Rounding off the end of flat bar

[Scaffoldking]

I am staring making my own brackets from flat bar and want to round them off with a nice finish as per the picture. Any suggestions as to the best/easiest/quickest machine to achieve this finish?

74F5A45C-C5C7-46AA-A35D-3904B8B2D9B7.jpeg (283.75 KiB) Viewed 4056 times

[dewaltdisney]

From my school days we heated the bar on the forge to red clamped it in a vice and hammered the right angle. I think that is too thick to cold form.

DWD

[Dave54]

Assuming you're talking about just rounding the end.
Bench or pedestal grinder for shaping, linisher for finishing I'd say.
Although you might get away with just the linisher.
If you've got a lot to do, then you'll want bigger "industrial" machines that are rated for longer running times, and have bigger wheels and belts.

[dewaltdisney]

After reading Dave's post I see I misunderstood the question as I see now that this is about cleaning the end rather than forming the bend. I would have said the coarse and fine wheels on a bench grinder would touch them up cleanly. How did you bend them out of interest?

DWD

[Bob225]

Judging by the line and colour its a hot/warm bent in a Brake but it could have been done on an anvil

A bench or pedistal grinder and linish to finish as above

if you only have a few to do hold in a vise and use an angle grinder

[Hitch]

Its that colour because it hot rolled flat, or sometims known as merchant bar.

The lighter grey around the bend area is where the mill scale has flaked off during cold bending.

Thats 100% been done cold in a press brake, or at least with a press of some form.... the indent line is because they've used a top tool with minial/no radius, and probably formed the bend over a die which is a bit on the small side, so the top tooling forms an indent due to the tnnage applied for bending.
That gives a fairly tight bend inside.
I would bet my life on that not being done on an anvil.


The ends will be slow to grind on a bench grinder, i'd use a 5" angle grinder with a flap disc. Take the worst off with a 40 grit, then a quick lick with an 80grit to smooth it. No more than a few minuites work.

At work i'd use a belt linisher, but not everyone has one to hand though.

[Chippo1]

That’s Hot rolled flat MS bar hence the colour, ordinary mild steel.

That bend has been made in an brake press, looks a bit over done hence the indent on the inside of the bend , but you will get that if you want a tight bend.

To dress the end like that they most likely used a belt sander/linisher