This league has been great for me to get into racing and learn from the best. I'm wanting to learn how to bend my own DFW axles. John, like always is the standard for having the best stuff available for folks to use. I've seen the cool axle bending device he has which is very nice, I hope Santa is able to put one of those under the tree. With all that being said what are some other ways to bend the stainless steel axles?
Bending DFW Axle
- Thread starter aircooled
- Start date
Put the axle in a drill, preferrably a bench drill. Use a Dremmel carefully with a cutting disk, and while the axle turns in the drill, cut a small dent into the nail below the spot where the wheel hub rides. Carefull, easy to ruin an axle!
Bending axles SUCKS! Lately I have had nothing but trouble braking the axle when trying to get the desired bend. I hope to have the bending tool soon. Just make sure all your polishing and k-house groove cut in before the bend. After you cut a groove in the axle , put the base of the axle in a vise or other holding devise place a small flat head screw driver in the groove you cut and littely tap till the desired bend, and be prepared to start cusing when the axle brakes!
With non stainless steel axles you can cut any groove and they will bend fine and not usually break, with the higher quality stainless steel axles you should be making a round groove, not a "V" groove. As these axles have gotten better, the stainless steel grade has gotten harder. The better grades/ harder stainless steels crack instead of bending.... that's the nature of the Material properties of SS. Use a round file or a round nose tool in your lathe to cut the groove and you will have better results.
I get the feeling I would be better off to continue with the bent axles I get from DD4H and hope his axle bending tool shows up under the tree. I was interested in trying more bend and seeing how it would work. There are so many other places to search for more speed I'll go there.
Before I knew of DD4H, I was bending axles in a combination of, OPA, QT and 5kids. I used a drill press to hold the axle, and used a jewelers round file to make my groove, then I put the axle in a vice with the groove I made just above the jaws of the vice and then put the flat part of the screwdriver where the head and nail meet and tap firmly to do my bend. all of that was too much work so I wasted my money and bought this axle bending Block thing from the scout store...Then luckily I found DD4H and had him bend them for me and then I bought the bending tool from DD4H and that is just the coolest tool ever!!!!! Definitely worth all the pennies!!!
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