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Re: Craft Benders

Originally Posted by kanaskorner

I have attached 4 pictures of the tool there are 2 photos of it laying on the bench and then a photo of instruction book and last a photo of the tool in the vise setup ready to use. this tool is made by a man who is listed as a member of this site. I think it is really supposed to mount to the bench with the holes in the base.

Could be an older mighty mite

Re: Craft Benders

Just found this thread. A little info on the Craft Bender. I first bought mine at the big Canton,Texas flea market in 1998. Riley McMillan had a little open trailer set up at one of the covered courts and was demonstrating his bender. The bender came with a video of Riley showing all the things you could do with it. Think the price was 75.00 and I can say that was one of the best buys I think I ever made. I use this bender a lot. I would like to buy another from him but unfortunately his phone in Lancaster, Texas is disconnected and I have no email addy for him. A friend of mine took the bender the other day and made a copy from it, which may be the only way of obtaining one.

Re: Craft Benders

I bend stuff like that all the time on my hossfeld.
You do it on top of the frame, using the bending dog and different size center pins.

But a hossfeld is kind of overkill for this.
Basically, what you need to do this is center pins that are turned down to your different ID's, and then a bending dog setup.

Any of the small benders will do this, BUT- none of them make bending dogs for their machines. Why, I dont know.

Here is a link to the hossfeld page that shows the basic process-
http://www.hossfeldbender.com/toolin...olts-rings.php

figure 2 shows the bending dog.
To make one for a small harbor freight/grizzly/shop outfitters type bender,you would need to make the eyebolt style pin at the far left, the dog itself (weld a bolt to a piece of 1" square bar) and then a flat rectangle top pin shown closer to the center pin.
Then, center pins of various diameters- hossfeld center pins are usually 1" OD, with the last inch at each end turned down to two different OD's- they make a few different sizes.
You could easily make these with a lathe.
The hardest part of the whole thing is probably the rectangular slot in the bending dog, which allows it to slide in and out to be adjusted tight.
But you could build this up by welding a few pieces of bar together, or else drill a series of holes and file them out.
Or, just buy one from hossfeld...

If you download this catalog from hossfeld, it shows the set of pins and the dog-
http://www.hossfeldbender.com/downlo...l1_Catalog.pdf
the different center pins, to allow for different ID's, are on page 8, called "special pins".
the bending dog is standard equipment, its part no 16 on page 6, catalog number 05049, but you also need part number 18, 05054, eye pin, and part number 24, 05168, and part number 17, 05052.
Of course, all of these parts are sized for hossfeld size frame holes- and the cheapo benders usually have their own, odd sized holes, so you would need to check for compatability. but this shows you what you would need to make to make a cheap harbor freight bender usable for your purpose.

Re: Craft Benders

I think I found one today at Travers.com it is called the T5040 hand bender

Re: Craft Benders

OK, I'll take a crack at this. As Yorkiepap said, hard not to love a jig problem!
So you do weld....righty then.
Off the top of my head, you can build one like in tapwelder's post out of wood. Using hex bolts for the axle pins and mandrels for bending around. You could try getting a couple short pieces of round solid stock from Home Creepo, cutting two lengths and clamping them in a vise, together parallel. Put your spoon in between and bend. Or you could drill holes in a thick piece of hardwood and drop the pins in then and bend away. Make various wood block with different dia. "mandrels" to bend around. 1/2" to 3/4" solid. Bigger bends, you could drill bigger holes in blocks with a spade bit and use various dia. gas pipe or even pipe stub fittings from the local hardware store.
Your hands will build strength over time, but to help in the mean time, try wearing some thick leather gloves. Or get a rawhide or wood mallet and practice hammering the spoon around the affore mentioned jigs. Take a spoon and a coffee with you to the hardware store and just graze in the hardware isle. Hold stuff up to the spoon and let your gut take the rest. Once you get that first "a-Ha" the rest will start coming quick.
Hope this helps a bit.
I've got 2 dozen various jigs to do similar bends (Making Stainless bracelets right now as it happens) . But I've got pipe scrap and a welder to use.
Ha Ha

Re: Craft Benders

how hard of wire does these benders bend

Re: Craft Benders

get a wire bender.

Re: Craft Benders

i did these by hand with a certain per of jewelry pliers I have. But this stuff is hard. It really hurts my hand and wrist when i do this. I have tried drilling a hole in round stock and bending it but it is hard to keep the cut end in there and bend it around that small.

Re: Craft Benders

how hard is the metal ? how did you do those ? Could you take solid round stock of diameter wanted, drill hole to insert end of metal and bend around it ?? what about a how made die set up for a arbor press ??? that's a tight bend.

Re: Craft Benders

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...2574_200012574

Re: Craft Benders

the silverware I use is silver plated I have tried heat and it does not soften it any all it does it burn the plating off

Re: Craft Benders

For that tight a bend, I think I'd use heat (red to orange hot) and a pair of needle nose pliers. I've had good luck getting smooth bends as long as the metal is nice and hot and therefore very malleable.

Good luck

Re: Craft Benders

I did send Riley McMillan a pm but have not heard from him yet.

Re: Craft Benders

I am looking for a bender that will make small bends like in the attached photos. They are 1/4'' to 3/4" inside diameter round. These photos are the handles of bent silverware just above the bowl of the spoon. I looked at some of the websites that moonrise suggested but I do not think any of them make bends that small.

Re: Craft Benders

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalog...esult?q=bender

http://www.harborfreight.com/compact-bender-38470.html

Probably overkill and just too big for jewelry. Maybe something like this instead?

http://www.harborfreight.com/compact...der-99826.html

30 seconds with a web search tool turns up the following (among many, many others):

http://www.metalbendingtool.com/

http://www.metalbendingtool.com/migh...ty-mite-bender

http://www.baileighindustrial.com/benders/ornamental/

http://shopoutfitters.com/

(no endorsement, positive or negative, explicit or implied by this post )

Re: Craft Benders

Post Riley a PM and see what he says about making a few more copies. Otherwise, look for a member or a local welder/machinist to fab one up for you. Its a simple enough project if you're willing to spend the cash for it.

Re: Craft Benders

Hi kansas,
This looks like a small version of a rod bender that you can get at Harbor Freight for about $75.

Re: Craft Benders

I have attached 4 pictures of the tool there are 2 photos of it laying on the bench and then a photo of instruction book and last a photo of the tool in the vise setup ready to use. this tool is made by a man who is listed as a member of this site. I think it is really supposed to mount to the bench with the holes in the base.

Re: Craft Benders

I wonder what this guy uses?

http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...t=riley+bender

Re: Craft Benders

i will try to get some photos of the item. Thanks

Re: Craft Benders

Hey kanas,
We have some real inventiveness & ingenuity on the forum. If you would post some pics, give us some pics, dwgs, & materials/dimensions, I'm sure we could provide some great solutions. Many of us thrive on problem-solving......

Denny

Craft Benders

Hello,
I am a recycle artist from NM. I work in small items. I do not currently do any welding. The reason I am posting on here is that I make jewelry with silverware. I have been learning lots of new things from a man who uses a Riley McMillan Craft bender and says this is a must have item. Keep in mind I am making small bends.Does anyone have one they no longer use or tell me where I can get one? or give me info on another bender that will also work as well. Thank for any help I can get on this.