Bending
Bending is a process of bending from the simple piece of metal to a particular object such as loops, hooks and chain links. It is performed using hammers and additionally anvils but it can also be done using specialize tools that make the work easier and better consistent. In bending two factors are most important: –
1. Heat the metal to good bright-red heat enough to produce elasticity in the metal but do not raise the temperature up to an extreme level.
2. Use leverage blows for bending but not mashing blows.
3. The metal is placed on the anvil and struck so that it can be bent down under the hammer blow without being forced against the anvil and mashed. If it is struck at a place where it is resting firmly on the anvil, it will be mashed instead of bent. Most often, a few reasonable sharp blows are much better than a number of lighter blows. Some metals lose their particular tensile strength when heated. They turn out to be like Plasticine: even though they can always be manipulated by squeezing, an attempt to stretch them is by bending or twisting.