Wire Bending Jig

[DarenN]

the following pics show a wire bending jig for making multiple identical potstand legs.

















Daren.......

[Tony]

Thanks Daren for sharing your knowledge and skills.

Tony

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks Daren. It's been 30 years since I made use of jigs in a manufacturing shop class i took in college. Now, if you could show us the art of welding the leg holders to the pot stand ring.

[DarenN]

sure thing, Ridgerunner. when i go back to work on wednesday i'll take pic of the spot-welder.

[DarenN]

here's the jig i built to make the leg holders. it didn't need to be as big and heavey as it is. i just picked up some scraps out of the trash.



line up the blank, carefully close the jig, and clamp it closed in the bench vise.

while it's true that these two jigs were made to do specific tasks, the possibilities of different styles are endless. the next time you are scratching your head over some small bending or forming job, just think about these jigs, and design what you need.
in days gone by, sheet metal workers used a lot of jigs made from hardwood. these jigs didn't last very long, and were often "one-use" items. as such it was cheaper and easier to use wood as opposed to machining the jig from metal.

Daren......

[oops56]

here's the jig i built to make the leg holders. it didn't need to be as big and heavey as it is. i just picked up some scraps out of the trash.



line up the blank, carefully close the jig, and clamp it closed in the bench vise.

while it's true that these two jigs were made to do specific tasks, the possibilities of different styles are endless. the next time you are scratching your head over some small bending or forming job, just think about these jigs, and design what you need.
in days gone by, sheet metal workers used a lot of jigs made from hardwood. these jigs didn't last very long, and were often "one-use" items. as such it was cheaper and easier to use wood as opposed to machining the jig from metal.

Daren......

I been there done that when i work making jigs all the time.I engineer a new type of bearing block and guess who had to do all the jigs and make them. The machines had about 70 of them repace 6 or 7 a week.

[samh]

Thanks for the 'process' photos, Daren.

[Ridgerunner]

Daren, great photos. They will be helpful in the secret stovie labratory. I suppose the brackets could always be attached with jb-weld. The spot welds look real nice. One must have access to the proper tools.

[DarenN]

i always try to think of ways to do things that don't require the special tools and equipment that i have access to, and others probably don't.

if my compact stand burner ring was made just the right size, there would be room to rivet the leg brackets on.

Daren.......

[DaddyMnM]

Daren,

Nice work! Your work always seems to show how a professional job should look.

Any alternates for those who don't have access to a spot welder? Do you supposed that the legs could alternately be crimped to the base/band instead of welded? I also wonder if you could cut two slots the width of the wire diameter in the band top and bottom, thread the leg through the slots, and crimp, you might form some sort of hinge without welding.

Thanks for sharing.