A machine for making torsion bars with your own hands. Homemade machine for cold forging with your own hands drawings

Home

Scud

Do-it-yourself cold forging is a method of forming metal products under pressure. This method consists in the fact that the metal is not heated before deformation, but is bent using special machines. Forged patterns will decorate garden fences, windows or entrance doors. Simplicity and low cost will allow anyone to quickly master the process and independently bring their ideas to life.

Forging is a process of processing metal to give it the desired shape, turning a blank (blank) into a product. For people who are unfamiliar with the peculiarities of metal work, the word “forged” is associated with a forge, where a blank is heated from 800 to 1000 ° C and processed with a hammer to give shape. But in everyday life, objects made by cold forging. Pots, teapots, patterns on gates and doors, metal stands are made by deforming metal under pressure without preheating.

Cold forging is an easier, safer and more ergonomic processing method than hot forging. Main advantages:

equipment for cold metal forging is cheap and ergonomic;
low labor intensity;
quick job training, low qualification requirements;
the ability to create a unique ornament from basic elements.

The downside is the limited working surfaces and materials: rods, sheets and plates.

Hand-made cold forging is historically older than hot forging. The first products were discovered in Egypt and Mesopotamia and date back to the 4th-3rd millennium BC. Initially, ore was used, which was deformable after being hit by a stone. Cold forging was used to make gold jewelry. Soft metal was easy to process with stone hammers. The oldest product was found in Egypt, it was made 8 thousand years ago.

Several centuries later, by observing volcanoes, people learned that high temperatures made it much easier to shape metals. They began to build blast furnaces and the profession of blacksmith appeared. The Stone Age gave way to the Iron Age, not only jewelry, but also dishes, weapons, garden tools. The principle of operation of the forge is still preserved, but the equipment for cold forging has been modernized.

Using modern equipment you can create products with a large number of forged elements

Basic tools for cold forging at home

The creation of a unique product always begins with material calculations and design detailed plan work. The easiest way to think through the moves is to create scale sketches of forged products, write down the dimensions and select the necessary tools. The choice of material deserves special attention. The metal should be strong, but bend easily.

Important! Hardened sheets or rods cannot be used. Under the influence of temperature changes, the structure of the metal changes, it becomes brittle and can break under pressure.

There are two types of do-it-yourself metal forging - rolling (working with rods) and stamping (extruding sheets under a press). At home, the first option is more often used. To press sheets, you need to make a special blank for deformation. Common rolling tools: bender, snail, twister, wave and flashlight.

Gnutik is a basic tool used for bending rods under different angles. The spiral elements of cold forging are twisted using a snail. For shaping, it is best to choose rods with a diameter of 10-12 mm. Choosing a material that is too thick can significantly complicate the work of the master.

A twister machine is used to twist rods along the longitudinal axis. The wave, accordingly, is intended to create wave-like elements. The flashlight tool is used to work with several rods at once. They are installed on the equipment and bent by rotating the lever.

Equipment for rolling at home

You can buy devices for cold forging yourself or make them yourself from available materials. Initially, you need to create 2-3 basic workbenches to process one rod. The design and complexity of manufacturing depend on the type of work performed. A thorough study of the process will allow you to make the equipment yourself.

Gnutik: what products can be created with its help

It is not necessary to create bending drawings for cold forging yourself. It is enough to look at the principle of operation once to make the tool yourself. The machine is a steel tooling, which is divided into three parts. The middle element (lead) is movable; a central roller (wedge) is attached to it, which bends the rod. On the side plates, the rollers are made replaceable and inserted into the groove. By choosing different diameters, you can vary the bending angle of the rod or plate. A lever is attached to the top of the leash, which sets the structure in motion.

Pay attention! Bending a rod requires a lot of force, so attaching the workbench to a movable support will lead to incorrect bending and make work difficult.

The rollers should rotate freely in the holes, which will reduce the force required to bend the plate. Grooves for the rollers can be drilled in several places symmetrically to each other. This will allow you to quickly move the parts, varying the desired bending angle.

Mechanism for bending metal with a bend:

a plate or rod is installed between the rollers;
the central roller is pressed against the metal;
By rotating the lever, the plate moves along the roller, acquiring the desired bend.

For convenience, a dial (a tape with divisions showing the height of the corner) is placed under the central roller. It is used for making with high accuracy parts that must fit perfectly together.

Snail: a simple tool for creating curls

The second name is a do-it-yourself conductor for cold forging. For manufacturing, you need to familiarize yourself with the bending process, for example, watch a forging video. Then the design itself will not raise questions and will be easy to repeat. The workbench is a frame on which the main matrix or spiral module stands. A rod is driven into the snail and moved around with a metal roller, pressing against the arc. The frame must be made of metal, since wood quickly collapses after prolonged stress. A thick-walled pipe or channel is suitable for this purpose.

The machine is designed for two tabletops. One serves as a support and takes on most of the pressure, and the second holds the shape of the snail. Two circles with a thickness of at least 5 mm are cut out. The first part is installed on the frame. The center of the circle is marked on top, and a three- or four-leaf leg is welded to distribute the load.

The upper part of the volute, on which the metal is bent, is called a module. It can be static or typesetting.

A static module is a device for cold forging, designed for bending pattern parts of the same type. The bend radius or angle cannot be changed. Before starting to form the module, markings are drawn on the tabletop. A snail is assembled from metal plates (at least 0.6 mm thick) and welded.

The typesetting module consists of several parts. Its use is the most common for do-it-yourself artistic forging, as it allows you to create elements of different radii. Initially, parts are marked on the tabletop and the grooves are calculated. Removable parts of the snail are cut out of thick metal. Holes for fixing to the tabletop need to be cut only in the middle. Otherwise, the stress is distributed unevenly and the groove breaks faster.

The module for forging with your own hands can be made replaceable. A structure of the required radius is welded onto a metal circle. It is attached to the tabletop with grooves or bolts. For the manufacture of elements different diameters They make several modules that can be used on one machine.

A rotating shaft and lever must be secured between the tabletops. It is necessary that the distance between the roller and the module be at least 2 cm, and the shaft stroke must extend beyond the tabletop. A movable element is installed on the lever handle to adjust the radius of the roller stroke.

Wave: how to create and use this tool

Wave is a tool for forging lines like a sine wave. Two rollers are machined to the specified dimensions. The first roller is static (the rod will bend around it), it is fixed on a support. The second is the leading one, it is mounted on a lever and rotates when it comes into contact with the surface. Pressure is generated between the shafts, which acts on the metal and causes it to bend.

The static roller can be machined into the shape of a stepped pyramid. Thus, the radius of the wave can be changed by moving the lever and rod higher by a division. When using such a machine, one side must always be held in order to avoid damaging the bend. To more accurately repeat the wave shape, two static rollers are machined, one of which holds the rod in the desired position, preventing further deformation, and the second is used for bending.

Flashlight and twister: features of these machines

A flashlight is a cold forging equipment for working with several rods and creating three-dimensional baskets. To avoid constructing a frame, you can use a regular vice to secure the tool. The tool consists of three parts: two dies and a roller. The matrix can be made of strong, preferably hardened metal 4-5 cm wide.

In each matrix, a central hole is machined into which the roller is mounted. Grooves are made on the sides for installing rods. The second matrix must move freely along the lever, since during deformation the distance between the working surfaces decreases. When the lever is rotated, the rods bend in a spiral, forming a structure similar to a flashlight. Do-it-yourself metal products, which consist of several rods, are secured by welding.

The twister machine has a similar design. However, instead of a shaft, a rod is inserted into the matrix, which is pressed with a plate or bolts. Between them you need to install a movable element that moves forward when the shaft rotates. The rod twists along the longitudinal axis, forming a symmetrical spiral.

Important! The running matrix should approach static with each rotation. If it is fixed in one position, the master will have to make more efforts to bend the rods.

Do-it-yourself cold forging under pressure: creating blanks for forming products

On wrought-iron fences you can often notice not only geometric patterns, but also flowers, butterflies, leaves and other decorative elements. They are also made using cold forging techniques, but by rolling rather than stamping.

Related article:

A detailed description of the technological process for creating a convenient design based on profile pipe.

Volumetric forged products They are made with their own hands from sheet blanks. Working with a press at home is less common than rolling. Extrusion of sheets under a press can be either manual (knocking and pressing) or automatic. At home, it is cheaper to use hand stamping. To do this, the master needs to make several blanks that will be printed on a metal sheet under pressure.

Metal forging equipment:

Punch (press stamp or cotter pin) – upper part press, it pushes the sheet inward. The pressing side of the stamp can be drawing or smooth.
Matrix is an element that is made in the shape of the required object. The applied relief deforms the plate under pressure, giving it the required shape.
Press lever - a handle or relay for bringing the dies closer together and adjusting the force of the press.

Before starting work, you need to create a drawing of the future product. Sketches of artistic forging are transferred to the workpiece, it is cut and ground along the edges. You can use a regular vice as a workbench for pressing. It is most convenient to place them in a vertical position so that the plate lies horizontally to the plane. This way, the plate will be positioned exactly between the dies and will not slip out when the lever is rotated.

Simple forging of metal at home can be done with a chisel and hammer. In this case, the chisel acts as a punch, the anvil as a matrix, and the hammer as a lever. To better print the design, you can put a plate with notches under the sheet. This way the relief will be clearer and more beautiful.

Important! The metal used for stamping must be softer than the punch and die. Otherwise, the tools will quickly break.

To make the “sheet” element, a blank of the desired shape is cut out of a metal plate 20-30 mm thick. A longitudinal line is drawn on it with a pencil in the center. The chisel striker is placed at an angle to this straight line. After hitting the handle, a line is imprinted on the plate, similar to the veins of leaves.

You can use pliers to form the required volume of a cold forged product. The part is clamped between a vice and bent into the desired shape. This type of work is well suited for completing a small number of items for personal use. The process of beating a pattern by hand takes a lot of time, it is quite monotonous and requires great precision.

It is more profitable to purchase stamps for permanent work (in the form of leaves, petals, flowers, etc.), since accurately turning two identical elements is a very complex process. The main parts are machined from a blank or cast using the hot forging. This kind of work requires great experience and high precision. The punch and die must match. With strong pressure, irregularities will be imprinted on the product. If the discrepancy is very large, then the press will crush the workpieces - and you will have to start work from scratch.

Styles and elements of patterns: photos of artistic forging

Creation beautiful pattern starts with a forging sketch. The master must have a clear idea of the picture he wants to make. Initially, a drawing is drawn, materials and the number of necessary elements are calculated, machines and equipment are selected. In order for the product to look beautiful, it is better to immediately choose the style in which it will be made. Looking through photos of cold forged products, you can easily notice which direction the pattern belongs to.

There are several styles of forming a forged pattern.

Romanesque style characterized by rigor and symmetry. On the fences you can see a dense arrangement of spirals in the same order, the details are often repeated and of the same type. This is a monumental pattern using the volute element (C-shaped twisted one-sided curls).

Gothic ornament. Few people know that modern fencing and fences are most often made in this style. A characteristic feature is upward striving. The rods are pointed and end with tops in the form of arrows, spears or sharp spikes. The spiral elements used in this style are called perforations, and they look like a stem branched in different directions. For variety, lanterns or voluminous spirals are added between the straight rods.

Renaissance is very rare. In this style, pointed charcoal elements are practically not used. The basis is round arcs, spirals and waves. The branching metal rods are decorated with leaves or flowers; graceful curves take the shape of a figure eight. Characteristic elements– notch, spiral, volute and figure eight. The style is very harmonious, the details are installed symmetrically in the form of intertwined lines.

Baroque- the complete opposite of the Renaissance. The style is openwork and very lush. C-shaped spirals, volutes, curls, curved lines and intricate patterns are used. Three-dimensional leaves and flowers are added to the weaving, creating a dynamic shape.

Rococo. This direction is characterized by the use of thin rods and double-sided curls. The rocaille ornament creates constant movement and is distinguished by its filigree and three-dimensional patterns. In the photo of cold forging, asymmetry and fractional patterns are noticeable. The use of straight rods and flat gratings is unacceptable.

Classicism. A beautiful, albeit simple style that brought symmetry back into fashion. To create an ornament, curls, perforations, spirals and straight rods are used. Another element is introduced into use - a meander (broken lines or rods bent at right angles). Vertical architectonics are always strictly maintained in fences.

Empire style characterized by the presence of geometric patterns and long smooth rods. The main element (volute) is modified: an elongated straight line with one-sided curls at the ends. The main thing for this style is strict simplicity, symmetrical geometry combined with spiral elements.

Art Nouveau, or modern, added biological motifs to his artistic forging with his own hands. The style does not use straight lines, only various bends, meanders, curls and spirals. Symmetry fades into the background. The ornament repeats the silhouette of a person or animal, leaves and flowers are added. The pattern is constructed in such a way that the curls evenly flow into each other throughout the entire ornament.

If a person starts work without a preliminary drawing, he will quickly get confused in creating a cold forged product. Each pattern should be thought out as much as possible, and it is better to immediately transfer edits that are made during work to the sketch in order to clearly understand what the result should be.

Pay attention! Even if you have photos of forged patterns, you need to make drawings and markings to accurately place all the parts.

Fastening the pattern elements: final metal processing

After all the necessary elements of the ornament have been created, its formation begins. Appearance The pattern may differ slightly from the sketch. To determine possible errors, you need to do a preview. Initially, the pattern can be laid out on flat surface without fastening its parts. In this way, you can evaluate how successful you were in bringing your idea to life, as well as correct shortcomings in your work. You should not start forming a pattern without first viewing the result.

There are two main types of connections:

welding seam;
rivets (or artistic clamps).

It is useful to use a welding machine in places where the joint seam can be easily cleaned or will be invisible. To preserve the aesthetics of the ornament of a cold forged product, you can put figured rivets. They will reliably hold the components together and complement the decor.

The ornament is connected gradually, depending on the number of parts. Initially, small elements are held together, notches, twisted lines and monograms are formed. Welding is used. The seam is smoothed with a grinder using a 0.6 cm thick sanding wheel. It easily goes around bends and irregularities. Large parts are connected with curly clamps. The rivets are placed symmetrically to each other to complement the pattern. At the end of the work, the ornament is passed around with a cleaning or polishing wheel.

Artistic forging is not only a business or a job, but can also be an entertaining hobby. Even a novice craftsman can make cold forging equipment with his own hands from scrap materials. Cold forging specialists can easily be called artists, as they create beautiful ornaments from rough rods, pipes and sheets. Such hobbies require full dedication and considerable expenses. However, all the invested funds and efforts will bear fruit if they are supported by the desire to create beauty.

Cold forging machines will be useful for those who love to craft and understand such equipment. Many people use machines to create homesteads, interiors and gifts. Products made using cold forging are used as decorations along with other decorative elements. Cold forging requires a lot of effort. This is difficult to do at home. The most the easy way considered artistic cold forging.

To make a normal product with your own hands, you will need tools and drawings. These things reduce costs and reduce production time. In some cases, the parts are heated so that there is no curvature at the joints. Before creating a homemade cold forging machine, you need to start designing. To make accurate markings, you need to use graph paper.

First you need draw a spiral that will gradually increase, while maintaining the symmetry of the patterns. The distance of the turns must be placed so that it is greater than the diameter of the rods and the finished product can be taken from the machine. When creating work surface you need to use sheet metal. Dimensions are determined using the base dimensions and the parts used. To create a form you need sheet metal in the form of stripes.

Before starting work, all beginners need to familiarize themselves with videos about cold forging of equipment with their own hands.

Tools and materials for cold forging:

The most important device There was always a flex for work. It is used in changing the shape of metal. Main function bending - bending a part at different angles.

Snail applied for manipulations in a spiral. She is a bending tool various products, profiles, etc. When working with this tool, you can not limit the radius of the spiral and make the desired size.

Flashlight required for bending metal material. Using a flashlight, metal rods are processed. Thanks to the wave device, you can create waves and curved pieces. Wave is used when processing pipes with a round cross-section.

Twister has similarity to a flashlight. With its help you can unscrew the rods.

The globe helps create a large arc from a profile with a thickness of up to 12 mm. At the end, the workpieces are also bent. This is the most lightweight tool and it is quite often done with your own hands.

DIY cold forging machine, drawings

According to the size of the structure, you can weld small pieces of rods with a distance of 5-6 cm. Separate holes need to be made in the structure. If you are too lazy to figure out how to properly assemble a cold forging machine, you can always watch a training video. When building a conductor with your own hands you need to pay attention to the types of basic work: drawing, bending and twisting. All these mechanisms can be combined into one. During drawing, a required form. It is best to pass the product through rollers or a press, because of this the cross-section of the raw material may decrease. The basic bending process involves bending the part to a specific angle. You can perform this operation using a template.

This is done as follows:

preparation of the drawing;
creating a template from a drawing;
welding the curl onto a steel plate;
the sheet must be mounted on the machine in a holder;
establishment of the slot and final fixation.

When creating a template a special seam must be made with outside so that it does not subsequently interfere with the operation of the material.

Types of cold forging machines

There are several types of cold forging machines:

How to make a forging machine with your own hands?

Due to the fact that cold forging machines are expensive, and prices depend on manufacturers, many people resort to creating such machines with their own hands.

When creating a homemade machine " Snail » you will need the following:

metal rods;
steel sheets in the form of strips;
special pipe;
welding, pliers, grinder.

Basic scheme to create a machine:

take a regular piece of paper, apply a spiral pattern on it, check the dimensions for the carving;
using a grinder, you need to make two separate sheets from the plate;

The first with parameters 100x100 mm and the second 130x130 mm.

take a rod and strips of steel, clean the edges of the cuts from burrs;
Use pliers to create a bend in the steel strips according to the diagram;
weld the elements;
weld steel pipe below.

Here is the whole simple process of creating a forging machine from different materials.

The drawings for creating a machine can be used completely different, it all depends on the materials used in the work.

How to create your own torsion bar forging machine? This machine is used for twisting snake-shaped spirals made of metal.

Creation Tools:

steel sheet;
beam;
vices and fastening elements;
gearbox, chain or electric motor;
Bulgarian;
welding.

Scheme of actions when creating a machine for cold forging:

Here are the main ways to create homemade machines with your own hands. The main thing is desire and hard work, then everything will work out. Equipment and devices for cold forging work can be purchased at any specialized store.

Blacksmithing is hard physical work that requires special equipment combined with the specialist’s specialized knowledge and experience. However, to make some artistic elements, you simply need to bend the blanks under the right angle. Metal deformation can be performed without heating mechanically; cold forging machines are used for this. What features do such units have will be discussed in this article.

The cold forging method uses such a property of metal as plasticity, that is, when mechanical influences you can change the original shape of the workpiece within specified limits. Therefore, soft metals are suitable for this process, for example: low-carbon steel, copper, aluminum, etc. The following can be used as workpieces:

rods of any section: round or square;
metal strips of various cuts;
pipes;
rolling profile.

The products that a blacksmith produces during hot forging of metal are one-of-a-kind and unique. If you need to create a set of identical elements, which are then assembled into a finished structure, then uniqueness will only get in the way. It is for this purpose that the cold forging method is used: it guarantees the formation of a large number of identical elements.

Hot metal is handled by professionals who have experience in applying this technology and are able to masterfully handle complex tools. With cold forging, the highest skill is not required - everything is much simpler. Manual forging machines allow you to obtain a sufficient number of products to complete a particular project without significant physical effort.

In addition, the time spent on preparing elements is significantly reduced when working on special machines, not to mention comparing this method with hot forging technology: a few minutes to produce one element is an undeniable advantage.

Types and purpose of forging machines

A machine for any purpose is used to facilitate manual labor. For cold forging, various equipment can be used, minimizing the physical effort of the craftsman and allowing the following basic operations to be performed:

bending the profile at the desired angle or radius;
making spirals or curls;
longitudinal twisting of workpieces.

The variety of parts obtained allows you to arrange them in combinations and intricate designs, create a neat artistic canvas for fences and gazebos, symmetrical decor for park benches, as well as other items for various purposes.

Pay attention! Decorating machines help create elements of the same shape and size in a short period of time, allowing you to reduce the cost of each of them and shorten the duration of the manufacturing process.

Cold forging machines can be specialized (perform only one operation) or universal. There are these types of special machines:

bending machines (bending machines) – allow you to bend a workpiece at an angle or a given radius (wave);
snails - twist the blanks into spirals and curls;
torsion bars - help to longitudinally twist a workpiece or several such parts at the same time;
stamping machines - they are used to make decorative clamps, shaped ends, and waves with fine pitches.

Universal machines include components of special equipment in various combinations.

Devices for cold forging are driven mechanically (manual machines) or by electric drive. Electrically driven equipment is characterized by speed and ease of processing workpieces. A cold forging machine, the price of which can be quite high, is characterized by high productivity. When there is no need for productivity and speed, then a manual machine will be quite sufficient to complete the work, especially if blacksmithing is a hobby.

Is it possible to make a cold forging machine with your own hands?

Buy manual machine for cold forging, you can go to a specialized tool store or order it online. The question is the price and solvency of the buyer. An alternative option is to assemble it yourself. The principle of operation will be no different from a product purchased in a retail chain, and the functions performed are absolutely identical to the factory ones. Additional advantages are a reduction in price, confidence that the design will not fail after the first use.

Important! Not all equipment can be made independently; some spare parts require industrial production or made to order.

To begin with, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the design features of each type of machine in order to assess the possibility of its self-assembly.

The torsion bar must twist metal rods, so its design involves the presence of two elements that hold the workpiece. One of them serves as a clamp, and the other contains a rotating spindle, which, in fact, will twist the rod to the desired frequency of the helical wave. The device is quite easy to build yourself, and some craftsmen even make do with a vice and a simple hand crank.

The design of the bending machine is also simple, but it contains several mandatory elements, the assembly of which is impossible without specialized tools. Base – massive metal plate with a groove in the middle into which a movable stop is inserted, moved by a worm mechanism. The other two cylindrical stops are stationary and are attached to the base on both sides symmetrically relative to the groove. It is the installation of stops that can cause difficulty, since holes for fasteners are drilled only on a specialized machine; such a workpiece made of high-strength steel will not yield to the influence of a drill.

A snail metal forging machine can have two types: with a collar or a lever type. The first option allows you to vary the shape of the bend during operation, but has a number of weak points in the design and is very demanding on the strength of the manufacturing materials. The second type is more stable, but less productive. Masters consider the snail to be the simplest machine, self-assembly which will not cause any difficulties.

Do-it-yourself cold forging: machines, drawings, video

It is quite simple to make convenient and functional cold forging equipment, guided by the basic principles of its operation and purpose. Any drawings, videos and photographs of structures always leave room for the author’s creativity and perfection of the finished product. Below we will dwell on the main points that are important for assembling machines.

Cold forging machine design, preparatory work

The first and main condition for assembling a cold forging machine with your own hands is drawings. You will need several such graphic documents:

drawing of the base of the future machine for installing equipment;

assembly diagram or several diagrams for each device being performed;
drawings of replacement parts, if they are provided for in the design.

Important! At the design stage, it is worth considering how moving parts and assemblies will move in already finished product. This is especially necessary when making replaceable working tools, for example, a snail or a bender.

To assemble a homemade cold forging machine, you will need the following tools and materials:

medium-carbon thick sheet steel (grade not lower than 35);
thick-walled pipe having a square or rectangular cross-section;
metal cutting machine (preferably portable) or grinding machine;
manual fastening tool;
welding;
milling cutter;
bending device;
measuring and marking tool.

Useful advice! So that products made by cold forging differ quite good quality, it is necessary that the parts of the homemade machine are also of high quality. To do this, all welded joints, cut ends and finishing surfaces are carefully ground.

How to assemble a torsion bar machine for cold forging with your own hands

Some craftsmen do simple twisting without a machine, clamping one end of the workpiece with a vice and rotating the other regular collar. At this method the workpiece can not only twist, but also bend, especially in the area of the fixed end. To prevent this from happening, a guide structure is constructed in the form of a narrow gutter, for example, from a pipe with an upper longitudinal cut (U-shaped section). It is worth considering:

length of the gutter - it should be shorter than the workpiece, which will shrink when twisted;
width of the gutter - it is necessary that it be 1.5 times wider than the workpiece, since it will expand when deformed.

You can get the desired result without a machine - for this you will need to apply physical strength and spend a lot of time on work. For those who do not like this option, it is more advisable to take up a universal equipment project.

It is possible to assemble a torsion bar forging machine with your own hands in two versions: simple and universal. Simple model will be an improved method of working with a vice, and with a universal one it is possible to additionally perform such elements as a lantern or a basket.

The main working force required to deform the material will be taken by the support, so the base of the future machine must be strong. An I-beam or a pair of channels welded together are suitable for this purpose. Stability of the base will be added by paws made of a similar profile, welded to general design. Next, you can start making other components - the tailstock and spindle.

In each of the components of a homemade cold forging machine with your own hands, the cartridges intended for placing workpieces in them must have strong screw clamps (for the purpose of reliable fixation). Due to the reduction in the length of the workpiece when twisting, the tailstock is always sliding. It is possible to construct a headstock from a vice, securing them to the base with bolts of a standard size of at least M16. On the same axis with the clamping unit, a bushing is installed for the moving part of the machine, in which holes for the clamping bolts are pre-drilled.

The moving part of the spindle is rotated by a handle consisting of 4 levers, which are of sufficient length to absorb the force applied for rotation. You can add rubber grommets to protect your hands from slipping.

The main difference in assembling a universal homemade cold forging machine is the design of the moving part. It should provide for screw feed when making lanterns and baskets and be fixed during normal twisting of the metal. Therefore, the moving part is equipped with a set of two spindles - smooth and screw. In this design, the sliding headstock requires a locking screw for fixation.

Useful advice! If it is necessary to make a workpiece that is not twisted along its entire length, but only in certain areas, limiters are added to the design of the machine. They are made like a tailstock - with screw clamps and the ability to slide.

Working on a torsion bar machine is physically tiring; quality products difficult in large quantities. Therefore, introducing an electric drive into the design would be an appropriate solution.

How to make a cold forging machine

The bending machine is monumental, massive, simple in design and assembly, but difficult to find and fit parts. Its purpose is to bend workpieces at different angles, so the force on all components will be equally large, which means that the requirements for assembly parts are high.

A thick steel frame is selected for the base of the machine. It is worth considering that the machine will be mounted on a table. Usually the fasteners are made with a bolted connection, for example, like a vice. There is a guide in the center of the frame that will be movable. It is driven by an eccentric mechanism, which, in turn, is fixed to the base frame. Additionally, three stops are installed, creating a kind of “fork” - these are the working elements of the structure. Depending on the bend profile, they are changed: round rollers - for making waves, “hammer” - for forming corners.

Working elements are made only from structural steel. Their strength is the reliability of all equipment. Processing and fitting of such products require exclusively professional equipment. Therefore, if there are difficulties in ordering, purchasing or manufacturing the main components, then it would be advisable to buy a machine for cold bending forging in a store. Its cost is low, but it can be additionally useful for bending pipes.

Do-it-yourself snail machine for cold forging: design options

The algorithm for assembling a homemade cold forging machine with your own hands is quite simple and understandable. Only when creating a snail, three variants of the design idea are possible, and even then very approximate. Each master sees the execution of a curl or spiral, as well as the sequence of bending the workpiece in his own way.

Like any creative process, making a snail for cold forging with your own hands begins with the basics - designing the key components of the machine. In this case, these are the frame, tabletop and main shaft with a rotation lever.

The frame or table for the snail must be made of metal. Wood is completely unsuitable for this design: prolonged and heavy loads will destroy it after several uses. The material used would be a corner, thick-walled pipes or a channel. For the countertop you will also need metal - a sheet with a thickness of at least 4 mm: the thicker, the more reliable. The shaft and lever are the main assembly that will force the metal workpiece to bend according to a given pattern. The lever is connected on one side to a roller that bends the workpiece, and on the other to the main shaft.

According to the type of design, snail machines come in three variants:

monolithic with a fixed bending template;
with removable bending structures that allow you to create different types of curls;
with collapsible curl designs and a rotating tabletop for obtaining complex bending profiles of great precision.

Drawings of a cold forging machine for a snail with your own hands

Many craftsmen who take on the manufacture of machines for the first time neglect the design stage, build templates “by eye”, and develop and modernize components directly during the assembly process. A drawing of a snail for cold forging with your own hands should be done at the preparation stage. It will help to avoid some subtle nuances during assembly, and will also significantly reduce the manufacturing process time.

It is not necessary to follow the drawings made by another master. Availability of manufacturing materials or assembly conditions may vary, and it is likely that the vision finished design may also be different.

One of the design options : 1 - snail ploughshare; 2 - base of the machine; 3 - pressure roller; 4 - lever for controlling the pressure roller; 5 - fastening the base; 6 - finger for fixing the plowshares; 7 - groove for the pressure roller; 8 - control lever axis; 9 - spring for pressing the roller; 10 - clamp for the workpiece; 11 - driving ploughshare of the snail; 12 - main axis; 13 - levers
Diagram of a snail machine for processing products using cold forging

A drawing is especially important for constructing curl patterns with your own hands. A video of cold forging equipment will help you correctly calculate and build a proportional spiral. This stage is necessary so that the curl made on a homemade machine has an aesthetic appearance.

Useful advice! Templates for the snail are built according to the rules of mathematical spirals, taking into account the number of turns, their density, the width of the opening for equipment on the machine and the initial radius of the entrance to the curl.

Making a snail: how to make a machine with your own hands

A monolithic machine is the most simple design snails The spiral pattern is applied directly to the tabletop. Then, following the drawing, several pieces are cut out of thick metal. They are welded to the tabletop, following the previously applied markings. Work on a snail of this type progresses slowly, but the machine allows you to bend both workpieces of symmetrical diameter and strips of metal that are laid flat, without vertical deformations.

A monolithic machine may have an alternative design when the base is not fixed, but can be rotated. For a given rotation and relief physical labor a worm gear is used.

How to improve a snail cold forging machine with your own hands

A homemade snail does not have to contain only simple elements. You can immediately assemble an improved model. For example, what to do if curls are needed different forms, and with different patterns of spirals? It would be impractical to assemble a separate machine for each sample. Therefore, instead of a tightly welded single template, a number of removable options with different patterns are created on the tabletop. Adjustments are made to the design that allow you to change the template, secure it stably, while maintaining the overall reliability of the machine.

The most professional of the snail models is a machine where the tabletop rotates and the curl template is made from several collapsible segments. It is worth noting that all sections are manufactured with high precision. It is difficult to implement this in a home workshop, so the production of the unit is ordered in workshops or at a factory. The curvature of the template is changed using adjusting screws, and a number of holes are made on the surface of the tabletop that will fix the template segments in a given position. In a similar way You can bend any type of curl.

Making a cold forging machine with your own hands, the drawing of which will help you complete this task, is quite simple if you understand the principle of its operation and design features. It is important to calculate everything carefully and take measurements. It is possible that someone will be able to come up with their own new options or improve existing models.

Homemade machines for cold metal forging with your own hands: video instructions

are universal decorative elements , used to complement the design of products of various shapes. For the manufacture of parts of this type mechanized equipment is used, as well as hand tools and devices. Some equipment is sold at fairly high prices. But there is also the possibility of making (assembling) equipment with your own hands.

Making homemade vertical devices from metal, corrugated pipes and other materials, video

Making machines of any type with your own hands is a complex matter. Manufacturing components devices, as well as assembly should be carried out carefully. Correctness guarantees the quality of manufactured elements and metal objects.

How to make a snail with and without electric drive, for cold forging and bending of curls, volutes, commas

The table is made of steel, a pipe is welded to it from the bottom, to which a movable lever made of a 45x25 profile pipe is attached, the wall thickness is 1.5 mm.
This part of the machine is attached to the legs and supports.
An additional adjustable part, additionally reinforced with a square, is attached to the lever.
In a flat surface where holes have been previously made, mandrels (conductors) made of a square rod with a cross-section of 10 mm are attached. and stripes.
The production of mandrels is carried out according to the drawing.
Multiple holes allow the mandrels to be positioned in different ways, allowing you to bend elements of different configurations and sizes.
The master demonstrates the process of making elements.

Hand tools and devices for making forged scrolls

Manufacturing hand tools requires less time and consumables. Such devices have a simpler structure.

Matrix

To make the device, you will need a piece of channel 25 cm long: a purchased or self-made loop with a diameter of 22 m with a sleeve made of two types of pipes and an element of complex shape, as well as another loop.
A pattern of this type allows you to produce volutes of different sizes.

Conductor

For production you will need a strip 60 cm long and 4 cm wide; a piece of tin 16 by 16 cm, thickness - 3 mm; piece of square; small elements cut from springs with rounded corners and chamfered. From small parts, a part is welded at an angle of 90 degrees to secure the workpieces during bending.
An inclined line is drawn on the strip; part of the workpiece will later be removed.
The strip is slightly bent, a small square is welded to it, after which bending continues.
The spiral is attached to the base, to a piece of tin.
The conductor is fixed in a vice, the excess part is cut off with a grinder.
A square is welded from the bottom of the base, ensuring fastening of the product in a vice.

Other forging equipment

The entire list of equipment should be divided into four separate categories; the criterion for classification is the level of automation.

Universal equipment represents automatic or in some cases manual installations, allowing you to process workpieces with different cross-sections. Such multifunctional machines serve as a replacement for a whole set hand-held devices used for bending square and round bars. An important advantage is the ability to produce elements of various shapes.

Forging machine Azhur-1M. Photo

designed to facilitate manual labor. The list of devices also includes a bender, a wave, a twister, and a globe. Each unit is designed for the manufacture of a certain type of elements. Lever (manual) control allows you to reduce labor costs, but not eliminate them completely. are used by craftsmen who engage in forging as a hobby, since the productivity of these devices is not too high. To improve technical characteristics it is necessary to equip the unit with an electric motor.

Volna type cold forging machine

The tools are simple objects, forging is done manually, using force. K include heavy hammer (sledgehammer), pliers, forks.

Hot forging has been known to man since he began to process and use metals in his life. Before the invention of stamping and metal-cutting machines, hot forging and casting were the only ways to produce tools and weapons, household items and jewelry.

To master traditional blacksmithing, one had to study and gain experience for a long time. The blacksmith's products turned out to be very labor-intensive and unique, this is an undoubted advantage for artistic creativity and an equally obvious disadvantage where a large number of identical products are needed.

Disadvantages of hot forging such as:

high labor intensity,
high requirements for the qualifications of the master,
low repeatability of products.

The cold forging method has no disadvantages. It is based on the property of metals to change their shape within certain limits under the influence of mechanical force. The technology is applicable to round and square bars, metal strip, pipes and rolled products of various profiles. Several basic operations such as

bending the workpiece at a given angle and along a given radius,
formation of curls and spirals,
twisting one or more workpieces along the longitudinal axis

and the combination of the resulting parts allows you to create lace fences, gazebos, benches, decorative elements and household utensils in a reasonable time and at an affordable price, several times, or even tens of times lower than when using hot forging.

In addition, all elements will be exactly the same in shape and size, which is especially important when forming patterns and ornaments from them.
To obtain the main elements, special machines are used.
Gnutik is one of the most popular. It allows you to bend a rod at a given angle and along a given radius, including in the form of a wave.
The snail is used to twist the end of a rod or pipe into a spiral
The torsion bar is designed to twist the rod along its longitudinal axis.

Device "Gnutik"
The rollers on the fixed stops are replaceable in order to be able to bend rods and pipes at different angles and radii. A replaceable roller or wedge is also attached to the movable stop, depending on the required bending shape.
While the workpiece is still straight, it is clamped with fixed stops and, by rotating the drive of the worm mechanism of the bend, a movable stop - a wedge or roller - is brought to it. Continuing to rotate the drive, bend the workpiece to the desired angle.
It is quite possible to make a bend for cold forging with your own hands; it is enough to follow the drawing exactly, observing the dimensions and allowances.
Difficulties in the home workshop can arise with milling high-strength steel and drilling holes in it.

If the workshop does not yet have such equipment, it is better to place an order for the main parts of the bending in production - such work will not be completed with a drill and jigsaw.
Connecting and painting parts
To assemble parts into the desired design, it is necessary to provide a flat, free space - on the floor or on the table, depending on the size. It is better to sandblast the workpieces to remove possible rust and clean the surface before welding and painting. You can also make a sandblasting unit yourself from a used gas cylinder, a pair of pipes and taps. For the injector, you can use a ceramic body from a used spark plug. To do this, it is enough to have the skills of welding and metalwork.
After sandblasting, the parts are laid out on the assembly site. For ease of work, you can use lining bars. After the parts are placed, it is worth checking again that their location matches the drawing. Next, fixing key elements structures with clamps, spot welding, you need to grab them to each other. Having checked the dimensions, angles and relative positions one last time, you can begin welding all the necessary seams.
After welding, it is necessary to clean off the scale with wire brushes attached to a drill, and in hard-to-reach places manually. The structure is ready for painting. Depending on the selected primers and finishing paint, as well as on the method of application, the assembly is laid on spacer bars or secured vertically with temporary stops.
It is convenient to paint structures with a high density of parts using a spray gun; for sparse grilles, you will have to arm yourself with a brush to reduce paint loss.

Products produced by cold forging
A wide variety of products are made using the cold forging method. These are, first of all, elements of gratings and fences - both the rods themselves and the crossbars, tops, and decorations. From a distance of several meters it is difficult to distinguish it from a forged lattice. Any lattice will be enlivened by curls and spirals that form intricate patterns and ornaments. An ordinary fence, therefore, in addition to its utilitarian purpose, also acquires artistic value. For this you will need a bend, a snail and a torsion bar.

Look great on local area forged stands for lanterns, railings for bridges across ponds, awnings and porches, tables and benches. And it’s a good idea to make the gazebo itself from a forged rod. Curls and spirals will give it unexpected lightness and airiness for harsh metal, and twisted supports will emphasize the upward striving.

Widespread today and forged barbecues, also complementing the economic purpose with an aesthetic impression. The barbecue itself is lost among the canopy, patterned walls and supports, and the roof decorated with curls.
Parts of balustrades, staircase railings and balconies are also very popular. Curls and spirals are also widely used here, not only as decoration, but also as a structural element. A baluster twisted along the longitudinal axis looks very appropriate, and corner supports are often made from several rods twisted together. They also make the so-called on a torsion bar machine. “flashlight” - several rods bent in a spiral, connected at the ends by welding.

The next area of application of cold forging is details of room decoration and furniture. Door handles and latches, fireplace tools and hangers, umbrella stands and cornices for curtains and curtains - small curls and twisted rods are widely used here.
Furniture is made both for garden furniture, which is not afraid of precipitation and changing seasons, and for home furniture, combining metal with wood and fabric.

Sections