How easy is it to bend rebar? I would make a form out of plywood and wood scraps - could one large man and one small woman bend it readily?

Does it have much tendency to spring back after being bent? The plans called for 60" lengths of conduit footings, 30" in the ground and 30" out but I was wondering
if 24" in the ground and 12" out would be enough. Obviously I don't want a child running into it and getting lashed by a springing piece of rebar (horrific thought) but if it doesn't spring, no problem.

I would like to paint them bright colors. Metal primer and outdoor paint? Auto spray paint?

Transportation - better to stick six pieces of 20' rebar under the seats of a minivan, out the trunk, and flag them, or better to take the form and bend them in a far corner of the HD parking lot, whereupon the arches would fit into the minivan, pretty much? Have to balance issues of springiness and difficulty of bending, here.

Thank you for any help you can offer!
Lisa

Here is Lady Banks rose growing over my rebar (made by my hands) arch.

Here is another rebar arch I made to grow elagnus over:

and a picture of the elagnus completely covering it now--but my husband replaced the rebar with brown painted pvc pipe, but the one with the lady banks rose is still holding up all those beautiful roses (will soon be in bloom here again):

I also use it as teepees to grow big vines on like lab lab

I once tried a row of tall teepees with black deer netting to drape from each teepee for the vines to cover, but I never got enough sun in this area for the look I was after so it came down I have drawn black lines on the picture where the rebars are so they could be seen better:

thanks for the hints.

I still think I might paint the rebar - bright colors should work in my tropical garden, and it would be garden sculpture for the winter (way too long this year.)

Lisa

You should post this on the Roses Forum---Alot of rosey folks would love to see this post. I'll be looking for it over on the Rose Forum
Your garden is wonderful.

Florence/zeffyrose