How to straighten a table saw fence rail?
Typically, I picked up another piece of cheap machinery. This time it is a rusty table saw that looks like it was dropped on one of the rails.
The rear rail now has a slight bend in it at the edge of the table on the far right. The fence rails are the old style tubular steel type.
I have taken the rail off and I am attempting to straighten it, but it is not working. I first tried putting it in the bench vise, but that didn't help. I then tried holding the length in the bench vise and slid a crow bar down the inside and tried to use the extended leverage to bend it back, but it is just laughing at me.
I then slid the crow bar down the length of the rail and tried persuading it with a 2 1/2 lb hammer, but there is no sign of it straightening. At least so far I don't seem to have done any new damage to the main length of the rail or the bent tail, but I'm at the point where if I try anything else I think I am likely to stuff up the existing good part of the rail and make it entirely unusable.
What other suggestions are there on how to straighten the steel tube rail? Would a motor body repair shop perhaps have something that would do the job?
In case all else fails is there a cheap option for finding a new rail?