Bending metal for guard without forge?

Mark Barone

Mark Barone

Well-Known Member
Will this be possible, I only have a kiln and although I can get metal red hot, I can’t keep it red hot consistently. Once I start my KITH I was hoping I could bend a 1/8 thick Bowie guard, maybe in an S configuration. I really don’t want to buy a guard The part I would like to bend will probably be 1/8 thick and maybe 1/4 wide.
Will a propane torch do that. I am also concerned the flat part where the blade will go through will not stay flat to accept the tang. 79226193-CAB0-44B2-AA6D-AD7842ED3596.jpeg
 
1/8" thick by 1/4" wide? That should bend easy - light taps with hammer around the anvil horn. Don't have anvil? Try using rod to bend around. Clamp the center with vise grips to help hold flat, but shouldn't be a problem. You're a bit far distance from Alabama to ride over and work here with some of my stuff {g}
 
You won't even need mapp. Standard el cheapo hand held propane is plenty.....even for steel.

Even as Ken said, cold bending could work for a LOT of guard work.
 
J. Doyle said:
You won't even need mapp. Standard el cheapo hand held propane is plenty.....even for steel.
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Folks hear so much about MAPP gas being hotter. With original MAPP gas it was hotter, but with current substitute MAPP: "MAP-Pro gas burns at a temperature of 3,730 degrees Fahrenheit, while propane burns at 3,600 F." True MAPP gas stopped production in 2008. I can't really tell that much difference in heating with MAPP vs Propane. I'm sure that 150F makes a tad of difference, but it's hard to tell. You do need a torch designed for MAPP gas for it burn correctly.

Just a bit more research shows even the original true MAPP gas wasn't much hotter than propane "MAPP gas is also used in combustion with air for brazing and soldering, where it has a slight advantage over competing propane fuel because of its higher combustion temperature of 2,020 °C (3,670 °F) in air." Looks like the new substitute MAPP gas is hotter than the original true MAPP gas when burned in a torch and combusted with air.

I had always heard that original MAPP gas was hotter than the substitute MAPP, but based on Wikipedia not so.
When combusted in air with proper torch:
Propane - 3600°F
Original MAPP - 3670°F
current MAPP substitute - 3750°F

I read the composition varied a good bit, so I expect the temperature when combusted in air would vary a good bit: "The composition of the supplied gas has varied widely, with the gases as supplied by different repackagers/resellers at any one time varying, as well as the general composition varying over time, but a typical composition for an early Dow gas might be: methylacetylene (propyne) 48%, propadiene 23%, propane 27%. For a later Dow/Petromont gas propyne 30%, propadiene 14%, propylene 43%, propane 7%, C4H10 (isobutane, butane) 6% might be more typical."
 
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All good input. What I didn't see was the type of "metal"? If it's "mild steel" the propane to heat, then bend is a good idea. If you're work with a non-ferrous alloy (brass, bronze, copper, or anything that does not contain iron), heat it to red with the torch, then quench in water.....that is it's annealing process. Sometimes it's necessary to do that process several times when bending non-ferrous..... depending on the intensity of the bend.
 
Ok all this sounds promising . I will probably be using steel, not bronze. I do have a propane torch. I don’t have an Anvil but a pretty cold vice with an Anvil like top to it.
 
Retroguy said:
That’s it. Let me give you my address so you can send it right over. So the flat part stayed flat whyou were hammering it. Was the flat part clamped in a vice to keep it flat.
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And the address is.......actually , if ya want it , I will be happy to send it to you. Really.
The center was clamped in a vice and the ends were bent to the angle I wanted with a pair of vise grips.
 
Bruce McLeish said:
And the address is.......actually , if ya want it , I will be happy to send it to you. Really.
The center was clamped in a vice and the ends were bent to the angle I wanted with a pair of vise grips.
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Well that is nice of you but I really want to tackle it myself. I’m just trying to get all my eggs in order before I start it.
 
Retroguy said:
Ok all this sounds promising . I will probably be using steel, not bronze. I do have a propane torch. I don’t have an Anvil but a pretty cold vice with an Anvil like top to it.
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I've used a round steel punch held in a vise to bend steel around. The trick is flattening and squaring everything up after you bend it.
 
I'd put it in a vise, heat it give it some "LOVE TAPS" till it went to where you wanted it. That way it should keep everything flat and straight.
 
I've always enjoyed making bowies and fighters with "S" guards. Been using this trick for several years. Clamp the guard to a chunk of 1" wide steel, stick it in a vice, heat the guard material with a propane torch and hit it with a hammer a few times till it conforms to the die. The second photo should help.
 

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Raymond Richard said:
I've always enjoyed making bowies and fighters with "S" guards. Been using this trick for several years. Clamp the guard to a chunk of 1" wide steel, stick it in a vice, heat the guard material with a propane torch and hit it with a hammer a few times till it conforms to the die. The second photo should help.
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That’s a great method. I think I need to invest someday in a big boys vice and mount it too something real solid. I bet you need no movement in that vice. I really like the silhouette picture.
 
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