69 - Bench Top Storage System, страница 24

SHOP PROJECT

Freehand dending

One of the nice things about this scroll-bending jig is that it can be used in two different ways. For gentle, sweeping bends and curves that have a changing radius, the jig is used in a "freehand" fashion. The metal is simply bent by hand between a pair of steel pins, as you see at left

The scroll-work shelf brackets you see in the photos at right were all created by freehand bending. This isn't a difficult process, A Pins. To create but it isn't entirely automatic

freehand bends, the either. It takes an eye for curves and metal is bent a little bit of practice to get the right between a pair of "feel" for bending the metal.

steel pins. Pattern - To make things easier, it helps to start with a pattern of the scroll you wish to create. I just draw a full-size design on a piece of paper. This way you can hold the metal up to the pattern to check your progress as you are bending it. And if you're making multiple pieces, the pattern will help you keep them looking identical.

Setup - To set up the bending jig, begin by clamping the jig securely to the top of your workbench. Then insert the two steel pins into one of the pairs of holes

A Shelf Brackets. All three shelf brackets shown above were created with the scroll-bending jig. After the metal was bent, holes were drilled and the brackets were screwed in place.

near the corners of the jig. (Use the pair with the spacing that most closely matches the thickness of the metal you're bending.)

After determining the length of your stock and cutting it to size (see box below), insert the end of the metal between the two pins as shown in Figure 2a. Now you're ready to start bending. But don't try to bend the curve in one fell swoop. Instead, slowly create the curve by making a series of small bends, working your way along the length of the piece.

This allows you to fine-tune the shape of the curve to match your pattern. It's also important to start at the innermost part of the curve and work your way out, as shown in Figures lb v and lc. (It helps to compare your work to the pattern as you go along.)

One other thing. As you're doing the bending, make sure that you keep the edge of the metal flat against the base of the jig. If you don't, you're likely to end up with a piece that looks more like a bed-spring than a nicely-shaped scroll.

Using a Pattern

A Pattern. Drawing out a pattern will give you a guide as you are bending the metal. It can also be used to determine how long of a piece of metal you'll need.

v/;

INSERT END OF WORKPIECE BETWEEN PINS

-V-

BEND THE METAL IN SMALL STEPS. REPOSITIONING IT AS NEEDED

/

CONTINUE WORKING YOUR WAY ALONG THE CURVE

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ShopNotes

No. 69