I recently added a compound bending tool to my collection and I was excited to try it out, despite the shop temperature being in the low 30’s.  Nothing like seeing your breath in the air while working with ice cold material.

This handrail bracket is a prototype for a project that I’m currently fabricating – the client would like to see a very slim, elegant connection to the adjacent wood clad walls. The mounting plate is made from a 2″ long segment of 3/4″ x 3/8″ flat stock and the rail attachment is a bent piece of 3/8″ ø rod.  The countersunk fasteners will be #8 lag screws, either black anodized or antique brass. I wanted to keep the face of the mounting bracket clean so I drilled a hole through the plate and welded the rod to it from the back.

I took the images of the bracket before attaching the handrail segment – at this stage I guess it could easily become a coat hook or other piece of hardware.

The image below of me holding the finished sample is what the client approved for fabrication, so I’ll need to make a total of six brackets that will be field welded to the 3/4″ ø handrail.   This project is going to require a more complex installation than typical for me –  I’m looking forward to sharing the progress and lessons learned with you.