Twisting Bar

admin

I have been twisting some solid bar together to make furniture out of.Has anyone made a machine for twisting, I do mine up the inside of a length of tube to help keep them straight. Simonhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~abba/index.html Attached Images
Reply:pretty  how are you doing this? ...zap!
Reply:all i have seen was on the Discovery ch.  It looked like a lathe ,,sort ofhard for me to explane
Reply:There are several twisting machines on the market- none of them use a tube to keep the material straight, that I have ever seen. The place I used to buy steel from in LA, BOBCO, had a homemade machine, a 20 ft I beam with about a 10hp motor on one end, run thru a truck transmission- they used to twist 20 foot pieces of 1/2" square, and they came out straight.I have a german twisting machine, it uses chucks, a different one for each size of square, and it comes out nice and straight.Here is a picture of a reverse twist I did on it, hot, with my machine.The material is 3/4" square stainless. Attached Images
Reply:We have a RIGID pipe threader that we mounted to a table and have adapters that fit various things. We can twist 3/4" solid, for pickets, and they come out straight and uniform twists.
Reply:Creative stuff Welderman. Have you checked out www.anvilfire.com  Nice work Ries, I like those rivets.  If you are fortunate enough to have a machine,great. However, If you are a twisting tool, especially with heat, a pipe will help much.  It is not an uncommon practice.  There is a Thread on this forum that shows how to make a simple picket twister(type picket twister).  I made one similar to that design.  I used trailer hitch pins from Tractor Supply co. for the action and an old 1/2in socket (the part that attaches to the wrench is 1/2 in) to hold the picket .  I works well.  It will take less than an hour to make.  I haven't tried to make any baskets with it.  It is simple to make.  However, the major modification I would make is to machine the action portion or use bearings to hold things perfectly steady.  There is still slight, yet consistent bow in my picket, I think it is coming form the slop in the pin I used for the action.Actually, I have no real use for a twister, I just made it because I needed a fabircation fix and it was raining out side.
Reply:Tapwelder,Do you have any pictures of your picket twister?  I use a 1/2" female ratchet, for the square tubing that I think will break someday and am looking for a better idea.  For the pickets I use a heavy piece of pipe with a notch in it to hold the flat bar and turn it.On the side I have bent my pickets using a pipe and they come out perfectly straight, or should I say as straight as the rest of my work!I asked for pictures but don't have any myself.
Reply:Ries,I want to see that whole gate - it looks interesting. Any wider angle pics?Scott
Reply:I use this thingy to make this table. If the bottom sprial looks uneven, it's not I twisted it in reverse of the top one. Made some money betting on that. Attached ImagesLast edited by gmc1999; 02-23-2006 at 07:30 PM.MILLER ELITE WELDING HELMET 29 ROADSTERMM 251Lincoln Precision Tig 225Weldtech Cooler
Reply:Just curious...Do these bars that you guys are twisting need to be heated first?Does twisting make them stronger i.e. will a twisted bar support more weight than the same bar untwisted?Scott
Reply:Scott, I guess if you twist 2, 3 or four bars twisted together they would be stronger than just one bar I twist a lot for hates and security bars and they are much more rigid twisted.I do most of my twisting cold but once I get to 3/4' and bigger I heat the area to be twisted.Ries That gate looks interesting do you have a photo of the whole thing?I made a machine today to twist up to 3/4" bar it is an old pipe threading setup I have had for a long time. It will twist a 8' long straight and even. Much quicker than my old way.Simonhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~abba/index.html
Reply:Oh Simon, you do know that having said you made a machine today for twisting bars when those Americans wake up and read this they're going to want to see photos of it. Better get that camera out now.There's something great about making a machine that you then use to do stuff. Wish I could do that.And what's with the inches? Just cause it's their site doesn't mean you have to ditch the metric system. It will do them good to learn it.Scott
Reply:Hey Scott, I deal with farmers all week long and most of them still talk in inches so I tend to work in both, But I must say I do prefer the metric system.Here is a photo of the twisting machine I made it is simple and only made from scraps and junk I had out the back.Simonhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~abba/index.html Attached Images
Reply:Twisting doesnt make a bar stronger or not- its the same amount of metal before or after.The fence section I showed is part of 550 linear feet of stainless and bronze fencing I did for a light rail stop in Pasadena Ca. Its really hard to show much of it at once, as the whole thing is so damn big. Here is another pic, and there are more at my website- www.riesniemi.com Attached Images
Reply:Here is another twist for you- I machined this first, cutting the slots with a ball mill, then twisting it hot. Attached Images
Reply:And another one- Attached Images
Reply:You guys are so freaking cool. I never knew there were people with the same interests as me (fabbing) until I found this site by accident. I don't always have a need for something, but I love to build and be creative. But I am nowhere near as creative as you guys seem to be. They say form follows function and most of my projects function like a mofo, but have no form. I am going to steal a bunch of your ideas and make something REALLY cool someday.
Reply:Hello Joker11,Feel free to try anything I have made, it is how you learn if you need any help just say so, I'll help if I can. I have been working with metal for about 19 years and still have so much to learn, I also look at these type of sites and see work others have done and think I should give that a go. There are some very talented people out there and most are very happy to help others if they can.Simonhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~abba/index.html
Reply:twisting won't make a bar stronger but it should be less flexible; a consideration in building a security gate or fence.
Reply:OK, now here's probably a dumb question...Do you secure the metal to be twisted at both ends or do you just have something in the ends for the metal to pass through but held from twisting?  I guess what I'm asking is, when you twist the metal does it become shorter, therefore you have to let it pull metal through the twisting machine into the area being twisted?
Reply:Although common sense would tell you it gets shorter, with solid material, it really doesnt- the core of a 1" square stays in the same place, it just revolves around that core- so it doesnt shrink by any measurable amount when you are twisting solid round or square.Now tube, or pipe, is a different thing- it collapses when you twist, and will shorten up more.But I have never been able to measure a difference in length when I twist things like 1" square.My machine has square dies that hold square bar- it has one in the power head that the square slides into, and it can come out the other side, as the power head is hollow.In the fixed, clamping end, it has a split square die, with half the square in each half. For round or other shapes, I usually just tig on a short piece of square at each end.I am now developing a round serrated clamping die for the fixed end, and I have made an adapter for a lathe chuck, for the power head, so I can grip pre forge textured round bar, which will enable me to do longer pieces, and run the already twisted length out thru the power head- but that is still in the developmental stages .
Reply:I'll have to go for drive over to your shop oneday Simon to have a look at some of this great stuff you make Creative metal Creative metal Facebook
Reply:As Joker stated, I really enjoy having all these other people with just as much or more creativity. So much skill and diversity. Pictures are always great, thanks for sharing!John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Any time Wello.Simonhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~abba/index.html
Reply:GMC1999  i would like to see some more pictures of your twister. in the picture  it looks like it is showing the back, how about some close up of the actual twister part it self.  i am in the planing stage of building one like yours and would like to see more.                                     Thanks      MarkAll things are good, it's just some are better that others.Could you post some pictures and/or specs on your twister?  I can't really see how its made from your picture.  Thanks.