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Pipe Bending
ChrisS - 10/12/04 at 10:41 AM

Can anyone tell me the best way to bend the rear top 19mm round tube. Ive seen some pipe benders on ebay for about £20 but im not certain that they will bend steel tube.

Thanks.

ned - 10/12/04 at 10:46 AM

if it's just one off's it might be cheaper to hire a pipe bender for a couple of hours or find a friendly/kit interested plumber?!

Ned.

David Jenkins - 10/12/04 at 11:05 AM

I used a plumber's pipe bender borrowed from a friend. It was fairly large, sat on a tripod with a 'king big handle. I believe it was designed to bend metal conduit for electrical gubbins as well as copper pipe.

You could probably hire one for a half-day for not too much money.

David

colibriman - 10/12/04 at 11:46 AM

go find a commercial/industrial building site and look for the electricians not the plumbers (although they would all normally be happy to stop what their doing to help and gab - any excuse to stop work):

as Dave J said its a electrical conduit bender you want to find as electrical conduit is 20mm (or 25 or 32mm) so it won't deform as it might if you used a plumbers bender, they use 15 and 22mm (or 28mm) normally

pity you are so far away as I could have sorted it for you

happy hunting

splitrivet - 10/12/04 at 12:25 PM

Right on colibri a conduit benders what you need HSS will rent you one for 1/2 a day,but your best bet would be have a word with a local sparks.

A plumbers benders no good unless you have biceps like Arnie and want to kink the tube.
Cheers,
Bob

Peteff - 10/12/04 at 12:31 PM

The 22mm end of a plumbers bender clamped in the vice with a piece of bar to extend the handle. It doesn't kink but the hard part is working out where to start the bend. The posher conduit benders might have measurements on them.

undecided - 10/12/04 at 12:31 PM

why bend the tube when it is easier and cheaper to cut the tubes at angles and weld them. It will be under bodywork anyway so no problems.

philgregson - 10/12/04 at 12:42 PM

I made a former from a sheet of MDF and bent the pipe round it by hand. As long as you make the angles tighter than 90 degrees to allow for it springing back, it works fine. Some deformation but not much.

Cheers

Phil

colibriman - 10/12/04 at 12:52 PM

years ago electrical conduit was bent by using a lump of wood with a hole near the end, not sure how tight this would let you bend it...worth a try though if your stuck

I've also bent conduit just by standing on it and easing it into a bend - got to be careful not to kink it though and a tight bend would be nearly guaranteed to kink it.

Also heard of packing a tube with sand then bending it. apparently that will stop it kinking - aint tried it though

good luck

craig1410 - 10/12/04 at 01:06 PM

Focus do-it-all had plumbers benders selling for £40 when I did mine. I bought one, took it home and tried bending the 19mm 16swg tubing. After doing a few bends I realised that it just wasn't the correct tool for the job so I took it back for a full refund. Good job I took extra special care of it while testing it out so their wasn't a mark on it...

Funny thing is, now that I look at the 4 bends I made with the bender, they aren't really that bad - pretty damn good in fact!!



Cheers,
Craig.

David Jenkins - 10/12/04 at 01:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by colibriman
...its a electrical conduit bender you want ...


That's the beastie!

Look here for a picture - and you'll see why hiring is preferable to buying, and borrowing is even better!

Bender

If you can find someone who's prepared to bend it for you (e.g. a friendly electrician) he should know how to position the pipe in the bender to get the correct overall width. Easy when you've done a few hundred bends, but frustrating for a beginner (I had help with mine, and it came out to within a millimeter or so).

David

[Edited on 10/12/04 by David Jenkins]

Mix - 10/12/04 at 01:45 PM

Slightly off topic,
I decided to bend two 90 degree bends and then join the tubes by welding over an insert, result perfect dimensions and tube allignment without the maths and precision bending

Mick

[Edited on 10/12/04 by Mix]

[Edited on 10/12/04 by Mix]

David Jenkins - 10/12/04 at 01:50 PM

Too damn clever, that's your problem!

(but a really good solution, none the less)

David

James - 10/12/04 at 02:52 PM

Another option:

Find at college an abandoned badly welded chassis that's apparently being scrapped. While everyone's busy go and saw like a maniac till the rear hoop comes off in your hand.

I've heard that the above method works although of course no personal experience of it!

Cheers!
James

ned - 10/12/04 at 02:57 PM

Has anyone on here stored their badly welded chassis at brooklands college, weybridge within the last couple of years and wonder why their rear end got cut to pieces mysteriously?

NO? thought not

Ned.

Matthew_1 - 10/12/04 at 03:44 PM

speedy-hire, conduit bender with 20mm former, cost me £16 to hire for the day. Bends perfect radii for the back of the chassis.

wilkingj - 10/12/04 at 04:18 PM

I am having a Bender tonight........


Its the Works Xmas Dinner

splitrivet - 10/12/04 at 04:28 PM

If you want to do it mix's method Chris ie in 2 halves u2u me your address give me a coupla quid for the tube and pay the postage.
I'll bend it using my bender over the weekend.

If it was in 2 halves it'd be easier to mail.

Cheers,
Bob

ChrisS - 12/12/04 at 01:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by splitrivet
If you want to do it mix's method Chris ie in 2 halves u2u me your address give me a coupla quid for the tube and pay the postage.
I'll bend it using my bender over the weekend.

If it was in 2 halves it'd be easier to mail.

Cheers,
Bob


Thanks for the offer, but it seems such a waste now ive got a 6m length of tube not to use that, so if i mess it up at least ive got some more for another go, so i reckon ill fill a length with sand and try the MDF former method.

Cheers