question in iron working

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I've seen where people have made iron gates and fences and stuff. My question is how do people make the bends and curves in the artwork. Here's a link for a reference for what I'm talking about:http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=46856
Reply:Tight bends get made with a lever-type bender like a Hossfeld.  More gradual bends are done with a roll bender.  There are also special tools/jigs for spirals and for twisting pickets.  A lot of wrought iron style pieces are bought pre-made from a company like King Architecural Metals.  You can also do a lot of bending manually, with wooden and metal jigs.The vast majority of what we think of as 'wrought iron' is actually made with mild steel, nowadays.  Although there are some artisans who are still working with actual wrought iron.Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:In post #15 of your example, Castweld mentions he bought the scrolls he used from King..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:as stated above, people use evrything from bending stuff over your knee to elaborate  hiprice  machines..dont be afraid to start cheap and primitive you can still make good stuff.....
Reply:"No Budget" is the mother of invention. I always say Hossfeld-Shmossfeld, but they do have there uses. Me, I like making jigs and fixtures. Various dia. pipe slices are great for med. curves. Large curves can be done on plywood cutouts. You can build your own scrollers. Brake rotors are good. Wheel rims. Best thing for fine tuning you'll ever have is a pair of 1/2" round, solid pieces, about 3" tall, welded to your bench. About a 1/2" apart. Or weld them to a heavy plate that you can clamp in your vise. You can bend up damn near any shape with just these. Especially once you get enough experience with your hands. You can "feel" your way through the shapes.200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:"I always say Hossfeld-Shmossfeld, but they do have there uses".   Bert's softening up, that is the nicest thing you have ever said about Hossfeld bender.Select metal most fitting to be bent without dies.  Solids and channel or angle instead of tubing for tight bends.      I agree,  Bending forks on a table/stand are invaluable.Ring rollers are nice if the arc is regular.  I use my American Bender with "feed along dies" much more than my ring roller, simply because it is easier to match the pattern needed.Much patience is required for a nice bends done manually.For Multiple scrolls, it would be recommended you have a pattern.  You can bend up to 1/2" easily with out heat, however, tapering and flaring and rolling ends requires heat.  Depending on quality, you may not need to taper or flare.  You can also purchase the arches.Consensus seem to be, there is no limit to how to get it done.
Reply:Search "old fashion bending" and you can see one way to do it.
Reply:I have always wondered what is the difference between  ''wrought iron'  and mild steel?? I'm sure the mix of metal is different, but why...
Reply:Wrought iron just means "worked" iron, and carbon content is one main difference. There is a whole heap of material written about wrought iron, if you care to read up.Wiki is one place to begin, but read that site with a grain of salt.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrought_ironCity of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Most any shape or curve is available through King or some other supply, even the top curves for the gates.  There are so many ways to bend stuff without the "proper" equipment.  Even though I have most everything I need now, I had to start somewhere, using old barrels, jigs, tire rims and about anything else I could use.  There are ways to do it, maybe not as perfect and as easy, but generally you can get it done with a little heat, and creativity.Wrought iron nowadays refers more to the genre and look than it does to a specific type of material used for fabrication.   Most "wrought" iron is a mixture of steel tubing, cast iron, stamped steel, and and cast steel materials, and even plastic or any combination thereof.Last edited by lugweld; 11-27-2010 at 01:16 AM.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:Originally Posted by tapwelder"I always say Hossfeld-Shmossfeld, but they do have there uses".   Bert's softening up, that is the nicest thing you have ever said about Hossfeld bender.
Reply:Hossfeld-Shmossfeld until you need to make 20 identical pieces.  Still, until I get a Hossfeld, here's a good link on low-cost-or-no-cost bending:http://www.metalgeek.com/archives/2005/05/01/000047.phpJack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:Originally Posted by Jack OlsenHossfeld-Shmossfeld until you need to make 20 identical pieces.  Still, until I get a Hossfeld, here's a good link on low-cost-or-no-cost bending:http://www.metalgeek.com/archives/2005/05/01/000047.php
Reply:I'd sign up for that class.  Jack OlsenMy garage website