How would you straighten this?

[Big Barn]

As others have mentioned, I would make or purchase a new one.

KEEP the bent one for when you need to park the trailer crosswise on a sidehill. Your friends will think you're a genius.



Terry

 

[jimmysisson]

So I found out it's $25 plus $12 shipping, takes a week. That's enough incentive to try to repair it, for now at least. Pipe o.d. Is 1-5/8". A piece of 1-1/4" black iron pipe (which I have) fits the socket, a bit snug. So worst case I can cut the foot off the old one and weld it to the new piece.
Shield Arc, with your heat-and-quench method, how hot (color) and how to quench? Should I dip the whole thing in my pond, or spray the hot spot with a hose? I understand about heating galvy. I'd like to try that to learn something, first.
Thanks

 

[Shield Arc]

Heat the oval red hot. Make sure the oval is in the center of the bend. Like I drew above. Use your garden hose, and shoot the water right on the oval. If it does not bend it back enough. Wait until the pipe is dead cold to the naked hand. Then heat a little bigger oval.
Before heating place a fan where it will blow the smoke away from your face! I've been galvanized poisoned at least a dozen times. One miserable night, but the next morning good as new.

 

[flyerdan]

From the crease it looks to be fairly thin, if it's 16 ga. grab one of these from Home Depot and cut it in half, keep the unused section for a spare if something happens again.

 

[sixdogs]

I bent a tube support bracket one time that was 16 ga and used a new piece of scrap exhaust pipe tubing to fix it. Just a thought.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Well jeez.. If its that small and thin, just straighten the darn thing back out. Have to admit that it looked bigger and thicker than that, but since its not, it should be a simple matter. No need for the hoopla..

 

[jimmysisson]

It's 10-11 gauge. I'll try tomorrow and let you know

Jim

 

[Shield Arc]

In the 1970s I got stuck building 200 of these Seattle Metro bus shelters. At the bottom of the legs, the specs said the legs had to be within 1/8-inch. Square tubing is very reactive to heat. Guess how I got all the legs within an 1/8-inch?

 

[sixdogs]

In the 1970s I got stuck building 200 of these Seattle Metro bus shelters. At the bottom of the legs, the specs said the legs had to be within 1/8-inch. Square tubing is very reactive to heat. Guess how I got all the legs within an 1/8-inch?

I'm just a beginner at welding, but I'll take a stab at this. My first guess is that you welded in a sequence, or pattern that caused the metal to heat bend one way or the other. More likely is that you assembled things in a careful manner and then heated the metal to cause it to "warp" into spec.

 

[Shield Arc]

I'm a big believer in correct weld sequence, back stepping welds, and skipping around a lot. To prevent weld distortion. But when welding these bus shelters together. I didn't worry too much. I knew I had to heat shrink all the legs within the 1/8-inch tolerance.