Diy Hairpin Legs

Hi everyone! I shared my Mid-Century Industrial Storage makeover amongst y'all finally calendar week too promised a hairpin leg tutorial. Did y'all know hairpin legs are hot correct now? I know, my hubby was shocked every bit well. He doesn't quite empathize the huge Mid-Century craze that is going unopen to correct now. I honey hairpin legs because of the vintage/industrial await the hand something.

You guys, y'all convey to elbow grease making these! Don't endure scared because they are metal! They were actually too therefore slow to make, too toll a fraction of buying them pre-made.

Probably the hardest business office of making your ain hairpin legs is uniformity. What is going to assist amongst that is using a pipage bender. This is mine, nosotros bought from Harbor Freight years ago.

If y'all piece of employment a coupon, it shouldn't toll to a greater extent than than $80. You tin ship away brand your coin dorsum inwards the origin laid of legs y'all fabricate. And mean value of the other cool projects y'all could create! Don't convey a Harbor Freight unopen by? Here is a link where y'all tin ship away purchase an almost identical bender online: BENDER 12 TON PIPE BENDER.

What y'all need:

- Cold rolled steel rod (softer than hot rolled). For each leg, y'all require a length almost 2.5 times longer than the finished elevation of the leg. The legs I made were 8" finished height. I bought my 3/8" rods from Home Depot, for almost $5 each. Here's a link to purchase it online: 3/8" x 36" Plated Steel Smooth Rod

- 5" Steel apartment Corner Braces. For longer legs, I would piece of employment larger corner braces, but these were perfect for my 8" legs. Look for bare steel. If y'all tin ship away solely detect galvanized, brand certain to grind off the galvanizing. It caused toxic fumes when welded. Here is a link to purchase them online: Corner Brace Flat 5IN

-Angle Grinder with cutting off bicycle too grinding disc.

-MIG or arc Welder (or a actually squeamish friend/neighbor/grandpa who has one)

The bender comes amongst a multifariousness of sized dies to use. I was using 3/8" steel rod, but unfortunately my smallest cash inwards one's chips was 1/2". I used it anyways too it worked precisely fine.

Once y'all convey the bender laid up, the origin stair is to line of piece of employment upward your steel rod. Make certain to non solely oculus the cash inwards one's chips on the rod, but brand certain the rod is foursquare inwards the die.

Then, heart the bender upward every bit far every bit it volition go. On this type of bender it volition probable endure solely slightly tighter than ninety degrees.

To withdraw the rod, twist the pressure level free valve.

The jack should drib too y'all tin ship away line out your bent rod.

Great bend, but non nearly tight enough. Now, this business office is actually scientific : )

To proceed the rod from twisting, I discovered it nestled inwards the relief cutting inwards the concrete flooring of my garage. At that point, I precisely had to stair on the bottom leg, too line down, bending the rod every bit far every bit I could.

This is what I ended upward with. Not bad!

I convey seen rounded hairpin legs similar this before, but I similar the await of a sharper angle, too therefore off to the bench vise nosotros went.

A bench vise is an extremely useful tool! I've used it to concord bolts that I require to cutting off, similar on my Don Draper Desk, too it is absolutely essential to create Custom Casters.

After tightening the angel inwards the bench vise, this is what my rod looked like. Much better.

Next, I require to cutting my rod downward to length. I measured 8" downward from the oculus of the arch, too marked both legs horizontally. Then, using an angle grinder too a cutting off wheel, I chopped off the excess. Don't worry almost cutting the ends at an angle, y'all tin ship away adapt that when welding.

For this adjacent step, y'all require an extra laid of pilus arms.

I lined the ends of the rod amongst two pre-drilled holes inwards the corner brace. Not necessary, but it made it easier to line of piece of employment both ends upward perfectly too it made it possible to weld the rod on the backside every bit well, creating a stronger attachment.

To detect the angle I wanted the legs to sit, I merely held upward a record measure, too measured the distance from the tabular array to the overstep of the arch. This way, for the other iii legs, I solely had to line of piece of employment upward the rod ends inwards the same holes, too adapt the arch till it was at the same height.

At this point, both my hairy-armed helper too myself set of a couplet of welding gloves too a hood. He held the arch inwards house spell I welded the ends of the rod to the corner brace.

To brand certain these legs were super strong, I flipped the corner braces over, too welded through the hole.

In companionship to acquire a nice, apartment mounting surface, I dry reason downward the welds on the backside. We convey a bench grinder nosotros picked upward on craigslist for $20, but an angle grinder amongst a grinding disc would piece of employment precisely fine.

After that, I drilled an additional hole on either terminate of the corner bracket.

The finally stair is to mountain your legs to the underside of whatever slice of furniture especial y'all want. For metal, y'all would desire to either piece of employment self taping, canvass metallic screws, or drill a hole too piece of employment nuts too bolts. For wood, y'all tin ship away precisely piece of employment some heavy duty woods screws.

Here's the finally look! 3/8" Steel rod was perfect for 8" legs on this Industrial Shelf, but if y'all desire to create longer legs, or concord upward something actually heavy, I would recommend 1/2" rod.

Are y'all educate to brand a laid of hairpin legs?! C'mon! I know it involves using some tools y'all may convey never tried, but I promise, its non also difficult to learn, too you'll experience super cool!