Large Wire Bender

I needed to consistently bend 1/4" steel round bar which proved to be quite difficult without a bender. As a result of this need, a large wire bender was built. The following is the construction process of the wire bender using scrap material found around the shop.

Materials:

• (2ft) 1X1" 11GA steel square tube
• (6in) 1/2" round steel rod
• (3x4") 6/8" steel plate
• 3/4"-10X2" bolt
• 3/4"-10 uncoated nut
• 3/4" washer stack as wire clamp*** (did not have any to try, used Vise-Grips instead)

Tools:

• Drill press (1/2"and smaller pilot drill bits)
• Angle grinder with cutoff and grinding disk
• Welder
• Hammer and center punch
• Bench vise to hold the bender

***The original plan was to use a stack of washers (>4) on the 3/4" bolt with the top washer welded to the bolt head and the bottom washer welded to the nut. The wire could then be clamped between the washers when the bolt is tightened into the nut. I could not find enough washers so the Vise-Grips was used to clamp the wire.***

• Cut square tube to 2ft
• Mark center of tube 1/2" and 1 3/8" from one end
• Use center punch on marks
• Drill through tube using pilot drill bit
• Drill through tube using 1/2" drill bit

• Drill pilot hole centered with 1" offset from 3" end

• Drill 1/2" through-hole

• Chamfer end of 1/2" rod
• Insert rod into baseplate and weld end
• Slide bending arm over rod and cut rod leaving ~1" extending above bending arm

• Position nut centered with 1" offset from other 3" end
• Weld around base of nut

• Grind small chamfer on end of 1/2" bar
• Insert bar flush in second hole from end
• Weld around bar end
• Slide bending arm onto base
• Cut 1/2" bar to same length as baseplate bar

At this point clean up any sharp edges and problems with the angle grinder and insert the 3/4" bolt into the nut.

• Hold the bender in a bench vise
• Insert the bar using the contact point with the pivot as a measuring datum
• Secure the bar to the 3/4" bolt using a Vise-Grips or tighten between stack of washers on bolt (This step is not critical but the bar will shift while bending)
• Pull bending arm until desired angle is reached

(Several tries were needed to find a method for consistent bends)

Enjoy!