I need to heat and bend some steel

admin

Nothing in particular.Occasionally I need to do something and wish I could heat it up. Sometimes it's some 10mm rod that I want to curve. Or some 40 x 5mm flat bar. A corner of my welding table is bent, so I want to fix that. It's just that sort of thing.I'm just a hobbyist and will only need heat once a month or so. What would you blokes recommend.Scott
Reply:Short of an O/A outfit, I wonder if a MAPP gas outfit would work for that small dia.??  I think Bernzomatic makes them pretty cheap.Like I say, I don't have experience with them.  Somebody might know"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I've always been wary of O/A. Not that I've used it. I imagine blowing myself up.But if I head down that path - not the blowing up path, but the O/A path - I'm assuming I can get small cylinders?What's MAPP?
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonI've always been wary of O/A. Not that I've used it. I imagine blowing myself up.But if I head down that path - not the blowing up path, but the O/A path - I'm assuming I can get small cylinders?What's MAPP?
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonI've always been wary of O/A. Not that I've used it. I imagine blowing myself up.But if I head down that path - not the blowing up path, but the O/A path - I'm assuming I can get small cylinders?What's MAPP?
Reply:oxy/a been doing it for years before i got my forge.Annamel TW9Y Georgia
Reply:O/A would be my #1 choice. You can get those small sets cheap at times. I just saw one set with tanks for $100 on CL. Torch and regs usually go used between $75-150 depending on what quality they are. Acet tanks from $65-80 (40cf) for small ones, small O2 (20cf) $120 or so.I also have a small air acet torch. Mostly use it for soldering, but I have heated with it on occasion.You would need to use big tips, and O/A is much better. I picked that tank and torch for $50 used off CL.As far as hazards of O/A... Acet needs to stay upright all the time. If you lay the tank down for say transport, you need to let it sit upright for at least 2 hrs+ to allow the acetone in the tank to settle to the bottom again. O2 is like any other comp gas with one exception. Don't get oil or grease near the O2. With some general safety precautions you will never have an issue.You could also use oxy/propane if acet. bothers you or you need to save a few bucks and already have a propane cyl. It's not as hot as O/A and you need to get propane rated hose and a propane reg, but other than that it's a good option.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammI don't know what it stands for either.  Should be able to Google it
Reply:Posted by Scott:What's MAPP?
Reply:All sorts of ways to heat things up Scott.Make a big charcoal pile in the barbie, let it get going nice and hot, stick metal into fire and blow air into charcoal.  Aka a forge.  Metal gets hot in the fire, you take it out and bend it, it cools down and you put it back into the fire and repeat as needed.Standard '20 pound' (what's that in metric, an 8 kilo tank  ) BBQ propane tank and a 'weedburner' like this http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91033 .  It will get metal pretty hot.      That's because the burner puts out around 500,000 Btu/hr (that's 146 kilowatts) at 'full' output!  It's not a finesse tool, but just blasts heat.The little propane or MAPP torches that use the disposable gas cylinders really don't put out enough heat to get a chunk of steel hot enough (red hot) to bend.You can move up to an oxy-fuel torch (oxy-propane, oxy-acetylene, oxy-MAPP, oxy-etc).  They all look and work pretty much the same, but you have to make sure you have the right torch/orifices/regulators/etc for the type of fuel gas you are using.  There are some slight differences in the operating characteristics of the different fuel gases (oxy-acet has the highest flame temperature, so it is good for welding, oxy-propane puts out more heat but not as high a temperature so it is a decent choice for heating or flame cutting, etc).See http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/e...t/products.asp or http://www.thermadyne.com/victor/ for some more info about gas torches.Download the Victor Cut-Weld-Heat guide http://www.thermadyne.com/IM_Uploads...20guide_lo.pdfand read about the different gases and such.And there is a pretty big practical difference between heating up a 10mm bar to red hot to be able to bend it (relatively easy) to heating a 40mm x 5mm bar red hot (more difficult because the size is bigger) to heating a big piece of plate (your welding table) to red hot (takes much-much-much more heat because of the size and surface area that is losing heat fast and spreading the heat out as you try to put the heat into that bent corner).You have to choose what you want to do and how you want to go about it.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Moonrise,The Little Mapp torches actually work pretty good- it will heat 3/8" Red Hot-Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseStandard '20 pound' (what's that in metric, an 8 kilo tank  ) BBQ propane tank and a 'weedburner' like this http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91033 .  It will get metal pretty hot.      That's because the burner puts out around 500,000 Btu/hr (that's 146 kilowatts) at 'full' output!  It's not a finesse tool, but just blasts heat.
Reply:I should point out that these weed burners shoot heat a lot further than the flame. You could easily kill a fruit tree that's a meter or 2 away Wife wasn't too happy about that one."We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities. "   - Oscar WildeMaxstar STL150Eagle CPM30 Bender
Reply:Broccoli,Oh, I've heated many things with the MAPP torch.  But the propane weedburner puts out HEAT.  That thing is just fun/sick/scary all at the same timeI wouldn't pick the little MAPP torch to try and heat a section of 2 inch wide x 1/4 inch thick steel bar to red hot in order to bend it.  The weedburner will do it though.  Different choices Scott, you have to pick what you want.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonNothing in particular. . . .I'm just a hobbyist and will only need heat once a month or so. What would you blokes recommend.
Reply:Thanks all. Those propane torches would be perfect for me I'd say.Denrep:This bloke suggests you have a blimey look at this bloody thread:
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdon...You're mixing your countries up. . . .
Reply:Originally Posted by scott brunsdonThanks all. Those propane torches would be perfect for me I'd say.Denrep:You're mixing your countries up. 'Blokes' is Aussie slang. 'Blimey' is English slang - it's an expression of surprise.
Reply:Ah, see Denrep, 'ruddy' is English slang, too.Weren't most of the Aussies originally from England? Except the aborigines of course...