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8bitpandaking OP t1_j156wls wrote

Reply to comment by Alwayssunnyinarizona in How do I fix a pushed in decorative metal beam. by 8bitpandaking

Just to make sure I understand what you saying 100% basically make the area flat with a think board so that when I go ham with a hammer it doesn’t dent the metal but should cause enough force to move it?

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Alwayssunnyinarizona t1_j157k79 wrote

Yes, aim for the bend to get it to bend back. Not too thin, you want to keep the whacks from damaging it.

Biggest concern would be you knock the whole thing from its ground connection. Might have someone on the other side to keep it from moving towards the street. Or use your car to brace in 😂

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Alwayssunnyinarizona t1_j157y1b wrote

You could also use the board sandwich approach and then try to put a vise on them and force it straight. It'd be heavy, but that would avoid any back and forth movement from hammering.

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8bitpandaking OP t1_j158mwu wrote

What do you mean by “it’d be heavy”

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Alwayssunnyinarizona t1_j1597pi wrote

My vise weighs about 25-30lbs, it would be awkward to lift and try to use it vertically.

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8bitpandaking OP t1_j15dwf7 wrote

Okay got you. So should I put two boards and then use two vice grips each or will that not be enough?

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Alwayssunnyinarizona t1_j15frjr wrote

I think you'll need something fairly heavy duty, like a 4-6" bench vise rather than simple grips.

How soon do you need this fixed? If you've got more than a few days, I'd sit on it and think about it before going out and buying a bunch of tools unnecessarily :)

A bench vise is expensive if you don't have one already, there might be easier/cheaper ideas that take a bit longer to think of.

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8bitpandaking OP t1_j15i14s wrote

I don’t need to fix this asap but the sooner the better. And if me saying that “pulling it with a car slowly” was the first and best idea I had right off the bat I don’t really know if I’ll come up with better the grips and 2x4.

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Alwayssunnyinarizona t1_j15jxra wrote

Cheapest option with items you can probably get easily is a couple 2x4s and a heavy hammer. Secure the boards on either side, and then hammer. Make sure the bottom of that fixture is secure and isn't moving (much) when you hammer.

You'll get it pretty close to original, though may risk knocking the bottoms out.

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