Straightening a barbed wire picket

[depaor01]

I picked this up hidden in plain sight on waste ground. 

Is there any way to straighten this without breaking it? Preferably without having to take it to a blacksmith!

Thanks,

Dave

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

No.

Heat.

Lots of it.

Edited 11 July , 2021 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[depaor01]

Damn.

Maybe I'll do the "part of its history" thing. My concern is that in its current curved state it's hard to keep out of sight of my better half 

[GWF1967]

43 minutes ago, depaor01 said:

Damn.

 My concern is that in its current curved state it's hard to keep out of sight of my better half 

I’d have thought it an advantage. Held in the right way the majority could remain hidden behind your back! 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

1 hour ago, depaor01 said:

My concern is that in its current curved state it's hard to keep out of sight of my better half 

Tell her it's a 3D model of Coronavirus RNA.

And if she asks why you need that...
..well I'm afraid you're on your own.

Edited 11 July , 2021 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[depaor01]

5 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Tell her it's a 3D model of Coronavirus RNA.

And if she asks why you need that...
..well I'm afraid you're on your own.

Nah. She works in a laboratory. I'd be found out.

Anyway we'd better stop the levity. Somebody might spot its presence in the main forum.

I suspected extreme heat was the answer, and it is very springy so I might leave as is, or talk nicely to a local steelworks. It does beg the question as to how it got into that state. It wasn't, as far as I know,  in a war zone.

[PhilB]

It was presumably bent the way it is whilst cold so it would probably bend back without fracture. Plenty of heat would help - a Bonfire Night task perhaps?

[T8HANTS]

Depends if you want to keep the patina or not, heat would destroy that, but to be honest on a bar that thin I'd do it cold.  Start at the top and work down to the spiral end, use the length of the item to give you leverage advantage, take it s;low don't rush.  Make sure your vice is well bolted down though.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear deparor01.

I have a straight one, given to me by a now-deceased French former Mayor who had a private Great War Museum not far from Peronne.

Personally, I would leave yours as is - for historical reasons if nothing else.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[depaor01]

Thanks for those answers lads.

Dave

[PhilB]

8 hours ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said:

 

Personally, I would leave yours as is - for historical reasons if nothing else.

Kim.

Even bearing in mind that the distortion is probably due to being driven over by farm vehicles in the post war years?

[AOK4]

The concrete telephone poles with the holes were very useful to straighten things like this.

[Gunner Bailey]

9 hours ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said:

Dear deparor01.

I have a straight one, given to me by a now-deceased French former Mayor who had a private Great War Museum not far from Peronne.

Personally, I would leave yours as is - for historical reasons if nothing else.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

I agree.

I have a rather bent barbed wire picket I found poking out of the brambles at the back of High Wood. Bent by shell blast - part of its history. After all, a straight one might show it was never used?