Wire Bender

I've had this disk with a lot of tapped holes in it for quite a while.  This is what it looked like after brushing it off.  I have a need to bend a bunch of thin diameter wire to repeatable dimensions. 

Actually, I've had this project done for a while, I made this at Techshop a few months ago.  Anyway, here's how I did it.

www.techshop.ws

First, I started with my disk. 

Step 1: Bending Arm

The center of the disk was tapped for 3/8-16, so I used a shoulder bolt for the center axle.

Add a piece of DOM tubing that is bored for a bronze bushing, and clean it up with a nice shoulder.

The shoulder presses in to a piece of 4140 that has a slot cut in it. 

Finally, this piece is all assembled with just a quick weld. 

Step 2: Guide Blocks

At this point, you have the pivot arm.  This needs a block on it that will actually push the wire as you bend it.  A couple more chunks of 4140 from my scrap bin.  Lay them out with layout fluid, cut away excess metal, drill and counterbore / tap.  Then a small disk is cut that spins on a short shoulder bolt. 

In the future, the guide blocks will be set up to be pushed for/aft on a spring, should I need to bend a shape that isn't round. 

Step 3: Center Shape Mandrel

This is nothing more than a piece of 1 1/4" diameter CRS rod that was cut, drilled and faced. 

This serves as a mandrel for the wire to be bent against.

Step 4: Assemble and Use

It works!

Now I just have to spend the rest of my life making an assortment of tooling for it.