DIY cold forging pattern for curls. How to make a manual machine for cold forging with your own hands - instructions. Do-it-yourself cold forging, step-by-step instructions and expert advice

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 creation homemade machine cold forging needs to be designed. 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. While creating work surface need to use sheet iron. 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. It is equipment for bending 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 easiest tool and is quite often made by hand.

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:

drawing preparation;
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.

A homemade cold forging machine can come in handy if you like to craft and wouldn’t mind making something beautiful for your country estate with your own hands, home interior, for gifts to loved ones or just for the soul.

Majestic appearance products made by forging attract with graceful lines and captivate the eye. Since ancient times, in all best houses, one could certainly see such decorations as metal openwork curls. Even today, when a huge number of various materials and technologies have been developed, forged products have not lost their relevance.

Products made using forging are used in design along with glass, plastic and other decorative elements. Metal forging occurs in a cold or hot way. To perform hot forging process there are a lot of things to do special conditions , because it is very difficult for her to study at home. More in an accessible way is artistic cold forging. It is much easier to learn, and if you wish, you can make homemade cold forging machines with your own hands.

Cold forging process

Cold forging requires two main processes:

press;
bending

To carry out these activities, you do not need to impart any temperature to the metal. But a certain heat treatment must still occur between stages of work.

It is not necessary to have full-fledged artistic forging machines at your disposal; amateurs often make tools with their own hands. By using homemade equipment you can give the workpieces all sorts of fancy shapes. You just need to acquire certain work skills. Therefore, prepare for the fact that in order to bend the required figure, drawings and considerable effort will be needed. Work can only be carried out using raw materials of the required thickness.

Products that are produced using a homemade cold forging machine are much stronger than those that are made or cast using stamping. This happens due to the fact that the metal rods that pass through the equipment are pressed together, giving them required form. With this forging method you need don't make mistakes, since they are practically uncorrectable. With the acquisition of skills, you will be able to create attractive and wonderful products with your own hands.

Using a homemade cold forging machine, you can make products such as:

elements such as balcony canopies, handrails for stairs;
bars on windows;
fences and fences;
home furniture - tables, chairs, beds;
elements that are used in home design: fireplace mantels, tripods for flowers.

During hot forging, the master needs not only separate room, but also equipment for blacksmithing, as well as special conditions. With the cold method, there is no need to preheat the workpiece, and the process itself is much more economical.

When processing a large batch of similar products with your own hands, everything can be done using stencils and a drawing. This makes it possible to significantly reduce labor costs and reduce production time. Sometimes parts need to be heated; heating is done at the joints so that there is no curvature. For beginners It is recommended to carefully consider the manufacturing plan before carrying out work, it would be useful to have a video lesson and make a drawing of the future product.

Tools and equipment

A manual cold forging machine includes a number of elements. Necessary equipment that will be needed for work:

twister;
snail;
gnutik;
wave;
globe;
flashlight.

Many names will seem funny, but these are quite convenient for homemade use devices.

The main tool for the work will be a bender, which is used to change the shape of the metal. Its function is to bend a part at the required angle or bend arcs with different radii.

The snail is used, as a rule, for twisting steel rods into spirals. This is equipment for bending rods, strips, tubes, squares and profiles to a spiral shape, products with various forms and radius. While using this tool there is no need to limit the radius of the created spiral and make the amount that is required.

The flashlight tool is required for bending metal parts. It is used to process metal rods with a cross-section of less than 30 mm, or square profiles cross section less than 16 mm.

Using a device such as a wave, wavy curved elements are made. They apply it and for pipe processing, which have a hexagonal or round cross-section.

Twister is somewhat similar to a flashlight. Using these two tools you can twist the rods around the axis.

Using a globe you can make a large arc from a profile rod up to 12 mm thick. Moreover, the ends of the workpiece also bend smoothly.

This tool for cold forging is absolutely not complicated, so you can often see homemade ones. It is almost in no way inferior to the factory one.

Forging machines

Often, when working, it seems much more expedient to make cold forging machines with your own hands. Since not every element can be fully processed using only manual equipment for forging. Yes and the price of this equipment is quite high, even when we're talking about about the simplest snail machine.

If a home craftsman makes a product using a self-made jig, the product will be unique, although in some respects it will be inferior to the one made in a factory. If you plan to make a large number of parts using cold forging, then it is best to make a conductor with an electric motor. This will make your work process easier.

It will be useful to provide for the production of basic types of work on the machine - drawing, bending and twisting. These devices can be combined when creating a conductor with your own hands.

During drawing, the product is given a certain shape. To do this, it needs to be passed through rollers or a press, and the cross-section of the feedstock will decrease.

The bending process consists of bending the part to the required angle. You can perform this operation using templates. They are made in this way: a drawing of the product is prepared, according to which a template is then made. Weld a curl onto the steel plate, then this sheet is mounted on the machine in a holder. The end of the workpiece is installed in the slot, the second end is fixed. Using a lever, one end of the product is applied, which must be pulled along all the bends of the plate used as a template.

When making a template, the welding seam must be carried out from the outside, otherwise it will interfere with the further operation of the product.

Often craftsmen assemble themselves simple devices, with the help of which you can make quite original products. It all depends on the experience of the master. Let's consider one of these homemade models to understand the principle itself.

Do-it-yourself “Snail” forging machine

Using this machine, home craftsmen make all kinds of rings and spirals, curls, and waves. To make this kind of machine, you need to act according to drawings and technology, which includes a number of stages.

Before making any devices, hand tools or machines for artistic forging, it is necessary to complete graphic images, templates, sketches, and drawings of the future device.

To make markings more accurately, it is best to use graph paper. Draw a spiral on it, the radius of its turns gradually increasing. The same pitch must be observed between turns. It must be said that this condition must be observed only in cases where symmetry of patterns is required; as a rule, no more than 4 pieces are made.

Also take into account what kind of workpieces you need to work with. The distance between the turns must be made so that it is slightly larger than the diameter of the metal rods, otherwise it will be difficult to remove the finished product from the machine.

Sheet iron will be needed for the working surface. A thickness of four millimeters is quite enough. Sizing is determined based on dimensions necessary details. To make the mold, you will need sheet metal in the form of strips three millimeters thick. You can work with this material using hand tools. It is simply bent into a spiral using a template using pliers.

To create a full-fledged work process, it is necessary to securely fix one end of the product. Here you will need a piece of rod that is equal to the width of the strips. To fix the working platform you will need a workbench. Often a piece of thick-walled pipe is used as a stand. Main - provide maximum fixation, since during cold forging the forces applied are quite large.

Machine assembly

To make any cold forging machine, there are many options. It can be made collapsible, monolithic or solid. At monolithic design The entire device or parts of the “Snail” are welded to the site.

Along the length of the structure you can weld small pieces of rods with a distance of 5-6 cm, special holes must be made for them in the working area. Do not forget to carefully secure the ends of the products that you will bend.

Cold forging is especially popular among beginners in blacksmithing. To manufacture products using this method, you do not need a well-equipped workshop (you can get by with a garage or shed), nor much experience, nor do you need special knowledge about the behavior of metals. As for the devices, all the necessary machines and tools can be made with your own hands at home.

Metal products made using forging have long become very popular due to their beauty and sophistication. Such decorative elements quite expensive and it is not always possible to order all the desired decorations for the interior or Vacation home. But, in addition to the hot type of forging, which is needed in order to create metal decorative structures, there is a cold variety. The last option can be implemented independently; for this you will need to build a cold forging machine with your own hands, after which you can begin to implement all your plans and ideas.

Types of machines

Basically, all devices that are intended for the manufacture of metal parts using cold forging are characterized manual drive. Few of them operate on the electric drive principle, although such a structure can be built with each of the devices. The only question regarding the drive is its feasibility, because the cost of the energy resource that powers the unit and the complexity of the installation process of the mechanism may not be justified when compared with the amount of work performed and its regularity.

The table shows all the devices that operate due to the drive manual type related to the cold forging process.

Device	Short description
Twister	With the help of such a device, the metal is twisted, spirals and curls with a narrow core are formed.
Torsion bar machines	With the help of such a machine, screw-type rods are twisted, and it is also possible to produce large spirals and filaments (baskets, lanterns and bulbs).
Inertial stamping machines	They are intended for making connecting parts with decorative components, making patterned tips and various small patterns and reliefs.
Bending machines	There are several types of such machines: push, broach and combined types. The first variety is needed in order to obtain wavy bends or to bend a rod in a zigzag manner. The extended variety is in demand when it is necessary to make a ring, curl or spiral with a wide core. Using the combined variety, you can build any of the listed elements.

Help: very often in some sources you can find the name of machines designed for torsion as well as for machines that do winding - twisters. However, this is not entirely true; machines that twist metal are torsion bar machines.

Video on how to make a cold forging machine with your own hands.

Differences of cold forging

There is such a thing as “stamping”, which is sometimes confused with the cold type of forging. Cold forging itself has 2 principles according to which this process can occur. The table shows the differences between the processes.

Process	Description
Stamping	The stamping process can be described as the extrusion of certain shapes using a punch that works at high level pressure. An example of the stamping process is an aluminum can. Heating of the metal is not used in this case. The ability to apply such technology at home is hardly possible, since it is impossible to create the necessary conditions for this.
Cold forging type (riveting)	This type of cold forging, in fact, is cold hardening, namely, a certain number of blows of very high force are carried out in the process, which allows the structure of the metal to change and become required parameters in size and shape. This manipulation is carried out using a hammer, which you can also build with your own hands.
Cold forging type (bending)	Another type is bending. With this technology, the metal structure remains the same without changing its characteristics. This type of forging can be used at home; all you need to do is create a cold forging machine with your own hands.

Cold forging, which is carried out on the principle of bending, is quite simple to do, especially if you have special stationary equipment that significantly facilitates the process. The advantage of this variety is that you can assemble almost any cold forging machine with your own hands without much expense.

Video review of a manual machine for forging metal

Construction of cold forging machines

Each device for cold forging has its own characteristics and parameters. In order to easily make a cold forging machine with your own hands, you need to understand what each of them is.

Machine		Device
Bending machines		The design of this device is such that by changing the rollers and wedges, the size of the waves and bends changes. They can bend rods up to 16 mm. The only caveat of this device is that it cannot be made independently, because it requires processing and turning many parts of the exact size. The cost of such a device is low.
Twister		The unit works by equipping it with a special template, onto which the piece of metal being processed is pressed. The pressure must be very high, so those who work on the twister must have sufficient strength to do this. In addition, the safety of the template itself is ensured by the presence of a persistent horn (end). As for the middle horn, which is otherwise called the encircling horn, it should be made in such a way that it can change its position and be fixed in it. The efficiency of work depends on this, especially for those who are starting the process for the first time.
Base with spacers		This unit will allow you to make patterns of absolutely any variation. The design itself is very simple and consists of a plate made of durable and reliable material into which spacers are screwed at a certain distance. For such purposes, you can use bolts with sizes from m8 to m24. The thickness of the metal depends only on the skill of the person working on the machine. Basically, this device is well suited for metal with a thickness of 6 mm.
Snails Twister machine	With collar	This installation consists of a base plate on which a special coil is located. This coil is used as a template for the future product. The peculiarity of the machine is that the “snail” template is divided into several parts, which are secured to each other using special connecting elements, which allows the template to vary in shape during operation, which creates various kinds of waves and bends. There are also disadvantages to this design, since in order to make such a machine for cold forging with your own hands, you need to select a very durable material that will not bend over time. Also think over the connecting loops, which are quite vulnerable, given the amount of force with which the entire process of bending the metal occurs.
	Lever type	In this type of snail machine, the template is attached very firmly to the base. Due to this fact, its productivity is lower, however, its reliability is greater. Using a special lever, the metal plate is pressed against the template; at the same time, the movable roller must be moved during the process. To make such a cold forging machine with your own hands, you can use steel material, which is distinguished by its strength, and the roller can be made from a conventional roller bearing. In general, the design is similar to a pipe bender.
Torsion bar machine		Such a device will be good for screw twisting rods. Such a machine is made from a cylindrical metal base and two fastening and simultaneously twisting elements. It is advisable to equip such a structure with a special pair of paws that will not allow the metal being processed to bend in ways that are not necessary. The principle of operation of the machine is such that the rod is placed in the elements holding it, clamped at one end, and at the other end, using a rotating spindle, it is twisted to the desired size of the helical wave.

Equipping a torsion bar cold forging machine with an electric drive

In order to increase not only the efficiency of work on a cold forging unit, twisting rods into a helical wave, but also to increase the speed, as well as ensure stability and not be subject to overfatigue, you can install an electric type drive.

Working by hand, it is quite difficult to make all the decorative elements made of metal rods the same, since the uniformity of the rotational moment in such a situation will vary greatly. In order to avoid errors in the manufacture of products, you can use:

axle shaft from the car, which is installed on the drive axle;
you will also need a differential gear pair;
For protection it is worth using a casing.

From the listed devices you can build electric drive To torsion bar machine. It is better for such an engine not to exceed power ratings of 900 rpm and 3 kW.

Building a curl for the machine with your own hands

Before you start creating a cold forging machine with your own hands, you need to be able to calculate the parameters of the template spiral, because special programs for such purposes there is practically none. Such a template should not only be technically competent, but also have an attractive appearance.

The calculations for this pattern are based on a logarithmic spiral. Some nuances during construction can be highlighted in the following list:

the beginning of the construction is taken at point R0;
the turning radius will be equal to a fixed angle;
the length of such an angle must be multiplied by the divergence of the coil;
discrepancy in standard version generally taken equal to 1.2;
for simplicity of calculations, as well as maintaining accuracy, the bending angle is best taken at an angle of 45 degrees;
if there is a need to build a template that will have a denser spiral, then the 8th part (s) of the unit distance from the spiral should be added to the radius;
as for r0, it must be equal in value cross section the diameter size of the workpiece for the spiral.

Important: r0 can take any value, it all depends on what characteristics the metal is used for the workpiece, namely its density.

Taking into account all the nuances, you can start making a “snail” template; for this, it is best to be able to solve equations that have a cubic degree and higher. There is no exact formula for calculating such a device, but one that allows you to achieve optimal result, There is. The sequence when constructing a spiral template can be like this:

the initial point r0 is determined first;
the turns that the template will have are taken arbitrarily, their number can be any;
using tabular data, you should calculate the diameter (b), while ensuring that it is smaller in width in the opening for the template;
using the formula, the radius R is calculated;
the last step is to transfer all the obtained points in accordance with the scale, after which you can proceed directly to construction. In the process, let’s adjust the radius R in the final version using a similar formula.

Help: if it becomes necessary to calculate intermediate values, then this is done in accordance with the geometric proportion.

Construction of a cold forging machine

When drawing up a drawing to further create a template for the machine, it is best to make sure that it has the maximum number of different variations regarding bends and waves. Having such blanks, you can create a cold forging machine with many interchangeable attachments, which will make it possible to produce various patterns and monograms.

Sequence of actions when creating a device:

Initially, you will need a metal sheet, the size of which will depend on the number of patterns placed on it. The templates themselves should be placed in such a way that there is room for the manufacture of products, because during the process the material from the nozzles may shift due to lack of space. Also, if the templates are not sufficiently spaced from each other, complications may arise in the work.
As for the variations of the templates themselves, they can be either simple or contain more than one turn of the monogram. You can make a similar ploughshare-type snail and think through the design of the bends in the disassembled and assembled state. At the same time, you should be careful when selecting the material for fixing the sliding parts - it should be as durable as possible.
Nozzles can be changed by making a slot rectangular shape, it will be possible to insert replaceable templates for forging into it. They should all be attached to metal plates, having the shape of a rectangle. Fastening of such nozzles will be ensured using bolts.

Video instruction

Assembling the device

This version of the machine is used as an example because of its simplicity. Knowing the basic principles and sequence of equipment design, you can upgrade it at will. To assemble all parts of the equipment into a single whole, you will need to use:

drill with carbide type drills;
welding machine;
a saw cutting metal or a hacksaw;
metal sheet of the selected size;
round metal pipe;
metal rod;
bearings of different sizes;
bolts size M8.

To assemble a cold forging machine with your own hands, you need to use a proven sequence of actions:

Conclusion

Anyone who decides to take up forging seriously and make a cold forging machine with their own hands should be very scrupulous at the stage of creating drawings and calculations. Otherwise, the creation process is quite simple, and once you understand the principle of equipment design, you can come up with various variations of it that will help improve the product.

People have long noticed that metal heated in a forge can be given almost any shape. Forged Products look great in any interior. They can be a decorative element of both wooden and stone cottages.

Among the owners of private houses there is hardly a person who would not like to have a wrought iron fence, railing or staircase. But, despite many advantages, products obtained using hot forging - a process in which metal is subjected to high temperature becomes plastic, due to the high price it is not available to everyone. There is an alternative - cold forging of metal. Its main advantage is not only low price, but also the availability of technology for independent repetition.

Cold forging of metal is a process in which the metal is not heated, and the product is shaped by bending, pressing, and welding from several pieces.

Some experts believe that the name “cold forging” is not entirely correct. In their opinion, only the process of plastic deformation of hot metal can be called forging. But the name of this metalworking method stuck. Moreover, users believe that in some cases, cold forging of metal can be a worthy replacement for hot forging. We will tell you whether this is actually true in today’s material.

Features of cold forging

There is a common opinion that products obtained by bending come out monotonous, more like factory stamping put into production. However, practice shows that with the proper approach, using cold forging you can create real original works.

Most often, metal is made using cold forging:

bars on windows;
elements of canopies, railings and awnings for entrance group;
decorative elements for fences and gates;
curly legs for tables and chairs;
decorative elements: flower stands, fireplace grates, picture frames, mirrors, etc.

For artistic hot forging of metal, products are produced using the cold deformation method on special equipment, which are then welded into one whole: elements of a fence, fence or gate. Moreover, an uninitiated person will not immediately understand by what forging method this product was made.

Goblin 2 FORUMHOUSE user

In my opinion, forged elements made by cold deformation (bending) look no worse than the same elements made by hand - hot forging. And they are cheaper.

Kholmoff FORUMHOUSE user

Cold forging of metal allows, using a fairly simple set of equipment, to create standard elements - torsion bars, rolled peaks, volutes, spatial bending elements. And then, combining this set (from about 10-15 types of standard elements) to create complex patterned products. Any person who owns a metalworking tool can master the bending process if they have the desire.

Regular geometric shapes, in combination with curls and waves, can look very beautiful in metal, because... Any most complex pattern consists of many simple elements.

A significant advantage of cold forging of metal over hot forging is high performance. It doesn't require much space to work. There is no need to set up and light a forge, forge, or hammer on an anvil. By changing only the equipment, you can quickly create a variety of elements, but to connect the nodes you will need to master welding well.

Kholmoff FORUMHOUSE user

I once did cold forging and learned how to weld semi-automatically in two days.

For getting good result, the process of cold forging of metal should be divided into a number of successive stages:

Idea and problem statement.
Schematic sketch of an idea by hand on paper.
Accurate drawing of the product, either by hand or in a graphics program.
Breakdown of the entire product into individual simple elements.
Drawing, or printing on a printer, the components of the product in full size.

Some printers support poster printing, i.e. they print parts of a large image on A4 sheets, then all that remains is to glue them together.

Calculation of the amount of material required.
Manufacturing individual elements.
Grinding and assembly (welding) of individual elements into a single structure.

Despite its apparent simplicity, cold forging of metal requires a thoughtful approach and competent calculation of all the details of the future product. FORUMHOUSE experts advise - to visualize the idea, pre-make individual knots from wire real size. This will help you understand how they will fit together various elements with each other and correct mistakes in time, or find a more successful combination of patterns and individual elements.

The main elements obtained during cold forging of metal include:

Paws and peaks. These elements are rolled out from a metal rod.

Curls. Includes: volute, chervonka and snail. The volute, or, as it is also called, the steering wheel, has the ends bent in one direction. The chervonka looks like a $ sign. The snail resembles a comma.

Rings are made from rod, round or square section, wound on a special mandrel. The result is a kind of metal spring, which is then cut into rings.

Torsion. One of the most common elements. It is obtained by twisting one or more rods.

All of the above elements can be made by combining just three technological processes.

1. Hood. Thanks to this process, by reducing the cross-section of the workpiece, it increases in length. In this way, legs and peaks are usually obtained, for which the metal is placed in a special rolling or crimping machine. By passing the workpiece through the rollers and gradually reducing the distance between them, the material is rolled out. Also, relief notches can be applied to the rollers, which give the surface of the workpiece a certain texture.

2. Torsion. The metal (strips or rods) twists along its axis. You can twist one, two, three, or more blanks. To do this, one end of the workpiece (or workpieces) is placed in a vice, and the other begins to be rotated along the axis. If you twist several rods and then compress them by applying force along the axis, they will diverge in an arc. You will get a thickening of woven rods called “Flashlight” or “Basket”.

3. Bending. Metal is bent on a special machine using templates.

To bend metal in different planes, you need the simplest equipment and simple machine tools. There are many cold forging machines available in the market. But due to the high price, their purchase is justified only if further profit is planned. A novice master doing cold forging “for himself” can easily get by with metal bending.

At first, you can get by with simple jigs and mandrels inserted into a regular bench vice. You can make a torsion bar by holding the end of the workpiece in a vice, then put a pipe on it, and, using a wrench, twist the workpiece along its axis.

Alexei62 FORUMHOUSE user

All cold forging tools (except welding machine) can be made from available materials.

The following tools are most often used for cold forging of metal:

Gnutik. With its help, the workpiece is bent at a certain angle.

Snail. With its help, the workpiece is bent in a spiral. By changing templates you can change the bending radius.

Flashlight. This is similar to the equipment for lathe. Using this tool, metal blanks are intertwined with each other to obtain the element of the same name.

Wave. The principle of operation of this tool is clear from the name. With its help, the metal is given a wavy surface. The distance between the “crests” of the waves and their height can be adjusted depending on the machine settings.

Twister. Twists a strip or rod along the longitudinal axis.

The operating principle of all the above machines is very simple. It is based on applying a certain force to the workpiece through levers, leading to deformation of the metal. Metal bending on machines occurs manually. To make work easier, some machines are equipped with electric motors, which increases their price. Many home craftsmen prefer to make cold forging machines themselves. Also, with the arrival of experience and an increase in the complexity of products, it is necessary to retrofit machines with a variety of equipment - templates, jigs, stops, limiters.

There is a lot of scope for creativity here. Each master makes adaptations for his tasks. It is important to observe the principle of reasonable sufficiency. The most beautiful products can be done using a minimum of equipment.

Secrets of cold forging

One of the main questions for novice craftsmen is: “What metal is suitable for cold forging.” According to members of the forum, you should take the time to visit the local metal warehouses and get acquainted with the list that they offer. For cold forging, the most common “ferrous” metal is used. The running size for strips is width 14 and 16 mm, thickness 2-4 mm. The rod is a square with a side of up to 10 mm. This material is easier to bend. Thicker material, a strip of 20x4 mm, etc., will have to be cut first.

When a person learned to work with metal, he radically improved his standard of living and changed it thoroughly. This was felt not only during the war, but also in everyday peaceful life. She became much more comfortable and beautiful. Through cold forging, craftsmen make amazing things from metal.

Which, in principle, is very simple. It is enough to have the desire, experience and special equipment.

Cold forging products

Essentially it's bending and twisting. metal products without heating them in a forge. For this purpose, various machines are used, differing in size and purpose.

Using them, you can use cold forging (bends, kinks, twists) to create anything you want with a metal rod, fittings, strip, pipe, and produce various decorative items.

In particular, through artistic forging you can make:

Fences;
Decorate living spaces with fancy ornaments;
Apply twisted patterns to the gate;
Protect stairs and balconies with metal ligature;
Make backs and armrests for chairs, armchairs, garden benches;
Decorate gazebos and street lights;
Make various gratings.

To easily do all of the above, in most cases a manual forging machine is sufficient, which is quite easy to make with your own hands.

Classification

To work with metal you need equipment. Also, for the manufacture of certain products with a fairly complex configuration using cold forging, you will need various drawings And measuring instruments quality control.

No problems if you have everything the necessary tool The following types of machines can be manufactured:

"Snail";
Torsion bar machine;
"Gnutik";
"Wave";
Press.

Let's briefly look at the features of each machine and the assembly features.

"Snail"

This machine is designed for bending reinforcement, pipes, strips and other metal blanks in the form of a spiral. During the manufacturing process, it is enough to have an idea of how the device works in order to design it correctly.

During the installation process, you should pay attention to the following points:

The supporting frame (table) on which the workpieces will be bent must be made of metal (channel, thick wall pipe, corner), but not made of wood. Since most of the load will be placed on it during operation, it must be durable and not fall apart at one point!

Tabletop. Cut from metal sheet 4 mm or more thick, has round shape. On top of it, the same snail with all the segments is cut out and laid, on which the blanks will be bent.

It is worth noting that you should not save on the thickness of the tabletop. It bears all the dynamic load. The thicker the sheet of metal from which it will be cut, the better.

Main articulated shaft. It is made from pipes with fairly thick walls. Placed along the central axis between two tabletops. Attached to the base with four rectangular corners (triangles).

Lever with roller. It is attached to the shaft, carrying out rotational movements around it during the process of bending the metal.

This is the simplest version of a do-it-yourself cold forging machine, available for installation without special effort. If you need to make more complex products, it will have to be modified.

Torsion bar machine

Designed for twisting loose parts. Has the following assemblies:

Frame (base, support frame);
Movable and static clamps (vise);
Handle for turning (twisting). The longer it is, the less effort you need to make. On the other hand, nothing prevents you from connecting an electric motor to the movable clamp, so as not to twist the metal by hand!

"Gnutik"

Designed to bend the workpiece at a certain angle (usually straight or sharp). Its design is simple:

Tool steel plate;
Movable stop (wedge);
Support shafts (2 pcs.);
Lever arm

In order to understand how to assemble it correctly, you can look at the photos that show various machines for cold forging and the features of their installation with your own hands, or a video that is freely available on the Internet.

"Wave"

The machine allows, due to controlled shafts (disks), to perform various zigzag and sinusoidal bends (it all depends on the design).

As in the previous design, there are static and moving parts. One disk rotates along an axis around the other due to a lever (knob). When the distance between them changes, a wave of one configuration or another is obtained.

Press

Its task is to form the tips (“leaf” and “ goose foot"). Essentially, it flattens the end of the workpiece, giving it one shape or another. The most complex of the designs, components for which (especially the firing pin) will have to be purchased separately.

Sometimes it makes more sense to purchase the entire machine rather than assemble it in parts. But this is easier and more financially profitable for everyone.

Artistic cold forging is an art. Basically, it acquired a purely decorative color, without losing practicality and expediency. You can make amazing things from metal rods, fittings and other materials.