A bench vise can help you straighten wire racks.
Wire racks designed for closet use tend to be extremely strong so they can support the weight of hanging clothes and heavy items placed on them for storage. If yours has become damaged, straighten it first before repairing other damage such as wires that have come loose from their welds. A repaired wire closet rack may not be as strong as it originally was, as bending and re-bending the wires may cause them to weaken. Use caution when placing heavy items on the restored rack. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Clamp a bench vise to a sturdy work table or other strong surface, using its built-in clamp.
2. Place the wire rack within the vise and tighten it so it clamps just below a portion of the rack you want to straighten.
3. Pound the bend out of the wire with a rawhide mallet, swinging it sideways so it strikes the metal just above the vise.
4. Release the rack from the vise and re-tighten it just below the next portion you want to straighten. Repeat the process of clamping and pounding until you have straightened all of the kinks you can reach.
5. Lay the wire rack on your work bench so most of the remaining bends that you want to flatten are facing up. Pound them downward with the mallet until your rack is as flat as possible.
6. Find any wires that have become separated from the rack and use a file and sandpaper to smooth out the connecting surfaces and remove any paint or coating from the area around where they connect.
7. Plug in a soldering iron and allow it to heat. Put on safety goggles and wear leather gloves for protection from the heat. Apply the tip of the soldering iron to the place where the loose wire joins the rack to heat the joint, then apply a small amount of solder to the tip of the soldering iron.
8. Touch the heated joint with the soldering iron again, and touch the joint with wire solder until the solder melts and bonds the wires together. Hold them in place for a minute or two while the solder cools and sets.
9. Solder each broken wire back to the rack, then file down any excess solder.
10. Paint the repaired rack with spray paint designed for metal if desired.
Tags: soldering iron, bench vise, heavy items, joint with, just below, that have
