MetalworkingFun Forum

Printed some bending dies to bend up some 1/4" aluminum rods for a handle on one of the million projects on going. I've seen guys use printed dies to bend 1" DOM tubing . Need some tweaks to the process as the initial test piece is a bit lop sided.
That is not a full radius on the ends of the handle, there is supposed to be about a 1/4" straight section between the top and bottom arcs. The rod slipped in the dies so its not symmetrical as I want it to be.
 
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Decided I needed a grip on the handle shown above.
I'll probably "body work" the grip some, we'll see.
Now to do it all over again for the second one...ugh.

[attachment=18634]

I reprinted the tool holder for the dial indicator all in PLA. There really was no reason to use a metal tool holder for it so it frees that up for another tool.

Ed

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I think alot of people poopoo 3D printing for stuff like this, but this is a perfect application for it. Low stress so plastic is perfectly fine. Repeatability may be a bit wider, but for this its usually all relative to your first measurement, not to the position last time it was installed.