Best method to bend forecart shaft

[bhandley]

We need to redirect one of our forecart shafts that’s coming in a bit close at the left shoulder. Anyone have a successful method to share?

[Ron]

are we talking wood, steel round tubing, pipe ,or square tubing?
ron

[bhandley]

Steel round tubing. It’s an old-style Pioneer Forecart that we just got used and it was involved in a runaway horse accident that bent the ends of the shafts closest to the horse. Both shafts have a slight rightward bend. On the right-hand shaft, this is fine as the bend is away from the horse’s shoulder but, on the left, it pokes into his shoulder a bit.

This is the best image I could find of the shaft style that we have:

forecart shaft style

Ideas we’ve come up with so far (but haven’t yet tried) are:

* Get a length of pipe with an inner diameter slightly bigger than the outer diameter of the shaft, somehow immobilize the shaft (possibly between two fence posts), fit the pipe over the end and lever it

* Arrange the shaft so that it’s leaning on the ground with the unwanted bend pointing up and hit the bend with a sledge hammer

* I know that an appropriately sized commercial pipe bender would probably work, but we don’t have one.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by bhandley.

[carl ny]

I would use your first idea to some extent. Make sure the shaft can’t roll on you, may want to leave it attached to the cart. Slide the pipe up and down the shaft to bend in the right places. From the pic. I can’t tell if your shaft is curved or straight, straight are easier. When your, fairly snug fitting, pipe will slide up and down the shaft you are pretty straight. If it is curved it’s a lot more “FUN”. Don’t use your sledge hammer. JMHO

carl nny

[JaredWoodcock]

In pinch I have used two trees that are growing close enough to wedge the pipe in. Simple conduit pipe benders are pretty common and you may have a friend or plumber who owns one that you could borrow. Go slow and make small bends and you will be fine.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-1-2-in-EMT-Aluminum-Bender-Head-and-Handle-74-046/100341459?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D27E-Electrical%7c&gclid=CjwKEAiAj7TCBRCp2Z22ue-zrj4SJACG7SBELjUigAt52I4eycdWGyVZm9HhL-axN6aWtQK9UQSpeBoCSynw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Ron]

All of the above are good suggestion but go careful. If you crimp the pipe you cut the overall tensile strength a good deal. A little bend over a long length is better then a lot
in one place. I have made shafts in different ways and you are right a pipe bender would be ideal but you can make your own by filling the pipe with sand and plugging the end. This keeps internal pressure on the pipe and helps prevent crimping. If you have torches or forge that makes this really easy and once the sand is in just heat the area lightly and bend. Forge or not as others have suggested put the shaft in something to immobilize it and use a pipe that fits over the end as a lever (keep the hammer to a minimum) gently bending the shaft out to the desired position.
Hope that helps, good bending.
Ron

[Author]

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