Thoughts on bending a bow rail

[Holgatelbi]

I have a 1984 228 with original bow rail. I have some line wrapped around an area above an upright that has broken.

I bought a "like new" used one at Eckard College marine yard sale here in in St Pete for $25.

I need to customize it some to make it fit. It is SS and I need to make the front bend have more of a radius, thus making it wider at the open end.

I am thinking of heating the sharp bend up with an acetylene plumbers torch & just pulling it apart with two people till I get the "spread" dimension correct.

It might require going over size & then maybe a slight bend on each side to bring it in a little.

I thought to remove the old & lay it upside down on the ground & use it as a pattern. I'm a wood guy, so any suggestions from metal people will be appreciated.

[dayjtradr]

Google "how to make a bimini top". Brisbane Yamaha has a video on making a top and about half way through it he shows how he bends the tubing. He made a jig with wood, really quite simple.

[Holgatelbi]

Good hints - thanks. Hope bow rail bends as easy as that tubing. I'm thinking it is a heavier gauge.

[dipmiami]

Not to hijack but has anyone done this for a windshield grad bar? Seems the same to me but not sure if the different turns required anything special.

[flounder]

Holgatelbi,

Be cautious with the front bend. It has been "work hardened" and will be more brittle than the rest of the rail.

I recently picked up a 1" diam SS rail off a Fish Nautique. I found that the rail bends/flows nicely after leaving the front radius. We test fit it by making the rear ends fit the width we needed. The arc taken by the rest of the rail is pleasing and fits the hull comfortably.



In my case I have to make the rail narrower at the rear...rope.

It might be worth making up a wood speader for the rear of yours, lay it up on the hull, and see what you have before you tackle the front radius.



Depending on where you postion the front of the rail, you may not need to do anything to the front bend.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

[Holgatelbi]

Thanks Joe - By "work hardened" is that from the way they bent it? You don't think they used heat, do you?

Yours actually almost looks like it has a "V" coupling in the front. Or is just a really tight bend?

My new is definitely not as tight a radius as yours, but tighter than the original radius.

That looks like a perfect fit with yours as well. Thanks again for the input.

[flounder]

I don't know whether heat was used or not. I believe they try not to use heat on SS because of discoloring.

I'm no metal guy, but I believe any time metal is bent, the structure is changed and results in hardening (brittle). Picture breaking the tab off a pop top can. Flex it till it breaks.

Oh, and no, my rail is solid around the bend. The bump you see in the pic are couple nylon ties that I put on it so I could hang it in the barn while I get the wash board ready it. Have a ton of holes to fill.

[Holgatelbi]

I was aware that heating will stain the SS. I believe there are ways to remove the stains after the fact. I am thinking the heating

will allow me to open the bend some w/o breaking it. But, again, I'm a wood guy. I like your idea of the wood spreader board.

I've done it plenty with copper tubing, just not sure of the effect of the heating on SS.