Curling Lames

[Jantien van Vranckenvoert]

Okay, so I'm just curling the belly strips for my new COP...so they don't have to be "perfect", but I keep getting these slight stright line bends in my curve, hardly noticable, not of much concern for a COP, but I plan on making a set of spaulders as well.....sooo, is this something I should planish out, or am I curling these wrong? I am using a chunk of 2 inch pipe in a vice to curl over...and a 12oz rawhide mallet.

[Signo]

Hammer them from the inside over a flat surface, is 100 times better and easier

[Sean Powell]

You can get the same faceting by hammering in the inside if you arn't careful but that is probably a better way. I think you are putting too much bend in it with each hammer strike. Maybe hammer lighter and closer to the bar, move the piece a smaller distance after each strike and try to work consistantly.

I have a section of round stock (old bar-bell handle) mounted to my workbench with U-bolts and wood spacers. I frequently bend lames by sliding them into the gap and then pulling on them. If you get a rocking motion going you will pull just enough to start a bend and then rock bak to advance the lame 1/4" before pulling again. It's a convenient way to bend open sections... but it is a pain for brown bands of spangen helms ar any shape with more then 1/4" of dish already in it.

Sean