Making new bow rails.......

[HookMaster]

Is it a simple job to bend the 78/" aluminum rail to match the old configuration? Is there a tool to help produce a clean curv or bend? The fittings are not a problem as I plan to replace them. The problem is the old fittings are 28 years old and even though the rail itself is restorable, the fittings are corroded on and I probably will destroy the existing rail in the process of getting them off to replace them.

 

[bigbad 4cyl x2]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

i had to drill out most of the through bolts on my fittings . the stainless was froze up. . i bent the old rails in half to fit in my pickup . it took alot of muscle to bend them in half , they were real stiff. id ld like to know the answer here as well . electricians have conduit benders . but we want a nice smooth bend . probobly put the rail in the first bow fitting then attach each fitting working back . bend by hand.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

to get the smooth bend you will probably have to build a wooden form to bend around to get the shape you want, abd the you will have to be careful about kinking. most new one are formed and then coated by electrolisis.

 

[wjeffofl]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

Like tashasdaddy said you will need a form to bend around. One problem with it is that metal has a memory so if you bend only to the shape you need the bend will relax and be more open than you wanted. I used to make metal railings and did lots of curves and things like that. The best way I found was to take a straight edge (a piece of angle works great for pipe) and draw a line down the length of the pipe. This becomes your reference for the verticle plane. Then I would mark off every inch perpendicular to the existing line. This becomes a reference where you will make a slight bend for each mark. When you reach the end of where your bend will be you will just go back to the first mark again and do another slight bend and repeat until you get to to the point where the curve is the same as what you are trying to duplicate. This spreads the bend out equally and has the least chance for creasing the metal.
A couple other things that may be helpful are that you can clamp vise grips or something similar in the verticle position to help you keep the bend moving along the same plane, otherwise you may end up with a curvy, twisty pipe rather than a smooth bend. The other thing would be to have your length of pipe longer than you need because you will have several inches to a foot of waste at each end where your bending jig cant make the curve you need. Make your bends and get the curve right, then mark and cut the length you need. If you find that your first pass is more than half the way to what you want then you would use half or less of the amount of bend you used to start with. If you find that you over bend (easy to do so slow and easy is best) then just go backwards through your jig and slightly pull a little out of your bend at each of the inch marks. The shorter the length you will be bending the more bend marks you will want to have to make the curve smooth. Now that I've rattled on if any of this isn't clear just ask and I'll try to clarify.

Jeff

 

[bigbad 4cyl x2]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

what type of buissness would i go to to pay someone to bend them for me.

 

[wjeffofl]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

Welding shop or railing manufacturer. I live at the beach and there is lots of construction here. It may not be as easy if you are in a smaller city, but I would think a welding shop should still be able to do it.

Jeff

 

[bigbad 4cyl x2]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

i work in san francisco

 

[ztim]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

Try a fixed based operator at an airport. There are usualy some pretty good airframe (sheet metal) people that could do it.

 

[bigbad 4cyl x2]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

well really people here is a bit of an update . the rents are so high in this area that we don't have any kind of manufactures like this i don't think . i was here for a long time now but most of these services you all are talking about don't exist here anymore . they are out sourced to some foreign country... Americas way of making money in this area is to let foreigners who have money come live here and buy a big house with there moneythen. give them a job that takes an Americans job then get there children into the mix multiplying the whole deal . when the pendulum they have created will stop swinging the way it has is unknown.. but the companies that are here don't want to touch the small guys product cause they are locked into there contracts and there minimum orders are real high .if you dig around you can find favorite haunts on things . but they tend to go under. this is why its also hard to find a boat mechanic that isn't a homeless guy for under 50 dollars an hour. they work on a mega rich guys boat that can afford the slips and boat maintenance . so yea ill try my hand at it and if i cant hand bend it on a thick pole somewere ill take it to a exhaust mechanic who has a jig for non crush bends . but i tried that once and those are all in los angeles. so maybee ill look around ... good luck to the original poster of this thread sory to hijack a bit.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

Try Bay City Welding on Linden Street. They should be able to do it, if not for sure steer you in the right direction.

 

[bigbad 4cyl x2]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

i guess your talking about south san francisco right . ok,,the best exhaust shop in the area is minke mufflers in redwood city. really all the customs from the area go there . I mean i had some custom heads done up and in the whole bay area there are only two shops that port and polish heads . that is how weak this place has got. i had to send them to florida ,this place used to be the birth place of culture musically . thats gone . now you can probobly find two dozen temples to sit on your knees though and bow , whoopee... i went to a fast food restaurant in the silicon valley at lunch time there was this dude that looked like he was cool but he was dressed up in nerdly clothes. like he did it on purpose so he wouldn't get the next lay off slip . then i looked around and everyone was trying to dress like nerds. really down dressing whoa!.. what ever happened to lief garret anyway. and why do they only have good rock songs from the 70s' .

 

[HookMaster]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

Thanks for all the input. I purchased two 6' pcs of 7/8" aluminium rail, a 110 degree bow nose form fitting and the rest of the 60 degree stantions, 60 degree tee's and 5.5 degree end caps. I think the amount of bending from the bow to the end caps should be able to be accomplished ok. Since I don't have to bend the bow portion now that I can insert the rail into the bow fitting and start from there, should make it easier. The worst case scenario is that I will trash 2 pcs of rail @ $17.99 ea. and look for a boat shop!

 

[HookMaster]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

Thanks for all the input. I purchased two 6' pcs of 7/8" aluminium rail, a 110 degree bow nose form fitting and the rest of the 60 degree stantions, 60 degree tee's and 5.5 degree end caps. I think the amount of bending from the bow to the end caps should be able to be accomplished ok. Since I don't have to bend the bow portion now that I can insert the rail into the bow fitting and start from there, should make it easier. The worst case scenario is that I will trash 2 pcs of rail @ $17.99 ea. and look for a boat shop!

I was told that if you fill the rail with sand it will be less likely to crimp......Probably if it is Stainless?


Still can't figure out how to post pics!!

Thanks,

Don

 

[JustMrWill]

Re: Making new bow rails.......

Still can't figure out how to post pics!!

Ok...some has changed since I wrote this but...

Read this

and then read this... Updated stuff with new forum

Private Message me is you have any specific questions

-JMW