Angle iron bender

Do we have an angle iron bender to make a big metal circle?

There’s an induction forge in metal shop but it’s training required

I think what you want is a roller, usually sold, like that one, as a “tubing” roller, but can do anything you have a die for.
We do have a roller like that in Metal Shop, but I’m 90% sure we wouldn’t have an angle die for it, if it’s robust enough to work whichever size you’re trying to shape…

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easy way or hard way??

what size angle??

flange in or flange out?

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I need to see if making the skirt is possible with the tools we have in metal shop.

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If you can’t find the requisite rollers, perhaps you could go with a two-piece solution: cut a flat donut out of sheet steel on the CNC plasma, make a hoop from flat bar stock for the sides using the metal shop, and weld the hoop onto the edge of the donut. Make the hoop just large enough so that the donut nestles within it so the seam would end up on the bottom and the welds wouldn’t show.

You might make small notches 3" or so apart in the outside of the donut pattern to use as welding spots to make even tack welds. Coming back with a continuous weld might not be needed.

It’s a bit wasteful of materials (unless you have a need for the waste material from the center of the donut), but would get the job done.

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I can see that as one option. The cost would be the issue though, will need to make 20 at a time if the boss approves the job

Might be worth buying the appropriate jig and donating it to the space then

If you cut the plate for the top of the pillar out of the center hole remainder, that would save the cost of those parts and minimize waste. Perhaps cut 4 8"x8" squares out of some of the centers (cutting the attachment holes as well), and leave some of the circles intact for use on another project (wall art for wherever these are being installed)?

I agree with @MrsMoose though: if you are going to make 20+, the cost of the rollers could be amortized into the cost of each table. Assuming the dies run about $300, that’d only add $15 to the cost of each of the first 20 tables. a 2’x2’ plate of 16 gauge steel runs about $15 (I recently paid $64.90 for a 4’x4’ piece), so for 20 tables it’s about a wash, but on additional tables (“will need to make 20 at a time”) the roller price would be cheaper.

Not sure which way would come out ahead on labor, but I suspect the rollers would be faster.

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We do not have the appropriate roller for that at this time.

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I did find a video demonstrating an industrial device that would be used for such a process (although I do not think that’s how the table shown was made, because the angle shown is not nearly as sharp as what would be achieved doing it this way).

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Also, for reference, here’s a machine that claims to be able to do this with 2x.25" angle:
https://www.baileigh.com/r-h60-hd-hydraulic-roll-bender
and a video bragging about this machine and the rest of their lineup

PS doesn’t include dies for rolling stock angle; haven’t found that yet…

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the center plate could be rectangular to support all of the boards and use a 1" x 1/8" flat bar ,rolled to the proper diameter, for the edge. Countersunk screws to attach to the edge? just a thought.

hand forged cut nails would look really cool rather than screws, kind of Medieval.

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