How do you bend pipe/tubing?

[Jackfre]

I'm not talking copper tubing. I've spent a lot of time with those benders. I'm looking at trying my hand at some "architectural" type work. Gates and such. Sweeps, curves, radius'.

I'm installing some floor mounted pull points in my new slab. Pouring this Thursday.

 

[MBfreak]

Here is something I made at home with "hobby" tools.
The one part I farmed out was the semicircular part to clear the door handle.
The square tubing is 30 mm ( 1 1/4") and wall thickness is 2,5 mm ( 0,1 ")

The semicircular part was formed in a very old machine, heavy duty. Was previously used to form stainless tubes for water cooling of the stator windings in large (> 100 MW) 14 kV generators.

So, a combination of home cooked and farmed out seems reasonable to me. It is REALLY hard to make smooth bends on tubular material ( ferrous) at home.

Ola

 

[PAToyota]

Google “tubing bender” and you’ll find some options.

 

[Piper27]

Here is something I made at home with "hobby" tools.
The one part I farmed out was the semicircular part to clear the door handle.
The square tubing is 30 mm ( 1 1/4") and wall thickness is 2,5 mm ( 0,1 ")

The semicircular part was formed in a very old machine, heavy duty. Was previously used to form stainless tubes for water cooling of the stator windings in large (> 100 MW) 14 kV generators.

So, a combination of home cooked and farmed out seems reasonable to me. It is REALLY hard to make smooth bends on tubular material ( ferrous) at home.

Ola

Nice work MBfreak

 

[William Payne]

Do some research on tubing benders. There are many different types. Whats best depends on what you want to do with it.

There are some benders that are good for pipe, some that are good for tubing and some that will do a bit of everything.

 

[kazlx]

Tubing bender for harder bends and a tubing roller for sweeping curves. The HF roller isn't bad for the money. Then something like a JD2 Model 3 is a good bender. With the bender though it's the dies that get expensive...

 

[little d]

Something to think about also is filling the tube with sand, packed real tight, heat and bend.

 

[brawls43]

I built my tubing bender from the Got trikes bender plans. And I upgraded my HF roller with the kit from Swag Offroad.

 

[dv8customs]

I have the JD2 model 3. I do a lot of 1-1/2" x .120" wall and it works great

 

[ilovevocs]

IF your looking to do architectural work I think a hossfeld would be your best investment.

http://www.hossfeldbender.com/benders/model-2-bender-standard.php

 

[Jack Olsen]

From cheapest to 'not so cheap:'

This is a link to a page on bending metal by hand:

http://www.metalgeek.com/archives/2005/05/01/000047.php

Then, as others have said, a roll-type bender for gradual curves and a Hossfeld-type for tighter radius stuff. I have the Harbor Freight roller type with some dies from Swag Offroad and I used their plans to power the HF roller type with a pipe threader.

Here's a video clip of the thing making arches for a pergola I put over my deck.

You can get pretty tight radius bends with a roll bender:

And once you start bending, it's hard to stop. All of this was done with the same roll bender.

I also own a Hossfeld #1. But I haven't yet had a need for the thing.

 

[jar944]

PT105

 

[stokefire7]

...so I got this bender from Northern Tools. Shipped U. P. S. , shows up with no ends. Great. Pulled everything out and assembled. I ended up missing 1 cotter pin and a washer. I can live with that.
Bent some 1 1/4" black in my apartment , works good , I like it.

 

[fnieto]

Ercolina pipe bender and a Curvatrici profile roller.

 

[Man Cave]

JD2 model II. It was not even called JD2 when I bought it in 1987. Bob Hughes was still in south florida at the time. He changed to JD2 when he made it to central florida. Been a great bender for me and my one man shop. I have dies from 1/2" all the way to 1 3/4" with everything in between in at least two radius' per die.

 

[sailah]

I have a JD model 3 converted to full hydraulic with a decent assortment of dies. They are pricey.

Also have a harbor freight tubing roller, haven't used it much though.

 

[metal1313]

i have a hossfeld number 2 with mostly dies for flat stock, and a jd2 mod. 3 i got on CL for 100. i havent had a project where ive needed the jd2 yet so i have not needed to purchase dies for it.

i am always looking for hossfeld dies though

 

[TruckinT]

I built mine with the Got Trikes plans as well. Started it years ago on his original set of plans but when I went to finish it last year, I noticed he had new plans for an air over hydro version. Ordered those up and found that the differences were more than I thought, so I essentially had to modify everything I already built to make it work. On top of that, I used 3/4" arms so I ended up with a Frankenstein version that probably would have been easier to just start fresh, oh well. I also added some leveling screws that aren't pictured which helps a lot to get accurate bends IMO. Now I just need another job to afford all the tube I keep feeding it!

 

[TheEquineFencer]

IF your looking to do architectural work I think a hossfeld would be your best investment.

http://www.hossfeldbender.com/benders/model-2-bender-standard.php

I second this idea. I had one that was manual I converted to Hydraulic. It'll do a LOT of things. You can get dies for doing round tubing, pipe, square or rectangle tubing, bending angle iron edge in/out or on the angle. You can punch and shear smaller steel with it too. It'll bend flat bar anyway you want it, on a curve if you like. It's just a matter of buying the dies for it. The neatest thing it does quick and easy is bend small flat or round stock 90* in about 2 seconds by hand.

When I get things straightened out again, that's what I'm buying and building again.

 

[stokefire7]

I used it for this.