Pipe Bending??

[skoda]

Any tips on pipe bending on a budget? I know Harbor Freight has pipe benders, is that the best thing to use?

 

[primersfiner]

do you have a bench vise? if you do you can put a socket in the vise and bend the pipe around the socket. that is just a thought. you can also get a emt conduit bender cheap to.

 

[Clothespin n]

Your Local Muffler Shop will usually help..
They always seem to like Beer on a Friday when The weathers Worm.

Show up with a 24, and a piece of Pipe.
They are usually all over that!

Kev.

 

[october]

i wouldnt bother with a conduit bender... though convenient, they usually will cost you some cash, and they leave dents in the metal...

the harbor freight ones i believe, are not for bending thin wall tubing, and will collapse the tube...

do a search on the chopperbicycle.net and you will find all kinds of methods...

 

[kenny p]

Stole this idea from Motorcycle Mania 2.

I cut the shape I'm looking for out of 3/4 plywood then wood screw it to a bench (with a few nuts in between for spacers) Then wood screw a block snug to the end along side the tubing and pull it around. Works for the thinner stuff.

*does that make any sense?

 

[primersfiner]

can you post up a pic of what you are talking about? so i can get a visuale idea what it is

 

[kenny p]

http://www.chopperbicycle.net/forums/sh ... all+bender

Very similiar to the idea on post 19 on the link

Hope this helps.

 

[primersfiner]

that looks easy to make and cheap to build thanks

 

[Highridah]

i wouldnt bother with a conduit bender... though convenient, they usually will cost you some cash, and they leave dents in the metal...

the harbor freight ones i believe, are not for bending thin wall tubing, and will collapse the tube...

do a search on the chopperbicycle.net and you will find all kinds of methods...

not if you use a thick rag worked for me till i tried bending heavy wall :x and yes theyre expensive but you only need 2 sizes

1 inch and 1-1/2

 

[chastin]

a way that i have done it with conduit is take the conduit lay one up on a car battery or cement block or something then we ran over it with a tractor and the pipe conformed to the shape of the tire. just dont run all the way over it. i guess car tires and stuff would work too, but i have only tried it with conduit

 

[sensor]

_._

 

[mandysbus]

get you round stock weld a cap on one end. fill with sand, weld another cap on the other end. heat with an oxy acetalyne torch(using a neutral flame)to cherry red ,while clamped in a vice. place another pipe over the round stock thats heated.bend to whatever angle you want. let cool(takes along time to cool enough to handle).cut both caps off and there ya go. the sand is a must otherwise youll collapse the tubbing

we usta do this to build buggies.you must pack the sand in the tube.now we use my buddys hydraulic tube bender.....

 

[sensor]

i WISH i had enough spare cash for that! so............ professor hammers metal working tips for me until then :wink:

 

[blanquito]

I have a friend who used the harbor freight bender for his rock buggy! It won't look that smooth but it's strong as !!!!!!!!!!t

 

[Ronsonic]

For thinner tubing that tends to kink or flatten when you bend it fill the tube with sand. Just duct tape an end pour in the sand, shake and tap until it's packed in pretty good tape off the other end and bend.

 

[sensor]

_._

 

[Dman]

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14624#p147559

 

[bean]

get you round stock weld a cap on one end. fill with sand, weld another cap on the other end. heat with an oxy acetalyne torch(using a neutral flame)to cherry red ,while clamped in a vice. place another pipe over the round stock thats heated.bend to whatever angle you want. let cool(takes along time to cool enough to handle).cut both caps off and there ya go. the sand is a must otherwise youll collapse the tubing

:shock: man!!!! i just noticed i left out that the SAND MUST BE DRY or youll just be making a pipe bomb :shock:

A good starting point for getting the length of bend correct = 4 1/2 times the dia of the pipe for a 90 degree bend, so a 90 degree bend in a piece of 1" pipe would require a 4 1/2" long heated bend. This can vary with different grades and wall thickness of pipe/tube, so it's best to have some extra pipe to practice with first.
I also wouldn't be welding plugs on both ends. One end is fine, but the other end, the end furthest away from where the pipe is being bent, should be plugged with a piece of cotton rag jammed in with a screwdriver or something similar. This way if there is some moisture left in the sand and the pipe builds up pressure, the rag plug should pop out.

 

[pvwacko]

I just bought a tubing roller from harbor freight. Not a bender but designed for a larger bend radius. I'm looking forward to giving it a try and seeing how hard it would be to build a cantaliver style frame from scratch. If there is anyone in the phoenix area that wants to give it a go I could bring it down to the Bike Saviors on the weekends.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=99736

 

[C4 Metal Werks]

Wait for the Habor Freight ring roller to go on sale and look for a 20% coupon online. I don't think I paid more the $100.00 and it comes 1"- 1 1/2 dies.