Here’s a simple bending jig I’ve come across by David W. Wilson:

David W. Wilson’s Bending Jig

Bending Jig Parts

Dimensions

A thick steel plate and large bolts will handle heavier bending. However, a plywood base may be used for lighter bends. The steel plate base is easily assembled if the holes are threaded. But bolts and nuts will also work if held top and bottom through drilled holes in the plate. Various sized sockets from a socket wrench set adjust the radius of the bend. A metal strap may be used to hold the socket in place, and to help keep the bolts from twisting. Smooth bolts and sockets are preferable to threaded rods for the threads will damage the work piece. This type of jig can be held in a vise, or bolted to a work table. A large flat surface around it can help keep the bends flat.

The distance for the work piece between the bolts and/or socket should be snug to keep it from slipping. Several holes drilled into the base at various distances facilitate making numerous radius bends.

“S” type bends are easily bent with this jig. A long rod will help give leverage for several S’s. They may be bent by: 1. Inserting the end of the rod and bending the top part of the “S” 2. Work this bend back through the jig reversed, then bend the bottom of the “S”. Cut hook from section of rod, repeat. Scrolls are also easily bent by gradually working the work piece around a bolt or socket. For repeated work, it’s best to match it to a master shape.

Bending jig pdf download.

Maybe you’re a tinbasher with a secret hankering to create a futuristic musical mash-up along the lines of Blade Runner vs Deliverance. Or, perhaps you’re at a loss what to do with that mouldy galvanised sheeting at the back of your steel rack.

Any pig-squealing city boys in the house?

Then again, you could be just like this guy:

Retired drummer, Bill Winner, wanted to sit under a tree at the lake, and play… but playing the drums just wouldn’t do. So he built his own band of instruments, all crafted out of sheet metal and scrap metal.

The sheet metal band consists of various instruments, including drums, washtub bass, guitar, various Dobro-like open-tuned slide guitars (nicknamed Bilbros) and a fiddle, tuned in 5ths.

Read more about the sheet metal band here and listen to an mp3 of them here.

Whilst this guy doesn’t have any exact plans in relation to building said tube bender form scratch, he does have plenty of pictures, information and is more than happy for you to ask any questions via email.

As he points out:

There are No Plans for this bender, none now, and none later.
I want you to think freely and create.

So off you go to try and cobble one together.

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UPDATE: More about tube bending including various calculators here.

Look what you can do in an hour with a bit of mercury paste.

According to the following article:

Unless you are a representative of a national meteorological bureau licensed to carry a barometer (and odds are you’re not), bringing mercury onboard an airplane is strictly forbidden. Why? If it got loose, it could rust the plane to pieces before it had a chance to land. You see, airplanes are made of aluminum, and aluminum is highly unstable.

I had no idea that you could make such a mess of aluminium in such a short space of time.

I also never thought that a weatherman with a death wish could pose a greater threat to aviation safety than your average shoe bomber.

Here are some bespoke metal seats made from 16mm mild steel that are to be sunk into concrete and placed together somewhere in the Midlands. (I think!)

Here’s the lovely John sporting one of the seats as they’re supposed to be sported before being sent to the painters.

And here’s a close-up of one of the seats upside down being loaded into the van.

And here’s Craig holding the finished article the right way round before it winged it’s way down to Birmingham.