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Bending steel garden edging

T

the bear

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I want to install some metal garden edging, 3mm thick and 100mm tall. I need to bend some tighter curves than I think will bend by hand. Now I remember Mike doing this in his front garden, he made some formers that were smaller than the radius he wanted to allow for spring back and applied some heat from a blow torch (plumbers torch?). I don't have access to such a torch and was thinking of simlpy laying the steel in a small bonfire to heat it up and then bend it. Haven't yet worked out how I'll hold it but anyone see any issues with this?. I have read you can overheating steel can weaken it but for a bit of edging I'm not sure this will matter??? Any thoughts wether this will work or effect its longevity?

Mark
 
How tight of a bend are you trying to achieve? 3mm thick steel is tough to bend around a really tight radius, but something like a 50mm radius shouldn't be impossible to do cold by hammering it around a solid form.

A bonfire might work to make the steel more malleable, but it would be very tricky to heat the piece evenly so that you end up with a clean bend and not a twisted one because one side was a lot hotter than the other. Overheating shouldn't be an issue, to get to those sorts of temperatures you would need a significant amount of airflow through your fire to get the steel over 1000 degrees Celsius, where it begins to "burn" and you see bright white sparks flying off it.
 
Thanks both.

Trevanion, I need a couple of 90 degree curves at about 180mm radius and a couple at about 250mm,

Doug, steel not yet bought.

Mark
 
3mm is eminently bendable by hand, using a "form" to achieve the desired curvature. We do it at the heritage railway with a "gas axe" (oxy-ecetaylene torch) and two ex-second-rows for "grunt".
Be nice to anyone local to you that has a torch set. Beer vouchers, yada, yada.
We've just straightened an ex-BR signals tower, wall thickness verging on 6mm, 16m high, that some brain-dead ejit bent by running a forklift (or similar) over. It had a 20° declination at 10m, and serious deformation each side. Fixed 'by hand', heat from the torch, 'Oor Trev's' ingenuity and a lot of scrum noises from the two 'Big Lads'. 😳.
 
SamQ, well I’m an ex second row and have the bad back to show for it. I’ve done the asking around and can’t find anyone with such gas torch, hence my asking if the bonfire would work. I would be using some sort of former regardless

Mark
 
Gotcha. I would wonder out loud if you coukd in some way a) contain the "bonfire" to concentrate the heat? Old fire bricks? And, b) bump the heat up a bit? Even a simple hairdryer aimed at the base would help. [WEAR GOGGLES!].

Edit: try using coal instead of wood. You will get a much warmer fire and it will be more compact and definitely produce less flying ash.
 
When I needed to cold bend some tee hinges (as per MikeG's design) for my workshop doors, I trolled around an industrial estate in the next town, knocking on a few doors to ask where I could get the cold bending done. When I found the right place, I asked if it could be done, and be prepared to pay. They accepted my offer of a contribution to their coffee fund.
 
SamQ, sounds like good advice. I was also thinking of putting it in the red hot ash once the flames had died down, though I have no idea if this is hot enough?

Malc, fair suggestion, would need to have a think which town to head for and where to start. Guildford and Dorking are the closest. Never been in either but I know of a couple of blacksmiths in local villages (making very expensive artisan stuff), google tells me there are metal fabricators around here, though if I can do this myself for free that would be preferable.

Mark
 
Just a thought Mark & I’m presuming you’re edging a path etc?

My good lady wife wanted metal edging for the gravel paths when we revamped the garden after seeing it at a RHS garden, there was to be a lot of curves & whilst asking around a mate suggested pond edging as an alternative , this is it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wacredo-La...pcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A2DVTTG4728TYG though it comes in different colours.

Thankfully she agreed to go with it her reasoning being you only see the top edge I was happy as it was a lot easier to work with than steel & being a recycled plastic product I’m hoping it will see me out.
This is it being installed
IMG_20230411_151729557_HDR.jpeg

IMG_20230413_122605628_HDR.jpeg
 
You shouldn't have much trouble doing those bends cold. I've done similar sized bends with 3mm steel in a wood vice with the form clamped in with the steel and then used the extra length of the steel as a bit of a lever to help bend the steel over the form, then cut it off the length of steel once it was bent to the desired radius.
 
100mm x 3mm steel... is that black iron bar, flat steel stock or cut mild steel sheet?

I didn't think black bar that section was a thing but I did find someone selling it. That would be the safer material to use as it will have rounded corners.

Guillotined steel sheet cut to 100mm wide will have sharp edges and need a lot of dressing to make safe. Flat bright steel bar is expensive and very tough to bend but does have square edges.

As already said bending shouldn't be too difficult. Back when I had a sheet metal factory we hand formed curves all the time though usually in thinner sheet metal than 10g. There will be spring back but probably less than you think. You do need to clamp the metal against the former at the start of the bend. The former can be wood or if you don't need super accuracy on the radius try anything round and solid enough - gas bottles were often used in the factory for prototype bending. I doubt you will need to heat the bar.
 
Doug, yes edging paths/beds etc. I'll take a look at your suggestion.

Trevanion, yes sounds like a plan, have been trying to work out how to lever it round and clamp it up.

Robert, material wise I didn't realise I had those choices, I don't want to spend more than necessary and don't mind filing the edges etc.

Thanks for all the input, I guess the best thing to do first is have a go cold as a couple have suggested, assess the spring back and only go to the heat if necessary.

Many thanks

Mark
 
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