Bending Chainplates for weekender

[markfitz]

What's the best method for bending chainplates to the correct angle? We tried clamping them in a vise and whacking them with a hammer, but that gave us a pretty bad radius on the bend -- and the first chainplate didn't sit flat against the hull.  We ended up going through the rubrail like in the plan, so we'll probably fill it with epoxy to try to keep water out.  Didn't know you could go around the rub rail until we read it here....thanks!

[PAR]

Bending relatively thin stainless like this should be done slowly over a jig. I use a deadblow or a leather mallet. The jig should be made of hardwood or metal and be clamped in a vise or to a stout table. Bang it around with lots of little hits, not a few big whacks.

It only needs to go around the lower portion of the rail. Many will just use a section of pipe, which will give you a nice radius.

[lewisboats]

Find a metal shop...go in with a box of doughnuts and ask them to bend it in a break.

Steve

[Mike Pennington]

I used 1/8 inch thick by 1x8 inch stainless steel strap ( Stanely ) with pre drilled holes. Bolted them to the hull with a 1x4 backing  : then leaned on them, 250lbs is an awsome force at times. I was able to angle them just right to where they were in line with the back stays, plus get an angled bend flush with the top of the deck. Then I used my four inch grinder to round them off.

If you are building a piano, uhm, my method was kind of down and dirty, so it may not be right for you. 

If you don't have 250lbs to work with, a large cresent wrench will work too.

That box of donuts works for about anything, tire shop, ect.  8)

[markfitz]

Thanks guys, this is no piano!  But still, we ended up doing what Lewisboats recommended -- although I didn't use doughnuts.  .  It wasn't so hard once we knew who to ask -- turns out my father's friend the building inspector knew a guy who does sheet metal -- and the frames he sometimes builds for the sheetmetal a pretty similar to our chainplate material.  So we gave him 4 pieces of stainless steel and he made us some beautiful chain plates for nothing. Thanks for the help. Pictures soon!