Forming Rebar with an Arc Welder...

[edv7028]

Hi...

Does anyone have any proven, or even just possible ideas for bending/forming rebar with an Arc Welder ?

If I can get hold of some, I'm going to try and use Carbon Electrodes to heat the rebar in the section where I want it bent. Don't know yet exactly what the beejesus I'm doing; but it seems to me that it should work.

I have to work "Cheaply" because I'm retired, and my grandkids have this bad habit of always wanting to eat; so I'm looking for a process in which I don't have to use-up any of my more expensive electrodes. I don't have anything other than a little Clarke 95E; and a Lincoln 225/125 AC/DC Arc Welders.

Any advice you folks can throw my way will certainly help; or at the very least, cut down on some experimentation on my part.

Thanks !

Ed VA
"It's not impossible until you prove it's impossible to yourself."

[araspitfire]

I have to admit that I thought of doing this with my TIG torch.... (I don't have room for an OA rig in my tiny shop). Not necessarily with rebar, but whatever...

I'd say give it a try with whatever you have to hand... then if it looks promising go buy (or get someone to give you a sample) a bit of carbon rod and have a go... though I expect that without shielding gas or flux, you will seriously weaken the metal at the bend due to oxidation...

Al..

[edv7028]

Thanks Spitfire !

I'm working on getting some Carbon Rod; but until then, I'm still hoping someone might have other ingenious ideas. Never know !

Ed VA

[Zrexxer]

Does anyone have any proven, or even just possible ideas for bending/forming rebar with an Arc Welder ?

If you're just using it for garden art/whatever, carry on. But if you're actually making bends for reinforcing concrete, then it needs to be bent cold. You can rent a rebar bender at just about any tool/equipment rental yard.

[Hotfoot]

3/8" can be bent nicely in a vise by slipping a long pipe over it. The same pipe can be used to "stretch" it around round objects (like an oxygen tank) to get curves and circles (fasten the beginning end down..I drilled a hole in a tank, bent an "L" in the vise with the pipe, then "stretch". I use about a three foot pipe.

[JTMcCracken]

Right-o man, bend it cold (it's free and the right way), unless you're working with #11 bars and grandpa's don't have any business bending #11's

Get a lonnngggg cheater and make those grandkids earn their supper!

JTMcC.

[edv7028]

On Hand-Bending Rebar...

Thanks Guys...

I've managed to bend some 3/8" rebar by hand; but when I tried to put a 3.0" or smaller radius on it, it snapped; so I'll have to heat it for certain bends.

Someone has shown me that it can be done with a Carbon Electrode within about 30 seconds. I don't know how badly, if at all, it affects the rebar via the heating; but at least I now know it can be done.

Thanks to All !

Ed VA

[Sberry]

Thousands of pieces are bend cold every day by hand, orient it like shown in the pic. This one is number 4 (1/2 inch), 3 (3/8) bends even easier.

[edv7028]

Thanks SBerry...

When I tried to bend 3/8" rebar 180 degrees with only a 3.0" radius, it snapped. Maybe it was defective. Nevertheless, it broke; and I never tried it again.

Thanks for the photo !

Ed VA

[Sberry]

You could have come across a piece of hard rod, that is a possibility. Look at the way the pattern is, bends in between the deforms.

[Archaic]

Hard Rebar

EDV7028:

Rebar is commonly available in two grades. Grade 60 and Grade 40. Grade 60 has a much higher tensile strength that Grade 40 (60 ksi versus 40 ksi). In my experience Grade 60 rebar is harder to cut, harder to bend, and tends to be somewhat brittle.

If you are going to be bending rebar for small things, make sure that you are getting Grade 40 rebar. Where rebar is concerned, a cold bend is always much better than a hot bend.

Adios-----

[Hotfoot]

These are 3/8" #60 Mexican bar. The id of the "small part" of the bend is
1 5/8". These were bent cold, and DDA's concrete business had lots of scraps (these were rusted, so out of spec for him, but fine for my art stuff). They were done with a rebar bender...I use the vise/pipe method exactly like Sberry.

[Tinkertech]

Common rebar only has two ribs running the length of the rod..The ribs will be on either side of the rod 180 degrees apart and of equal size... High carbon rebar will have 2 equal size ribs and one faint rib running parallel with one of the larger ribs. If you are using high carbon rebar it will be a lot more brittle and higher in carbon ,,,I use the hign carbon stuff in my forge to make primitive knives and tools. Hammers out to a decent (spell that as cheeep) steel for forge work...

[edv7028]

On Hand Made Knives...

Hi Tinkertech...

I've gotta admire anyone that makes knives, especially out of rebar. Takes patience, not to mention talent. I'm going to give that a try once the weather, and my stomach clear up.

I made One Really Nice Garden Knife for digging in rocks out of old Lawn Tractor Blades which I cut off using my grinder with cut off wheels, and then grinding the edges on it. I made a handle out of Mesquite Wood, and it's already wanted by several people that have managed to see it. I've got LOTS of old blades; and they're FREE !

How long does it take you to make one of your knives ? I'd really like to give it a shot, especially if I can make one "Damascus Style".

Hotfoot... Thanks for your photos; but some of the rebar I want to bend is 1.0" in diameter; and I'm not "Gorilla" enough to do it by hand, even if my vise would stay put while I grunted at it.

Thanks !

Thanks !

Ed VA
"It's only impossible if you prove to yourself that it's impossible."

[Sberry]

3/4 is about the limit for hand cold bend. Rebar is sized,,, number 3 is 3/8, number 4 is 1/2, number 6 is 3/4 etc. Sized by 1/8's