Longeron bending!

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:41 pm

Well, those boards are the scraps cut from the 8" hand hole in the deck of my boat I installed last spring!

As things turned out, they are 4" radius.

Worked out fine. Any rounded edge would have worked out fine too.

The trick was in the multiple turkey dinners that added the extra HEFT to the bends!

CJ

jim_geo · Post by **jim_geo** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:39 am

I'll have to remember this thread when I build my SB AHHV.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:40 am

AHHV... Okay, I will bite.

I know what an AH is, but it might not be the same.

CJ

dons · Post by **dons** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:05 pm

Reading this whole thread has been educational, as most threads are, but this one has been bookmarked for future reference, thanks.

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:06 pm

I am setup to do the bends but I do not have a drawing 17A as referenced for the bend template. I looked in the preview plans and see that 17 has the template on it also but I do not have either one.

Do you think I can use the side rails as my guide line? I really do not want to wait until I can get the print I'm missing from Van's but will if I need to.

Looks like I never did get those prints. I keep all the prints in one area so I don't think there is any way I could have lost them.

Wicked Stick · Post by **Wicked Stick** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:40 pm

CJ, I knew chad was going to want the specs on that thing

LOL

You better send him the plans on it

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:39 pm

John,

The plans are slightly longer than the standard drawings. You probably put them someplace else and forgot about it. The 17A plans are for the Ameteurs (-7A builders). The 17 plans are for the professionals!

The side rails make a nice guide, but they are a few inches short. Not a problem, though. You can interpolate the rest of the curve with the side rail.

Dave, you still have the plans on that cocktail napkin, right?

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:53 pm

Wicked Stick wrote:CJ, I knew chad was going to want the specs on that thing LOL

You better send him the plans on it

I'm waiting for them...

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:09 pm

CJ, you were right. I had the prints. I asked the wife and she came out to the shop and walked right over and said "Is that them?" Of course it was. They were tucked in behind the back of the board I use to hold the other prints.

I got the shallow bends done. I made a device like you and WS used and it worked great. Just used my body weight (got plenty of that) and moved it a couple of inches at a time. After the first try I checked it and only needed to adjust them slightly. I did both at the same time which is what it looked like you did. It was a lot easier than I had anticipated.

By the way the jig I made only had a three inch radius. It was a piece of walnut that we had cut out for another project and it worked fine.

I'll make the sharper bends tomorrow. Thanks for the great idea on the wooden device for bending!

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:50 pm

Sure glad I'm not the only one who breaks down and ask "Honey, could you help me find ?" and she walks right up to it and finds it!

Dan

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 7:49 am

My wife has never found anything I have ever searched for. Especially in the shop. She rarely comes into it nor does she touch anything when she does comes in! I can't relate but, I am glad yours found your plans!

I can't tell you how many times I have looked for something and blamed Van for not sending it though! Mostly because, I could NEVER have LOST IT! I always end up with it tucked away. Often it is found right where it SHOULD be! Exactly where I put it so I could find it later!

Notes on bending the angles:

1) It takes one person to bend one angle and two to bend to angles, back to back.

2) Angle returns to it's original shape EASILY! You really need to CRANK on it to get it to bend but, to unbend it... just look at it!

3) I am skeptical that drilling the side rails now as the plans call for is the right thing to do. I drilled every 5th hole! Note: I also drilled the end one that gets cut off when installing the tip-up style canopy. I don't think it will be a problem later. I think there is some kind of plate that goes on top of the long there anyways.

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:09 pm

Getting ready to start the long bending process tomorrow night, and I'll be using the Wissceejay (WS/CJ) method. I'm not dreading this by any means, but patience is not my best virtue...

Gotta remember to just take my time.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:18 pm

Well, I told a half truth...I did bend my longerons last night, but I didn't use the rounded wood for the bends. I had the wood all cut, and ready to use, and at the last minute when putting the longs in to the vise, I realized that I just didn't have the space I needed to use body weight to make the bends. To many benches and tables in the way to get good enough leverage. Soooooooooo...I went per plans, and whacked the crap out of the things with my dead blow. The plans say this takes and "artists touch" and "finesse"??? Whatever! Maybe my definition is different. Bangin' the begesus out of the angle is NOT finesse!

Anyway, the shallow bends are complete, and they turned out fine. Four hours from the first measurement to the final check against the bend template.

I hope to be able to get to the sharp bends and twists tonight.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:14 pm

Chad, they sure do look bent! No turning back now! Fear not, they unbend too.

BTW, the Looooooong rivets came today. Thanks!

CJ

dons · Post by **dons** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:02 pm

Those things look familiar, I just inventoried them on the weekend because they came in the wing spar crate. Lots of warnings not to cut them for anything else too. I will put them away until I'm ready to pound the 'begesus' out of them (I bet I have less space).

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:04 pm

captain_john wrote:Chad, they sure do look bent! No turning back now! Fear not, they unbend too.

What??? Sarcasm, or ???

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:46 pm

No, no, no... I understand your concern. They look fine from here.

What I mean is that even of you DO bend them wrong, they un-bend really easily and can be fixed readily.

I was a bit concerned too when I bent mine, but even of you DO overbend them, a light touch in the other direction does wonders.

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:45 pm

Gotcha dude!

I drilled the aft side rails tonight with zero issues. Must have bent them right! I do have some very slight twist to remove, but it's forward of the side rail, and may be taken care of when I make the downward bend and twist.