Stupid fabrication question

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I'm shortening some Guzzi fender braces, cutting the end off, smashing them shut in the vise and then drilling a new hole. That's fine for mock-up purposes, but for the pair I will be using I'd like to make the ends look like the factory did it.



How is this achieved? Is there some sort of die available to do this?

[Rich A]

You're going to re-chrome, right? An alternative, which would preserve the ends, would be to cut the braces in the middle and then weld there (possibly with an insert for strength).

Rich A

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

You're going to re-chrome, right? An alternative, which would preserve the ends, would be to cut the braces in the middle and then weld there (possibly with an insert for strength).

Rich A

Thanks, I thought about that. Just trying to explore all my options.

[canuck750]

This may work,
take a block of steel, drill a hole down the center of the block half way, the diameter of the stay, then cut the block in half along the center of the hole, take the two halves, wrap the ends of the stay and use a hydraulic press to force the two sections together, the flat, un-drilled section of the two parts will flatten the stay, the drilled out parts should hold the stay in place and keep the cone shape of the stay intact.

[Perazzimx14]

Might want to check here:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjij4KmqsHKAhUD7D4KHe-zDEAQFggqMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webendtube.com%2Fflat.htm&usg=AFQjCNHmjUAgTh3hGkOnvU_6piXETx6uXw

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

This may work,
take a block of steel, drill a hole down the center of the block half way, the diameter of the stay, then cut the block in half along the center of the hole, take the two halves, wrap the ends of the stay and use a hydraulic press to force the two sections together, the flat, un-drilled section of the two parts will flatten the stay, the drilled out parts should hold the stay in place and keep the cone shape of the stay intact.

I envisioned the same thing in my head. I'd prefer to buy one ready made if someone makes it.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Might want to check here:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjij4KmqsHKAhUD7D4KHe-zDEAQFggqMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.webendtube.com%2Fflat.htm&usg=AFQjCNHmjUAgTh3hGkOnvU_6piXETx6uXw

Interesting. Thanks.

[kidneb]

This may work,
take a block of steel, drill a hole down the center of the block half way, the diameter of the stay, then cut the block in half along the center of the hole, take the two halves, wrap the ends of the stay and use a hydraulic press to force the two sections together, the flat, un-drilled section of the two parts will flatten the stay, the drilled out parts should hold the stay in place and keep the cone shape of the stay intact.

Same same but different
I made up a simple iron-age(!) tool to flatten the tube ends when I made a few luggage racks some years ago. Mild steel is rewarding to work with, experimenting with different profiles will just be fun, but the easiest one is of course the circular one I chose.
And as they say (or do they ? ) ,- a picture says more than a thousand words. And four pictures say -------

[canuck750]

Brilliant! I need to make one of those.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Interesting! Thanks for the photos.

[tris]

Damn - don't people know a lot of good stuff 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Beat me to it.  Typical die making stuff. Polishing the small radius will make the metal flow more smoothly. On heavier materials, heating it to a dark carrot color will make the effort required considerably less.