bending square tube steel

[northcoastgreaser]

whats the best way to bend 1"x1" square tube steel (14ga) to match the vertical curve on an old 1920s dodge cowl?

the tube steel is gonna be the cab corner braces and vertial door braces.

how do i acheive what i want with minimal tools?


thanks
ncg

[Eyeball]

I would cut slits in it with a sawzall or cut off wheel and shape it they way you want and then weld up all the cuts.....or a tubing bender.

[Ryan]

Heating it cherry red with a torch and bending over a jig would be a very consistant and time-saving way.

[armstrong]

I would use 16 guage tube if I were doing it. That 14 guage is some really tough stuff. I've had good luck just bending square tube cold,but if the bend is sharp you may have to heat or make relief cuts as suggested. If bending cold you can get a sharper bend by using a punch to bend the inner surface of the tube inward a little to relieve some of the stress. This can cause the tube to deform a little and might cause some loss of strength. If it were being welded into the body it would not matter as much.

[Ricola]

A couple of methods:

For a gradual curve like a cowl side, make a templet from a piece of 3/4" plywood. Mount the plywood to a table, clamp the tubing to your form and pull cold. Sometimes you need to correct your curve templet to make up for spring back.

If you need a sharp curve like the radius at the cowl corners, pack the tubing with dry sand. (DRY! use the oven to heat the sand to dry it) Cap the ends, Make a form from flat stock tacked to a steel table. Heat the tubing and stretch it very slowly. This will work 3 times out of 10. With practice you will learn the limits of the tubing. Some times it helps to build a square tube shape tacked to the table to help keep the sides from buldging. It's still hard to keep the outside from sucking in.

Also, stated you can cut slits in the tube and re-weld them, grind them etc.

Also, cut three sides off the tube, wrap your tube around your templet, cut curved side pieces out of flat stock and cap the outside radius, weld and grind.

Or make or buy a bender. These most always crush the inside of the tube as they form the bend.

Good luck,

[northcoastgreaser]

thanks guys. i think what i am gonna try is the heating and bending over an oak form/buck.  since i have to bend several of these i think this way they all should stay pretty consistant with each other.  the curve is just gradual so i think a tube bender would get me more curve than i want, plus i dont like the kinked metal or have the $$ for one.

its just gonna be a simple model A style roadster pickup, so everything else is pretty square on it.  these will be my most "compund" curves to the whole jalopy.

-ncg