I'm wanting to build a 26ft trailer for a old Sleekcraft boat I have and want the rails to look formed instead of cut and welded. I googled it and got a 1000 hits on places wanting to sell me a $10,000 bender but no good old fashioned do it yourself ideas. I know there are alot of good fabricators on here so what the hell, I'm asking, anybody?.....
Bend it the "easy way", with the flanges out, using a torch, and a comealong or jack, (after you clamp it down to some thing heavy) Gonna have to be a little creative, but it's not too hard, easier with a helper. The only way I know to bend it the "hard way" is using blacksmith techniques, have never done it , but once had a midget frame that was beautifully upset into a tight curve for the front end that was done with forge and hammer. (I'm assuming you mean channel iron.)
Yes, channel iron, 4" seems to be the standard for most boat trailers I've looked at, which go for 2-3K ! I figured I'd try and do it myself before spending that kinda money. And really would like the flanges to face in though I know its gonna be tougher that way...
A pattern on the ground, a torch with a big rose bud tip, a big tree with limbs down low, and a buddy with gloves to push on the end of the iron. Country design at its best.
By channel iron or steel you mean structural steel that looks like half an I beam? If so ,that stuff is butt ugly.It's more expensive to have a fabrication shop make up formed channel that looks like a car frame,but looks way better,in my opinion.
You could pie-cut the flanges to get it to bend easier, then weld them closed after you've got the final shape. Weld or clamp some temporary braces across both rails, then draw them in-out with pipe clamps to get your shape after heating them with a rose bud torch.
for long curves inward with the flanges in, you can shrink the flanges to pull the curve. heat flanges with a rosebud to dull red and MIST spray water on the area. work along the curve. stretching is obviously easier. having a work table and pattern to clamp to will help considerably. I worked in a large fabrication shop and we regularly straightened 300# /ft beams wth this technique.
look for a place like this. they can bend the channel the easy or hard way, no problem. I used them and others to roll tubes, angles, and channels for tanks I used to design at a previous employer.
Get it folded in a pressbrake!! I've built quite a few tandem "car haulers" from folded 3mm [ 1/8" ] sheet steel. Remember "C" channel doesn't have much torsional stength, but has good "beaming" strength. I have built " Drawbar Tongues" from folded sheet metal which has a Lipped C Channel that is tapered from the center out in each direction [ the loads are greatest at the center ] Shape is far more important than weight when strength is needed I once built a "Tandem" car hauler with "Hydraulic Surge Brakes" , Open Steel Deck, Tilt Deck, Winch Etc.The Main Chassis rails were folded from 3mm Sheet Metal . The whole thing weight in at exactly 400kgs [ 880 lbs ] unladen. [ see photos of the blue/silver trailer ] Why , you may ask. Because in my country the towing laws change when you go over 2000kgs [4400 lbs] GVW , then over 2500kgs you need a H/T [truck] license to tow it. I had a bit of fun once when the local "Gendarmes" weighbridged me because I was towing my race car behind a Honda Accord [ It looked so wrong ] The Honda weighed 1270kgs and the RaceCar on the trailer weighed a total of 1120kgs [ this made them scatch their heads in disbelief] The other trailer in the photo [ Red ] only weighed 650kgs which is lighter than most aluminum trailers. It also has a folded steel drawbar tongue. With intelligent design, you can easily build a light weight good handling trailer [ to many people over-engineer their trailers ]
It may in your opinion be "butt ugly" but it is what 9/10's of boat trailers are made of and is relatively inexpensive for the strength it provides. It also doesn't trap water inside like tubing which is another biggie... And thanks all for the idea's, I have come up with a "jig" of sorts out of 12" I-beam to fix it to, pie cut and bend to the desired shape.
In construction ,the square corner material is usually called channel iron.Formed or pressed steel with rounded corners is called "steel". Different regions may use different names. Trailers can be build from channel iron and function as good as anything althouh heavier than it needs to be,but they are still "Butt ugly" in my opinion.The material isn't smooth and when painted looks like,well, a bridge.If a car frame was built from square corner channel iron you all would call it a rat rod and shit all over it.
Originally Posted by Truckedup If a car frame was built from square corner channel iron you all would call it a rat rod and shit all over it. he wants to build a vintage boat trailer not a car I don't think he gets it Skidmarks. Who brought up car frames, rat rods, or formed steel for that matter. MY question was HOW to easily bend c channel, not WHAT to build it out of, jeezz.....
Sorry to be an asshole here and I do understand it's a trailer.But it's just my opinion like all the opinions I get when asking a similar question.Pay no attention to me and build what the customer wants.
The Jalopy Journal
