How would ye fix this (grits teeth, grabs hard hat) ... bit of metal?

[CelticRambler]

Listen - I can't help it if there's no anything-but-woodwork DIY forum, and what are the chances of getting an answer in the Other Place?

Simple problem: a decent enough garden marquee (B&Q, linen curtains and roof), never had the space in England to get picked up by the wind and tossed about; first summer in France, all our new space came at the cost of finding a genuinely useful shade-maker turned into a rather tangled mess. Taken apart and put to one side until I had the time and interest to see about fixing it. So here we are:



Most of the poles are still in good shape, barely a hint of rust, even where the paint cracked at stress points. I'd really like to get this back into service, either in its previous role as a simple marquee (3x3m) or possibly modified to form a larger structure (5x3m). What would be the realistic options for straightening and strengthening these bent ends?

The chunky one (normal on the right) is the horizontal bar that runs from corner to corner. It slots into a plastic housing on the corner post. The flat-ended pole (normal at the bottom) is for the roof, with all four flat surfaces being bolted together with one bolt.

[kadman]

If all the parts are intact as you say, and there is no damage. It just need re assembley.

For small metal sections like this you have a couple of choices. Either bolt together as it was originally,
and form some wrap round gussets of either lite metal material, or you could use ply wood gussets to strengthen
each corner.
Or you could assemble the frame as you need it, and then put a fibreglass wrap aroung the connection. You get fibreglass
repair kits from motor factors.

You would have to be very careful bending those flat metal sections, as they would be prone to breaking and cracking.

[CelticRambler]

You would have to be very careful bending those flat metal sections, as they would be prone to breaking and cracking.

Yeah, that's why I've left them alone all this time. Didn't want to make the situation worse by trying a "quick-fix" ...

For small metal sections like this you have a couple of choices. Either bolt together as it was originally,
and form some wrap round gussets of either lite metal material, or you could use ply wood gussets to strengthen
each corner.
Or you could assemble the frame as you need it, and then put a fibreglass wrap aroung the connection. You get fibreglass
repair kits from motor factors.

Never thought about the fibreglass option - presume you mean the two-stage ones with a fibreglass blanket and activator/hardener?

Otherwise, how would I securely fix a plywood gusset onto the frame - place on the inside of the angle, or apply it as kind of splint ... ?

(This is not yet on the "to do" list, so I have time to consider all options and acquire necessary skills and materials! )

[kadman]

Your main issue is going to be making the structural frame, stable.
You can either fix the ply gussets inside, outside, or both. If they are single, then a Tel screw through the frame
and into the plywood is strong and secure. 10mm ply would be ok, 18 mm better. If you are doing ply, internal and
external, then you could tek screw from both sides into the tube.

The tek scews are self drilling, but you would need to be accurate on the tubing. Otherwise you would have to drill through
the ply , and into one side of the tubing.

You could substitute 1mm metal instead of the ply, make bracket pieces like the ply gussets, and then just pop rivet them in place.
If you required additional strength, you could also cover some part of the bracket with fibreglass wrapping.

Yep its the 2 part car resto stuff.

Quickest job is probably 1mm wrap round riveted plates, that would increase the surface contact, and amount of fixings at each corner.
Instead of only one mechanical fixing at present. It probably requires less tools and materials.

Try one frame, and if you dont like it, then back to the drawing board, or in this case, GUBU

[kadman]

To speed things up, you could use ready made brackets. These are already drilled so you may have to use washers with the rivets
for larger holes, or redrill them to suit.
Cheap enough to from screwfix.

[Lumen]

It's steel right?

Bend it back, forget about it.

[CelticRambler]

Yeah, maybe ... not! It's light steel that's already proven it can't stand the strain of a normal French windstorm, and these days we're having a lot more abnormal windstorms, so I think it's stick with one of the reinforcement options!