Help bending tubing

fasterpatrick · #1 (**permalink**) 09-20-2006, 09:00 PM

Hey guys,
looking for some ideas for bending the large radius bends for the birdcage. what are/did you do/doing. I don't have a roller bender and wouldn't think most of you would either. helpfull Ideas welcome Thanks Patrick

Three Peaks · #2 (**permalink**) 09-20-2006, 09:50 PM

I've used a variety of benders for all the different radius bends needed for the birdcage. Mostly, I've used electrical conduit benders for the larger radius bends, going just a little bit at a time until they fit the body. The tighter radius bends I used an electrical "hickey" for bending rigid conduit. There are a few bends-like the door, trunk, and hood hoops that require a very tight bend. For that I bought a Harbor Freight hydraulic bender and had to bend very carefully to keep from kinking the 3/4" DOM pipe I used.

Basically, whatever is handy is what you will need to use. I'd love to have a roller bender, but just isn't in the budget this month.

Bob

trularin · #3 (**permalink**) 09-21-2006, 06:02 AM

I think that hydraulic bender is on sale this week.

mickmate · #4 (**permalink**) 09-22-2006, 08:20 PM

That manual bender you can buy as a bench top or on a stand is pretty slick for that kind of stuff too. Enco has a hell of a deal on them. You may need to modify a pipe die for tube on some machines also as you want a real good fit to stop the kinking Bob mentioned. I was about to try passing some lengths of tube through the rolls. I wouldn't hesitate with the square but the curvy bits are all tube!

fasterpatrick · #5 (**permalink**) 09-23-2006, 09:32 PM

Well after a good scrounge around the shop. I dug out my old hydraulic pipe bender which had became a failed attempt at a one-shot tube bender. Dies just didn't work. Grabbed what was left (I never throw anything out just ask my wife.) and a bunch of stuff around the shop and started to conjure and this is what I came up with, and it looks like it will work quite well.

Not bad for junk laying about in the shop. Dont worry I also have a Easy-Bend 90 deg. tubing bender for all the regular radius stuff. That bender is the best for the buck hands down. :

Patrick

mickmate · #6 (**permalink**) 09-25-2006, 07:55 PM

That is a good utilisation of that bender Pat. I took some of my dies from that bender and put them on an indexing head on the Bridgeport and rotated them by the appropriate size cutter. By doing that I could size the pipe (ID specific) dies to tube (OD specific). If I was using the one inch die with 1/8" wall tubing I would put a 3/4" OD spring inside the tube to stop it kinking while I bent it. I have a piece of tube to try tomorrow on the rolls I'll keep you posted. The real trick is the compound bends that curve in 2 or more planes at once. Anyone got any good tricks there?

fasterpatrick · #7 (**permalink**) 09-25-2006, 08:20 PM

Two planes at once sounds like an accident waiting two happen. You would have two do both bends in baby steps a little each way at a time. Working toward the middle. the bending of the front of this buggy is as close to two planes as I would attempt to go.

That was made with the pipe bender that I believe you are using.

Patrick

mickmate · #8 (**permalink**) 09-25-2006, 08:23 PM

Take a look at the front or rear of the cockpit tubes that curves across your body and forward or back at the same time!

fasterpatrick · #9 (**permalink**) 09-25-2006, 08:46 PM

Ah those fun parts. Start with the large curve in the middle match it to template cut to fit the body. Leave enough extra on the ends, then do the tight radius stuff, trim to fit. The tight bend looks to be almost flat to the cuve at the back of the cockpit. my prints realy make that tube look funny check the body. mine looks to be one gracefull curve. Patrick