I am trying to figure out how to take a piece of flat metal (1" x 3/16") and bend it with a 3" radius. Is there any equipment in the machine shop area? I would prefer to not use heat, hammer and anvil… i need more precision than that. Any ideas? Thanks, Jerry B.
To clarify, you wish to bend something like this
https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-48-in-Plain-Steel-Flat-Bar-with-3-16-in-Thick-801887/204225733
on a 3" radius “the easy way”, like so
We have equipment that might be able to do that, but I don’t think we have any dies to do that. The “tubing bender” could do it, and the “tubing roller” could do it, but we have no flat-stock dies for doing so to my knowledge.
Another option might be a simple vice-mount jig like the one demoed in this video
with the concessions to the desired radius of bend.
If you’re wanting to do it “the hard way”, like this
it’ll take a lot more strength of both you and the tool.
The Hassfelds as shown in this video are the standard, and we do not have such an animal to my knowledge (outside of those noted above).
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There’s a “slip roller” on the tool list for the metal shop. 3" is actually the minimum size for the model:
How long are these pieces?
Edit: I just saw you said 3/16"… that’s not going to work.
The simple way jig from @jast would be best if you are only doing a few pieces.
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We have a Diacro bender, don’t have a 3" radius die but that shouldn’t be hard to make. Might take a few iterations to figure out what radius inner die to use to account for spring back.
One of the mounting feet for the bender was missing and im making a new one, so it only has two mounting feet at the moment. I could meet you sat or sunday afternoon to talk about making a die and how to use it.
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Thank you! I’d forgotten about this!
Depending on the precision needed, one could probably make do with what is there…
and depending on the size of run, the die could probably be made out of wood that would handle quite a few units, if one was more inclined to use the wood lathes than the machine shop’s.
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I had actually forgotten about it as well, so I’m glad this came up, lol!
It kind of opens up a whole new world of possibilities…
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Thanks again for that!
I hadn’t suggested it as I was under the impression we needed some dies or something.
I’d be happy to donate some Haas operator time if we can make them on it; for general bending of A36 we could probably get away with a 1018 die and look at hardening later if we need to.
Most of the dies I’ve seen are round and almost like peg holes so I would think that making the dies on the colchester would be easily done as well.
I also wonder if square dies could be made for tighter 90° bends…
yeah round stuff 
Was thinking more for the peg placement and the like.
This might even be a fun project on the new CNC lathe
Yes, actually it would!
I have a need to bend 3/8" x 4" flat bar (A36) for legs for a mesquite plank picnic table that I am building. I had assumed that the flat bar door assists that are on the bottom of some of the DMS interior doors had been made by a member on a hydraulic press with V dies. Any advice greatly appreciated. Best, Jim
That was @malcolmputer, @artg_dms & myself that bent the door pulls. We did do it on the hydraulic press with the Swag off-road press brake attachment. We did it out of 1/4” & 3/8”, we ran out of 1/4”. Thats why there are only 3 or 4 3/8” door pulls.
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An important note about what we did with the door pulls, the hydraulic press brake only does angle bends; it cannot do a radius.
It is located either in Automotive or Metal shop depending on where one left it last. It often lives next to the hydraulic press in automotive.
Thanks TBJK and hon1nbo. I need to do a 122 deg and 90 deg bend in each leg. My buddy came up with a slick design to have removable 4 inch casters and fixed stainless leveling pads. Each mesquite plank weights ~ 100 lbs or so. Thanks again.