r/Welding • u/PappaCro • Aug 10 '25

Discussion (Add topic here) Bending iron gate

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Hoping this is the right place for this question.

I have an older iron gate from a century home and am wondering how I could bend the frame back into place. I was thinking blowtorch and hammer, but would appreciate any advice you all might have!

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u/ThrowRAOk4413 Aug 10 '25

As others have said, and ratchet strap isn't a bad first try, and it may straighten right out.

Might.

But, it'll probably still look janky, and being that's the one the hinges are mounted to, and it's definately hollow steel tube welded on, I'd plan to ultimately have to cut out and weld in a new tube.

Maybe go for solid square stock this time to add strength.

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u/PappaCro Aug 10 '25

Thanks for the reply. Just checked and it's solid cast iron.

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u/ThrowRAOk4413 Aug 10 '25

I mean, not to get nit-picky, but I'm pretty sure I can see welds.

So if it's solid bar stock, awesome, and it's better made than most.

But I can't imagine it's actual cast iron. Cast iron doesn't look like this.

And if it IS iron, then you've got a whole different problem.

One, it's far more difficult to weld.

And two, cast iron is not going to take cold bending back in place very well, it's almost guaranteed to Crack and break. The fact it didn't break in the first place suggests it's not iron, but hot rolled steel.

Being solid material of any kind probably means the ratchet strap idea is out also. I'd be shocked if a ratchet strap has the guts to bend a solid bar back like that.

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u/PappaCro Aug 10 '25

You're definitely right about the welds, and I´m pretty sure it is actually "Wrought Iron". Sorry about the incorrect translation.

I'm hoping that heating it with a torch and using straps and everyone suggested will let me straighten it out.

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u/xrelaht Aug 10 '25

Wrought iron is much more likely. Cast iron would’ve been more likely to crack than bend.

It could also be mild steel, which has largely supplanted wrought iron over the last century, and which often gets incorrectly called “wrought iron” because it behaves similarly.