Don't worry. I won't steal your glory. I enjoy reading your posts too much for that. I know what you mean when you talk about kinking tubing. It's a pain. Have you tried.... I have to explain this right. Like a solid rod of metal split down the middle so one side is "domed" and one is rounded? That might help or maybe even work.
I just realized you basically described that in your other post, gene. But mine is slightly different. How to split a solid rod of say...aluminum- that I don't know how to do, besides a grinder/dremel tool and all the time and patience in the world.
I did some electrical work for a Brass Bed Company and they would fill the brass tubing with sand before bending to avoid kinking. May or may not work for you
Years ago they did the same thing when building roll cages for race cars. Of course that was before they had good tubing benders available.
YEP its called sand bending its what the ol' timers use to do. You fill the pipe with sand and cap both ends. This keeps the pipe from bending on the compression side which is the inner part of the bend.
I have recently been working on a custom grill of my own, I was doing some prototyping in flattened 1/2" #16 mesh I got at the local steel yard, its about 14 gauge which is plenty for a grill if i do a 1/2" wide border around it. As for the compound bend I fooled around with some cardstock and found that a pie-cut in the middle of the mesh that is 1/2" at the bottom is perfect for making all the angles work. After I pain stakingly welded the joint together, I used some angle iron to bend it along the weld and it turned out great. I matched it up with a stock plastic maverick grill and the angles are perfect. Im only on my 3rd day of work on it and already it looks awesome. Will post pictures of progress and my finished project. I was actually gonna try and sell them but I didn't think I would be able to find anyone that would buy one from me. I guess i'll just have to wait and see. I have yet to weld on the 1/2" flat stock border and the mounting tabs and stuff but I think that it will turn out great.
Im not really sure what color I sould paint it, Im deciding between black, and argent silver aka dull aluminum, I think either would look cool but I want my first prototype to be perfect. I was having a little trouble welding in my 1/2 inch border to the thin mesh, but I think it went ok. I'll take some pictures and try and get them up tonight, but if not it will be tomorrow.
