Bending Thick Metal

[cowski]

bolt it back on the bushhog hook the bushhog to the tractor. then flip the bent piece over.that should hold it in place.then put your cuttin tip on the torch ,this will heat it up enough.do not hit the oxygen.get a 4 ft pipe that will fit over the end of the metal. then heat it up where it is bent and pry it where you need it.that is a real easy repair.

 

[JB4310]

Are you trying to make a work of art or just straighten the 2 legs?
It's a mower wheel not a lunar landing craft part

The bent square stock is going to be a little deformed, but not even a need for hammer imo, just get it hot enough while securely held down and you would be able to move those pieces to close enough to their correct position, by just grabbing the ends and pulling.

May not be pretty but it will track straight. and yes you will be surprised by how easy, with enough heat and that much leverage, it is to bend thick steel.

How thick is that anyway? 1/2" ? Sorry if you mentioned already, but if it's just 1/2 x 2 like it looks, you don't want it so hot so it bends like clay,(regardless of it's thickness) you want it just hot enough so it takes a little effort to move it so you don't go too far, but also so you don't overly traumatise the material. Though metallurgy is not too critical for that part.

If you don't have a vise big enough or even if you did, you could install it upside down in the mower and use the mower/ tractor as your solid holding point. You do need the 2 legs close enough for the axle/ shaft /bolt to align so have it handy and check it. I would try to do both at once with the bolt and a spacer in place. but that may or may not be possible.

You could always do the quick and dirty, and find a stump or a tree and force it back cold. or a chain and a comalong etc.

Good luck!

Edit: cowski beat me to the idea of using the mower as the vise, I'm a slow typer. I would probably do that way even though I have a monster vise and steel bench.
Just slide in to the receiver as far as it can go so you don't work on the tube.

JB

 

[Gary Fowler]

IF you elect to try and straighten it by attaching it back on the mower, take the tail wheel off so it isnt acting as a heat sink, then heat it cherry red, use a long piece of pipe that will fit into the coupling, likely 1 1/2" and lots of body weight and it should come back. Use the biggest tip you have for heating. A rosebud will cost you close to $100 if you get a propane one and is really not needed. IF you dont have a big cutting tip, perhaps invest $15 or less and get a number 3 tip. That will be about as large as you need for heating that 1/2" metal. For safety sake, Watch your footing while clambering around on the bushhog deck , one slip and you will spend more on emergency care than that new tailwheel bracket would have cost.

 

[Beltzington]

I have a new level of respect for those of you who work with metal for a living.

Tonight I tried again to heat the metal up with my torch and a larger tip with no success. Deciding to remove the wheel bracket and take it to a shop for repair and it took me at least 15 minutes to grind the welded retaining washer off the shaft and in the process managed to melt the back of my nylon mechanics work gloves LOL, I was at a loss why the back of my hand was so hot.

Appreciate everyones advice, ironically I have a large vise and metal work table located on my property which is unfortunatley a two-hour drive from where I keep the OA torch. Even so I am not sure I could have gotten enough heat and leverage to straighten the thick plate that was bent.

In for a penny, in for a pound I am going to have them replace the bent plate, re-weld the wheel forks and use a longer shaft so I can use a cotter-pin instead of a weld to attach it back on the tail boom. Also going to ask their professional opinion whether reinforcement would help prevent future damage.

 

[gwdixon]

At least you gave it a good try. In the end it will be fixed.

Reinforcement would likely lead to damage elsewhere on the mower. Best try to avoid obstacles next time.

 

[digger2]

Beltz,

My 2 cents......I think the best thing would be (as some have suggested)
cutting off the plate and having a new one welded back on.At times i have heated up damage like that to straighten and if you are not carefull with the way it is heated and cooled,the plate may loose some of its strength,making
it easier to do damage to the same piece,maybe even worse next time.
Yeah,stuff like that can be heated and brought back to look just as good as what it was,but is it "REALLY" as good as new,or does it just "look" as good as new.I'd replace the plate....and remember,yes that new piece of steel will cost a few bucks but so does the gas and oxygen that it takes to straighten it.And,you would still have the old,so called "fixed" piece on there.
So i'd tear it out and put a new piece in.Maybe if you wanted to you could make it a little heavier,but i would'nt go overboard.

 

[JB4310]

I have a new level of respect for those of you who work with metal for a living.

Tonight I tried again to heat the metal up with my torch and a larger tip with no success. Deciding to remove the wheel bracket and take it to a shop for repair and it took me at least 15 minutes to grind the welded retaining washer off the shaft and in the process managed to melt the back of my nylon mechanics work gloves LOL, I was at a loss why the back of my hand was so hot.

Appreciate everyones advice, ironically I have a large vise and metal work table located on my property which is unfortunatley a two-hour drive from where I keep the OA torch. Even so I am not sure I could have gotten enough heat and leverage to straighten the thick plate that was bent.

In for a penny, in for a pound I am going to have them replace the bent plate, re-weld the wheel forks and use a longer shaft so I can use a cotter-pin instead of a weld to attach it back on the tail boom. Also going to ask their professional opinion whether reinforcement would help prevent future damage.

You were probably losing alot of your heat to that thick collar in the middle, like a heat sink. Shouldn't be a bank breaker getting it fixed at the shop.

JB

 

[Doppelgangar]

A decent Shop will straighten that in a few minutes cold.

you have it apart and pay the minium charge for some one with experence to complete the job.

Deliver it first thing in morning and more than likely it be done by lunch time.

 

[flusher]

Hi All -

After two seasons finally got around to removing my LX6 RC tail mount to try and straighten the wheel bracket (bought it that way.) Short story is after several minutes of heat via gas blow torch (no cutting air) I burned some paint but no way the bracket would budge. Heated the metal to cherry red where the flame was but seemed cool to quickley by the time I tried to straighten the metal. I do have several other gas tips but have never installed them or know how they should be used.

Options are:

Figure out what I am doing wrong

Leave it be and remount, I have used it for three seasons but it makes the RC jump when changing directions and I believe puts undo strain on the 3-point

Take it to someone who knows what there doing and hope they have better luck then I.

Spend $200 for a Deere replacement wheel bracket and pay someone to weld it back on.

Picture should clarify my problem. TIA

Get out your 4-1/2" angle grinder and a handful of metal cutting blades. Make a few cuts 1/2 to 3/4 through the thickness so you can bend it straight with a heavy hammer. Then weld the cuts closed.

 

[IslandTractor]

Please be sure your acetylene tank is large enough to support a large rosebuds draw rate. Remember the 1/7 rule. (some now say 1/10 rule) to not draw more than 1/7 of your tanks total cubic foot capacity in one hour.

James K0UA

Agree but the rule is not 1/7 of the tank capacity in one hour, it is far more restrictive: not more than a RATE of 1/7 of tank capacity per hour. You don't have the option of using it aggressively for five minutes and then letting the tank sit for 35 minutes. Obviously lots of people either are ignorant of the rule or ignore it and we don't hear of many amateurs blowing themselves up but the rule is actually pretty restrictive. As I recall, it pretty much rules out using a rosebud on anything but a large, non portable acetylene tank. Certainly not on a B tank or smaller.

To be practical and economic, it makes more sense to use propane for heating unless you have a big industrial acetylene set up.