[TheForge] Flattening fire place screen.

[Andrew Vida]

Don,

Though I have no experience with fireplace screen, there is an old 
jeweler's trick that may work...  If you have a piece of, say, sterling 
wire that is all lousy-twisted and you need a very straight length from 
it, you put one end in a vise and grab the other with draw tongs (or 
vise grips or some other clamping device) and you simply pull until you 
feel the wire go past the yield point (the point where elastic 
deformation becomes plastic).  The feeling is unmistakable and you need 
go only a wee bit past that point to obtain a flawlessly straight and 
perfect length of wire.

What I am thinking is that if you can make a clamping device for the two 
ends of the length of screen, stretching it just past its yield point 
should provide you with a very nice, flat area.  Perhaps a coupe of 
pairs of angle iron bolted together would do the trick, like so:

                       ___
                      |   |
                      |   |
                      |   |
                      |   |
                      |   |
        ______________|   |
       |                  |
       |__________________|
        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <-screen
       .------------------.
       |                  |
       |______________    |
                      |   |
                      |   |
                      |   |
                      |   |
                      |___|

HAve this arrangement in either side of the material.  One clamp is 
fixed to a wall or bench or what have you and the other to a come-along.
Crank until things stretch a wee bit and you should probably have what 
you want.

Just a thought, in any event.  Good luck.

	-Andy

PlumDon at aol.com wrote:
> Does anyone have any suggestions re flattening  fireplace screen?  The last 
> stuff I purchased was pretty tightly rolled.  Greatly appreciate any ideas 
> anyone might have.
> 
> Thanks in  advance
> 
> 
> Don Plummer  
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-- 

	-Andy V.

You made them strong.
We make them Army dead.