#179254 - 08/14/09 03:59 AM
Bending rebar...
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Geezer
Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
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I would like to get some 20' x 1/2" rebar and bend it in an arc to form a greenhouse. I once tried to bend a 10ft length like that, and it bent sharply in the middle, which looked stupid.
Are there any special methods, tricks or relatively simple tools that will help with this?
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#179256 - 08/14/09 04:17 AM
Re: Bending rebar...
[Re: Susan]
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Veteran
Registered: 11/01/08
Posts: 1530
Loc: DFW, Texas
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Get a conduit bender and slowly work the bend down the length of the work piece.
_________________________
I do the things that I must, and really regret, are unfortunately necessary.
RIP OBG
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#179269 - 08/14/09 10:17 AM
Re: Bending rebar...
[Re: aloha]
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Addict
Registered: 03/19/07
Posts: 690
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Like Todd said. A small MAPP torch might be JUST enough for 1/2" rebar but it would take a long time to heat up and in fact might not work very well at all. So acetylene is your best option. Pretty much the only efficient option unless you have access to a portable gas/coal blacksmith forge.
The way I'd do it: clamp one end in a big, heavy, securely mounted vice. Mark the rebar with chalk or file a notch in the middle. Heat the spot until red hot at least, preferably bright yellow, then bend around something round and made of steel. If you need a sharp bend, heat only a localized spot. For a gentler curve heat a longer length.
That said, if you need more than one element you'll probably need a jig to ensure a consistent bend. You COULD do it by eye & hand but it takes practice and some skill to do it right.
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#179271 - 08/14/09 11:12 AM
Re: Bending rebar...
[Re: Tom_L]
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Old Hand
Registered: 03/24/06
Posts: 900
Loc: NW NJ
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I humbly suggest you forget the torch.
A shape like that would normally be formed on a metal rolls. Your local welding shop or metal railing fabricator probably has one. Rebar may not run through the rollers smoothly, but mild steel round stock is cheap and chances are they already have some handy.
The DIY option is to use a stake and some string to scribe a 6' radius half-circle in the dirt. Pound in some stakes along the arc and then wrap your rebar around them. Let it spring back and guess how much smaller your next circle needs to be.
Stay on the INSIDE of the circle while you're bending and keep other people away. !
_________________________
- Tom S.
"Never trust and engineer who doesn't carry a pocketknife."
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#179294 - 08/14/09 02:26 PM
Re: Bending rebar...
[Re: thseng]
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I am not a P.P.o.W.
Old Hand
Registered: 05/16/05
Posts: 1058
Loc: Finger Lakes of NY State
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Buy the tubing for a greenhouse or a canvas garage unit. Will be easier then bending rebar.
_________________________
Our most important survival tool is our brain, and for many, that tool is way underused! SBRaider Head Cat Herder
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#179328 - 08/14/09 06:00 PM
Re: Bending rebar...
[Re: Susan]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2205
Loc: Bucks County PA
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I've done this - for cement work. No heat needed.
What you need is a bending jig. The one we made was built out of a zillion scrap 2x4's, forming a fanned out arc in the shape we wanted to get it was like laying bricks - we used 18" lengths of 2x4 air-nailed to longer sections of 2x4's that ends of the wood were spaced at about 4" intervals.
Put your hand flat on your desk, splay out your fingers - see how there's sort of an arc formed by your finger? Bend a piece of wire over your fingers - that's the basic idea. Our arc had a section of iron pipe at one end - we stuck the rebar in there and then we simply pulled the rebar over the form - it was hard - until we got the curve we wanted. this was for a project to build a curved concrete wall for a landscaping project.
There are also tools that can be rented to do this, but they are expensive. You set the radius you want and it's got these rollers that pinch the bar and roll it through. You can do small bends and large curves.
For a cheaper and easier solution you might want to consider Conduit.
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