Fab School

[wb4rt]

OK, don’t laugh too much but here is my first attempt at a lamb’s tongue. I think I bent the big loop a little too much.

[MetalMan23]

Perfect

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[tapwelder]

OK, don’t laugh too much but here is my first attempt at a lamb’s tongue. I think I bent the big loop a little too much.

Not bad. It is your preference. They will be bent different on straight rail vs pitched, if you want them to stick out the same amount.

[geezer]

OK, don’t laugh too much but here is my first attempt at a lamb’s tongue. I think I bent the big loop a little too much.

Burt, first try congrats. I never bent one but soon as I settle on a bender i will give it a shot.

By the way. May I ask what model bender you used and the die size you settle on?

Appears from your profile me and you are about in the same boat.....lots candles on the cake

[wb4rt]

Hey Geezer,

Yep a few candles on the cake but my only able-bodied friend is 82 and I’m a bit younger than him. Almost everyone my age has a bad back or heart or something so I have to call Bob when I need a hand.

Per Phil’s post #25, I used a 1 1/4” with a 1 1/2” die for the small loop on the end. I used a 2 1/2” for the larger loop. My 1” die is missing or I would have used it with the 1 1/4”. I think it would look a little better.

[geezer]

Thanks Burt, may I ask:

what type bender you have?

assume you are bending 1 15/16" cap?? I imagine the 1 3/4" would bend easy also assuming large enough throat on the bender.

thanks, i sure enjoy this thread. I have several feet of handrail to build

[geezer]

post 31 should read 2 1/4" versus 1 3/4". Couldn't get edit feature to cooperate

[wb4rt]

Sorry Geezer, I had that in my first reply but it got erased before I posted it.

I think it is a Harbor Freight bender. I bought it off Craig’s List 5-6 years ago. They are all pretty much the same I think. HF has it for less than $90 but they may be hard to find. They told me they are supposed to get some in August. You should try Northern Tools also. They seem to be better stocked.

I’m using 1 5/8” cap I think.

[geezer]

Sorry Geezer, I had that in my first reply but it got erased before I posted it.

I think it is a Harbor Freight bender. I bought it off Craig’s List 5-6 years ago. They are all pretty much the same I think. HF has it for less than $90 but they may be hard to find. They told me they are supposed to get some in August. You should try Northern Tools also. They seem to be better stocked.

I’m using 1 5/8” cap I think.

Thanks Burt, appears those HF benders are fitting many uses. My local store sold out, but they said inventory is on its way.

I feel like I am back in welding school. Just prior to retiring I signed up for courses at a local JC.....attended at night. Then after retirement went during the day. They basically ran us through most of the common welding disciplines, Stick, MIG (solid and gas shield), TIG all at most positions. Welded with a buzz box for years prior to that, but felt like my out of position welding really lack some skill....and it did. So I am a hobby guy that does allot of free work. Now building handrails around this old house and the club house.

Dunno why I gave you that bio, senior moment I guess........will keep eyes peeled on benders, thanks a ton.

[wb4rt]

Geezer.

PM sent.

[geezer]

PM answered

[William McCormick]

Every now and then my boss would make a wild-looking lambs tongue kind of like the image I included. But to be honest, it looked like something that would catch a jacket pocket or pocketbook strap, so I tended to avoid making them that pronounced.

Just once he put a kink in the lamb's tongue it looked a little too lifelike and creepy to me. But definitely realistic.



Sincerely,

William McCormick

[kmar35]

Awesome I learned a lot thanks

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[smithdoor]

I have ask about Fabrication
Take a good drafting class.
It show how too and the rule of thumb. It also helps in shop for layout the parts is can be lot of drafting on parts.

Dave

[wb4rt]

Here is my latest handrails with lamb’s tongues I bent per Phil’s instructions. I got metal delivered last Friday and installed today (1 week later). My powder coater rushed them for me.

I thought they turned out well and Customer was very happy.

[geezer]

Here is my latest handrails with lamb’s tongues I bent per Phil’s instructions. I got metal delivered last Friday and installed today (1 week later). My powder coater rushed them for me.

I thought they turned out well and Customer was very happy.

Well Burt you are on a roll. I bet the customer liked the lambs tongue, makes a job look complete with nice lines. I assume you welded the landing cap to the stair cap?? Looks like a fer piece past 8ft.

[wb4rt]

Well Burt you are on a roll. I bet the customer liked the lambs tongue, makes a job look complete with nice lines. I assume you welded the landing cap to the stair cap?? Looks like a fer piece past 8ft.

Actually the cap is one piece - about 11’ total. Saved trying to blend the cap which takes time and I never do well enough to not show.

[wb4rt]

I sent Phil a PM, but maybe someone else can advise me about using cast iron spears on a gate project. How do I weld them? Just regular MIG or is a special wire required or ? Any advise is appreciated. I will be using 1/2” square pickets.

Also any design suggestions to match/coordinate with my rails in this other thread — starting post #59 — https://weldingweb.com/vbb/threads/7...-choices/page2

Here is my initial design:
(Sorry about the orientation)

[wb4rt]

Well, customer had another idea. Here is more of what he wants.



(I can never get the pictures to post right, no matter how I orient the camera.)

[geezer]

Hey Burt, how did your gate project wind up? Kinda like this last design.

[wb4rt]

Hey Burt, how did your gate project wind up? Kinda like this last design.

Pretty good for me. Customer really likes it. Took a lot of planning and measuring to get it right.

[wb4rt]

Now I have a question on a potential new project.

Anybody done an inside rail like this? Any hints or tips on how to do it?



The designer wants a steel cap instead of wood.

[MetalMan23]

Now I have a question on a potential new project.

Anybody done an inside rail like this? Any hints or tips on how to do it?



The designer wants a steel cap instead of wood.

I've done that with square pickets

It's challenging lemme see if i can find a picture

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[wb4rt]

Hi Phil.

There are two parts to be made. One is only 6 open steps and the other is a balcony rail. I think if I make a template of the steps I will be able to get the pitch and picket lengths. The flat run should be pretty straightforward. She wants round pickets and molded cap.

My main questions before I take on this job is how to anchor the posts and the pickets in the wood tread?
Do you oversized the holes for the pickets or tight fit?
Do you use adhesive/epoxy for pickets?
Do posts use mounting plates?
What size post would be required (1 1/2 x 1 1/2)?

Any help based on your experience is very much appreciated?

[William McCormick]

Hi Phil.

There are two parts to be made. One is only 6 open steps and the other is a balcony rail. I think if I make a template of the steps I will be able to get the pitch and picket lengths. The flat run should be pretty straightforward. She wants round pickets and molded cap.

My main questions before I take on this job is how to anchor the posts and the pickets in the wood tread?
Do you oversized the holes for the pickets or tight fit?
Do you use adhesive/epoxy for pickets?
Do posts use mounting plates?
What size post would be required (1 1/2 x 1 1/2)?

Any help based on your experience is very much appreciated?

I am sharing some ways I have done them, a lot of the reasons I did them in different ways was the tools I had to work with. And what was important or whether or not I had woodworking equipment.

If you are set up for it you can use a hanger bolt with a machine thread head into the stairs for a blind install. Then tap each vertical on one end to accept the machine thread. Unless you can get access underneath the treads then you can just drill a clearing hole and bolt them in. That is best. If you are going to tap the verticles and you do not have a lathe, you should make a jig to drill them.

Dado the bottom of the wooden rail to whatever the width and thickness of the flange you make for the top of the verticles, it can be a 1"x 3" x 1/8" flange. Offset the flange so that the side of the flange that is higher is overhung just enough to get the screw into the flange without hitting the vertical on the obtuse angle side. Then the difficult side that is blocked by the verticle because of the acute angle can be easily worked on. Just small #10 or #12 wood screws, 3/4" to 1" long to fasten the flanges to the handrail, pre-drill especially in hardwood. If you create a deep dado you do not even have to have each flange bottom out in the dado, if one or two on each steep do not reach the rail it will not matter.

Another way to do it, you can also take a Forstner bit the exact size of the verticle and drill each vertical into the step just 3/16" deep, to give you some adjustment in case, when you set the rail with the verticles already mounted to the rail, you find a step or two are on an odd angle. The Forstner bit will leave a center indent that you can drill a pilot hole for the hanger bolt.

You can also just grind down the verticle because the thread will be deeper than the steel hanger bolt so it will not bottom out if you feel you want to get them all to hit the inside of the dado in the handrail or if there is no Dado and you cannot create one.

If you can get under the steps just drill and bolt them in.

Sincerely,

William McCormick