How to Bend Thick Metal Without Traditional Tools - Kevin Caron

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A friend from North Carolina said he doesn't have all the fancy tools Kevin Caron has, but he is still able to bend railroad spikes. Kevin Caron says he learned this simple trick in high school, and it's still really helpful.

If you have something big and heavy and want to bend it, and you don't have any machines to bend it with, just cut slices in the metal. Don't cut quite all the way through, though - "That's embarrassing," says Kevin Caron.

The closeness of the slices will determine how smooth your curve is. The closer they are, the smoother the curve.

The slices are easy to cut. Kevin Caron just uses his 4-1/2" angle grinder with a cutoff wheel. He clamps whatever he is cutting in the vise. Be careful, bracing yourself, and cut your slices the way you want the metal to bend.

Kevin Caron is ready to show you how to do it, so he puts on his safety equipment and fires up his angle grinder. He braces his hand on the vise he has a railroad spike clamped in, and cuts some slices.

Then he picks up a hammer and hits the spike away from the solid end of the slices. In addition to a hammer, you also can use a crescent wrench to bend the metal. The spike bends beautifully.

If you've bent the metal over so much that the open ends of the slices touch but you still want a deeper bend, just use your angle grinder to open up the outside edge where the metal is now touching - don't go all the way back inside.

You can use this trick for any thick metal - railroad spikes, solid rod, square stock, round stock - anything you can't bend over your knee.

Then you come back and weld up your slices, grind your work smooth, and you have some beautiful turns and twists.

Kevin Caron thanks Pops for the how-to video idea and hope it helps some folks out there.

"Inspired sculpture for public & private places."

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Harbor Freight: $79 worth of 20-ton benchtop hydraulic press...and a couple of round mandrels. Lot quieter...keeps the original part strength, too. Other 'quick way' is an oxy torch with brazing tip...heat-and-bend, simple...cheap...

skeetersaurus

Another way to make it easier is to heat the metal. Now if you don't have a torch you can use your arc welder by connecting both the positive and negative to the piece you want to bend just wait till it gets red. This trick also works to get frozen copper water pipes flowing again.

TinManKustoms

0:53

Oh yeah of course. That would be embarrassing 😳

LazPistolaz

Good tip on the bend. Btw, safety glasses don't always protect. I'm recovering from a small piece of metal getting in my eye the other day. It didn't happen while I was working. It must have landed on my glasses, eyebrow or eyelash and got into my eye when I was walking back to the fender I was working on. I had some eye flush solution on hand and after several attempts, I flushed most of it out. It was still bothering so I went to the VA eye clinic and they cleaned the spot out some more and said there was still a rust spot. So now I'm using drops and n ointment and having to wear sunglasses in the house because the drops dilate my eye. Great perfect weather today in Pensacola, Fl. I have parts to install, things to weld and I'm stuck inside letting my eye heal and catching on videos. :-)

beardly

I searched for "bending thick steel", if I do it this way it would no longer be thick steel.Ill remember this if I ever make sculptures

mikeyjay

This is how I bend 1/4" plate without a brake. I cut about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through, and bend away from the cut. This I only recommend for acute angles on a cold bend. If you cut too deep, or bend too far, it will tear and sometimes bend crooked, requiring much more hammering than intended.

MrFarmcountry

Great video, I was actually looking to bend a railroad spike, so this was perfect!

fredchevalier

you are the king of useful videos for weekend warriors

ytkealoha

I bend my metals the way I bend my spoons; with my mind.

onjofilms

Very clever Kevin and thank you for this very helpful tip. Good day .

cecilsabourin

Lovely job I’ll use this idea to make my box iron sissy bar

davidbrown

This is a great tip Kevin. I'm lucky enough to own an OA rig, so I'd heat it and beat it. But this would work if I was stuck somewhere without the rig or I ran out of O or A!

Fireship

You have to have a welder, but also you have to have good power supply, minimum 16 amp outlet, which is also not easy outside home.
I've rented many garages over years and many of them had only 10 amp outlets.

raymondarabaal

I couldn't help but notice the cabinet behind you in your shop . I have the exact same cabinet in my welding shop it is identical Automotive tune-up, only difference mine is faded a lot more I found in a collapsed Barn

austinbrown