Question For All You Wrench Benders......

[dansweeney]

I would like to start bending wrenches and Im not sure where to start, or if I have the strength for it. I have the Dennis Rogers "odd object bending" video, so I think I understand the technique. I normally bend DU, but can only get 7" 1/4" Hex so far and have yet to get a Grade 5. Are the guys who are bending "brand name" wrenches bastard or higher level benders?

Thanks in advance!

Dan

[Tim71]

Dan,

I can bend a bastard now but I couldn't when I started doing wrenches. I don't think it's absolutely necessary to be that strong in unbraced bending but I think it helps. I think one will help the other to some degree.

Wrenches are somewhat similiar to any other spike length bend so that's a good place to start. See where you're at bending 10 and 12 inch by 3/8 inch spikes and get some 3/8 inch hot rolled steel. Basically bending anything you can in the 8 to 12 inch range will help you whether it be flat steel, square, round etc. Wrenches vary alot just like everything else does.

If you can get a decent 10 inch spike bent then you're fairly close to crescent wrench level or at least some of them. 8 inch crescents are the easiest to bend (besides the 6 inchers) and I've found that the regal 8 inchers with the orange foam handle to be the easiest "real" wrenches as Dennis puts it. The die-cast one he shows is pure garbage. It would have broke soon after that if he'd pushed it. I really don't know what you'd use a wrench like that for and he's right one when he calls it trash. Makes any spike look hard in comparison.

Also, the 5 piece craftsman set of open end "tappet" wrenches are good ones too since you've got a progression. It's the kind that Dennis bends the 11/16 by 5/8 and 1/2 inch by 9/16 on his vid.

Definately get some steel and some spikes though and it will help you a ton to get to where you want to go. Also it will let us know how close you are. If you try a wrench and can't get it that really doesn't tell you much because when a wrench is still stick straight you have no idea how close you were. If you get some spikes and steel and see exactly what you can bend, what you can get close on and what you can't get, then we can tell exactly where you are. When you can bend crescent style wrenches with regularity, I will say that not much else gets the "wow factor" that the wrench seems to get. I've done 8s 10s and 12s and people just can't see how it can be done.

Always an open invitation to PM me if you'd like me to help with any specific questions or issues. No claims to greatness here but I've went through tons of experimenting and working towards that goal myself and it's all been fairly recent compared to some so it's pretty fresh on my mind.

All the best!

Tim

[gazza]

Tim

As always a very helpfull post your knowledge of your art is superb

Ive only bent 7 wrenches in total so im no expert but i can give you my insites if it helps never bent a wrench until a few months ago but i have bent unbraced quite a few things and what i will say is there are 3 things as i see it body strength,mental strength and technique the body strength and technique will only get you so far depending on how strong and how good a technique you have and can build but without the call it what you like mental toughness/strength whatever you will not fullfill your potential i like to call it No "LIMITS" because i try not to set any.

You have to really want it and when it hurts thats when your mind is testing you to see if you are a quitter or have what it takes.

Strengthen the wrists and bending tendons buy doing isos on prebent bars,round,squire,wrenches,horseshoes whatever it takes with braced and unbraced styles as well as bending as much steel as you can afford that will make you a great all around bender.