Getting the right curve on a custom fireplace poker took me three entire afternoons.

I kept heating and bending it, but the scroll at the end just wouldn't sit flat against the handle until I tried quenching the straight section first to keep it from moving... what's your go-to method for tight scrolls?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_wood728d ago

Three whole afternoons? That's some serious dedication right there. I would have thrown the thing across the shop by hour four. Your quench trick is smart, I'll have to remember that. My old method was just to bend it red hot over a form and pray, which never really worked right. I guess sometimes you just have to lock part of it down so the heat doesn't travel where you don't want it.

rileyl678d ago

Ever try bending a thick piece of angle iron cold? @andrew_wood72, that prayer method sounds about right for my first few tries. Honestly, I ruined a good piece of stock trying to heat and bend a 90 without any setup. The whole thing went wavy because the heat spread. Now I'll clamp one leg in the vise, heat only the corner, and quench right after the bend. It keeps the rest of the piece straight and actually holds the angle.