Bell shaped gate

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hey guys and gals,     I'm in the developing stages of a gate project. It will be an entrance gate on our driveway. I want it to have a bell shape top on it. My question is how to make the shape without a roller or pie cuts. I will most likely be using aluminum as material. I have thought of making a form, heating the piece and bending the shape and clamp it till it cools. The spring back has me a little concerned. Any suggestions? Thanks! Anthony
Reply:I'd probably draw out a full size mockup of what you want to reproduce. Then build a bending fork and make small bends every 1/2" or so until the material matches the shape you want. You simply keep tweaking the shape until it matches the mockup. The size of the rods on the fork and the spacing will help control the bends. I think Denny posted up a nice adjustable unit he made a few years back where he used various sizes of pins along with a set of 1/2" sockets to vary the post sizes and had the pins so they could be installed at different points on the bar of the fork..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Post a sketch of the shape... that may help us come up with some specific ideas. A few recent posts come to mind. Peter is showing how he bent some large arcs:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=63009This nifty little tool:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=78451And this homemade bender which shows the principles involved in make a quick a dirty bender on the cheap:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=77691
Reply:I might be wrong but, I think OHMTHIS wants an actual bell shape. I guess it would be like making a fender from a sheet of steel. This is not something I would know how to do. Maybe something like this video  "Every choice you make will effect at least one other person"