Rail bending rollers

Are there any plans available to make a set of rail bending rollers. I am making a garden track from 25 x 6mm steel section, and need to think about making some curved sections.

Bob

If no flanges why not use a set of standard slip rolls?

Link not plans but ...

Slip rolls need to be in the horizontal plane as weilding a bit of 25 x 6mm x 4 meters long waving about in the air may cause a few problems. I liked the idea Dave linked to (same problem with guiding in the vertical plane), but that the two guide rollers are powered - even if rolling by hand and not the centre roller.

Make a base from plate, thick sheet or even wood about 400 mm long. Get three bearings about 20 mm OD M8 bolt. Bolt two bearings to the base at the ends of the plate. The centre bearing needs to be positioned centrally between the two outer bearings such that its position can be adjusted in the transverse direction. Place rail between the three bearings and adjust to put a gentle curve into rail. Run the full length of the rail through the bearings and it will put a curve into the rail. Continue adjusting until desired radius is achieved. If you over bend just reverse the rail and adjust it out. We use a rail bender like this at our club.

25 X 6 I would bend round suitable round objects if I didn't have a set of rolls ! It all depends on how much money and time you want to spend making the tool to do the job. I seem to remember a design in ME or MEW for a set of rolls, for this job just make narrower and mount the roll axis verticle on a sheet of 8' X 4' ply marking out the radii you need on the board will make the job easy and accurate. Noel.

Excellent idea, Noel. Some sort of marking out on a large board or a simple jig, either to check job progress/accuracy. Similar idea to produce a curved fence top and bottom rail, was done by Worthing model engineers. They have a flypress with a round cross bar to hit the work at regular intervals causing the work to curl up. I think that they also have some short bending rolls with 'fat' rollers that produce the same effect.

John

Dave, are you saying that you can just push the rail section through the rollers, probably a second person to gently guide the rail as it comes through the rollers ?

Bob

Bob

Yes you just push the rail through the roller. Can be done by one person or with help. It is large scale version of this. The rollers are spaced relatively further apart though.