Iron rods can be bent into poles for hanging baskets.
Hanging baskets, dripping with cascading plants, are a lovely accent to a yard or patio. The problem hanging baskets pose is display them if you have no ceiling where a hook can be installed. If you have some rod iron pieces, you can create a rod post with an upward bend on one end; the other end is pushed into the ground. It takes some specialized tools, but the process is pretty straightforward, and you don't need to heat the iron, unless it's a very thick piece. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Insert the rod iron into the vise. Clamp the rod securely.
2. Place the forming jig, also called an iron bender, next to the rod where you want the bend.
3. Grab the rod iron with the vise grips. Bend it around the forming jig. Use a small sledgehammer to hammer the iron if it doesn't bend easily.
4. Don protective gloves. Stick the end of the iron that you want to bend into an open fire until it's red-orange, then bend it with the sledgehammer.
5. Finish by sanding, priming and painting the iron.
Tags: hanging baskets, want bend
