to power my pipe but if I was using any sort of mains powered electric heat source the first thing I'd be doing is earthing the pipe.
OP
OP
Dougf
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200 watts. I wouldn't claim it worked great, but it worked. I might try steel pipe with a blow torch next time.
ksquine
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That pipe is 1-1/4" (that's standard NPT steel water pipe from the hardware store. The actual outer diameter is more like 1-3/4") Its a good size for bending uke sides and the union fitting at the end fits my heat gun perfectly.
Rick Turner
Well-known member
You'd be better off using brass, copper, aluminum, or stainless steel to prevent staining of the wood. Steel, even galvanized, is likely to cause pretty deep black and blue stains in many woods. Also there are heating elements that screw into standard ceramic light sockets.
Michael Smith
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The first one I made was a 2 inch pipe with an electric barbeque starter. It works well and is still going strong. You need to carefully crimp the barbeque starter a little to fit it into the pipe. It might work better to crimp an aluminum pipe into an egg shape with a heavy vise. The barbeque starter would then fit in easily and you would have different curves to bend on which is desirable. You need a dimmer with a barbeque starter or it will get too hot.
Liam Ryan
Well-known member
I use a gal pipe and have have zero staining on any piece of wood I've put near it.
ModlrMike
Well-known member
I was on the Rockler site today and saw this:
Steam Bending Kit and Plan
So I thought... this has potential. Then it dawned on me that I have a clothes steamer that I could probably McGyver into service.
From what I've read, I don't actually need a heated bending assembly. Could I steam the wood and then clamp it in the form to dry overnight?
Steam Bending Kit and Plan
So I thought... this has potential. Then it dawned on me that I have a clothes steamer that I could probably McGyver into service.
From what I've read, I don't actually need a heated bending assembly. Could I steam the wood and then clamp it in the form to dry overnight?
ukulian
Well-known member
My version uses a heat gun. The tube has some steel wool in it to prevent the heat going straight through.
