How to bent screw thread steel bar into U shape?

Screw thread steel bar in small diameters can be bent into U shape, L shape and other shapes through manual force by most people of average strength, while screw thread steel bar in large diameters should be bent by typical machines. Bending steel can be accomplished either through using heat or through using manual force. 


Instructions
1. Determine the dimensions of your bolt. A U-bolt will have two straight legs of equal length connected by a bend. Determine the length of the straight leg of the bolt. Mark the length on the screw thread steel bar and screw a nut on the rod until it reaches the mark.

2. Secure the screw thread steel bar in the vise. Use a vise that is securely mounted to a workbench. Clamp the rod so that the jaws of the vice squeeze the nut, not the threads of the rod.

3. Align the nut so that it is level with the top of the vice. Tighten the vice so that the rod is firmly secured in the jaws of the vice. Do not allow the jaws of the vice to mar the threads of the rod.

4. Bend the rod using using a steel pipe. Slide a steel pipe over the outside of the rod. The pipe should be just slightly larger in diameter than the steel rod. Allow the pipe to slide down until it hits the top of the vice and the nut. The pipe should be one to two feet in length in order to provide sufficient leverage.

5. Wear safety glasses. Grab the pipe and push downward with steady pressure until the screw thread steel bar begins to bend. Continue pushing until the rod is bent into a U-shape. 



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