I don't know how to bend steel.

[beowulf]

I don't really know what it is you are trying to straighten, but for what it is worth, when I have had a need to straighten something that is susceptible to being straightened I have used another heavy piece of steel, angle iron, or pipe or whatever, and used pipe clamps or other heavy duty clamps. Basically, to lay the iron against the bent piece and use clamps to pull the two pieces together. Sometimes works beautifully, sometimes not so much, sometimes does not work. May take a few tries and some experimentation.

 

[Diggin It]

If I were going to straighten it, I'd add another bar to strengthen it. I'm not sure the OP told us exactly how this happened, but it's certain to happen again. Is it a solid bar or tubing? If tubing, how thick are the walls?

 

[LittleBill21]

guys its done, i beat the **** out of it, buts is back to 90% better, i should have cut it off and straightened it. all you guys with your clamps, I don't know what kind of clamps your using, but a 4 ton press couldn't budge it, nor could a 24" adjustable with a 4 foot bar on it. took a 5 pound sled hammer at full swings to straighten it out, almost broke my vice, but i was at my I don't give a **** point.

Thanks for all the advice though, appreciate it.

 

[beowulf]

I couldn't tell precisely what it was you were trying to bend, thickness, material etc. Clamps can work but only on things that are reasonably bendable that way. The person on the site looking at the job is the only one who can assess that. Glad you got it somewhat worked out.

 

[workinonit]

I can't even see the bend. This is off of a tractor, right? I'll usually do something minor like that on purpose just so it's not "new" anymore.

 

[Grumpycat]

I can't even see the bend. This is off of a tractor, right? I'll usually do something minor like that on purpose just so it's not "new" anymore.

The small square bar has a small kink.

 

[ArlyA]

Guys, In my past life I was a carmen. These are the guys that repair RR cars. Did lots of heating metal until it was red and twisted cars back to being straight again. But to be honest, I do very little heating to bend things back anymore, instead I take a handy little band saws and put a shallow cut at the section than needs bending, on the side that will compress. Cut about 1/2 through, then you can easily bend it without heat. Last you crank your handy ol welder on and weld the cut you just made. I run 035 wire just about every day.

 

[LittleBill21]

Guys, In my past life I was a carmen. These are the guys that repair RR cars. Did lots of heating metal until it was red and twisted cars back to being straight again. But to be honest, I do very little heating to bend things back anymore, instead I take a handy little band saws and put a shallow cut at the section than needs bending, on the side that will compress. Cut about 1/2 through, then you can easily bend it without heat. Last you crank your handy ol welder on and weld the cut you just made. I run 035 wire every day. View attachment 688748

where were you yesterday when i was swinging a 5 pound sledge? good idea though, i will use it next time.

 

[arkydog]

where were you yesterday when i was swinging a 5 pound sledge? good idea though, i will use it next time.

as an autoboby man for 36 years most of it frame work, pull out the damaged area the same way and angle that it went in. next time wrap chain around damaged area and tree so it on the some spot and reverse it by backing tractor up. come a long also works. glad u got it fixed

 

[ArlyA]

Light materials and heaver, lets say 10 gauge and thicker, are very much different animals to bend or straighten. In the top photo, you can see the cut I made in this 1/4" plate that was bent. The pipe it was welded to was thinner than this stop tab, so I was worried that the pipe might bend when I hammered that 1/4 " tab back. To made sure the tab did the bending, I put a little cut in it seen in the top pic. Then I ran a weld across it after it was straightened as seen in the middle photo. Then I added a backing plate to made sure it wouldn't bend again, seen in the lowest photo. No heating required. This is how I straighten 90% of the steel I'm working with these days. Hope you guys find this helpful.