Distressed Nerd - Best bendable rod?

[DistressedNerd]

Hello,

After seeing all different types of materials small diameter bendable rods can be made out of - I am stumped as to which one would be best for my application (please see attached image). 2mm fiberglass rods seem to be a great fit, but I am not sure if manufacturing them in a curved shape is super expensive and was wondering if there is a cheaper alternative like a type of plastic. I will worship you if you could find what I am looking for.

Thank you,

Matt

 

[desertfox]

Hi

Well I would say you need some kind of leaf spring made from flat or round stock, however depending on the shape and type of material chosen it's stiffness and the force required to bend it will vary dramatically.
Without what sort of force your're looking for or indeed the enviroment this things working in it's hard to give any advice.

 

[KENAT]

So is this like a mini bowflex for guinea pigs or something? In which case perhaps consider whatever material those are made of.

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[rb1957]

how did you arrive at the inital profile ? it doesn't look like the natural shape for an initially straight rod.

if you have something "cast" in that shape, like fiberglass when you cure it, not expensive to do but i don't know how it'd like your deformed position. though why should it be any different from an initially straight rod.

are your two profiles the same length ?

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[btrueblood]

My answer is steel, one of the spring steels preferably. It wins on cost, and elasticity (the "keep returning to the same position" requirement). Plastics are, well, plastic and not elastic, and thus make fairly lousy springs when compared to metals.

 

[rb1957]

i think there's a significant change in length between the two pix ...

as though you want a telescoping rod to handle the change in length, and a solid rod to handle the curvature ?

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?