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thinking of getting one of these benders
mr henderson - 17/10/07 at 06:31 AM

This looks like exactly what I need, anyone wish to comment before I go ahead and order one?

http://www.pro-tools.com/105.htm


Howlor - 17/10/07 at 06:44 AM

If you look on the Rorty design website you can make one very similar.

Steve


procomp - 17/10/07 at 06:47 AM

Hi I have no experience with that paticular pipe bender.

But PRO-TOOLS are a good company to deal with. Had a few things from them. Never a problem .

Cheers Matt

[Edited on 17/10/07 by procomp]


John Bonnett - 17/10/07 at 06:58 AM

I'm sure you realise that this is a pipe bender rather than a tube bender, great for doing a roll cage but not for other bends you need to put into ERW.

I hired a hydraulic pipe bender for a few days quite inexpensively. All the other bend, I made with the bending beam. I've shown this in my archive.

John


Howlor - 17/10/07 at 07:26 AM

John,

How do you stop the tube kinking with the bending beam?

Steve


jimgiblett - 17/10/07 at 07:36 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Howlor
John,

How do you stop the tube kinking with the bending beam?

Steve


Fill it with sand possibly?


Myke 2463 - 17/10/07 at 07:39 AM

I used a 15mm copper pipe bending spring inside my 19mm erw tube and made a wooden former to bend round.

Worked ok 4 me & others who have used it. £1.79 screwfix wood free.


John Bonnett - 17/10/07 at 08:58 AM

How do you stop the tube kinking with the bending beam?

The hole cut in the wood is a good fit for the tube at the sides. The bottom of the front side of the wood is chamfered so that the bend is made over a distance rather than at a point which would cause it to kink.

The trick is to bend a little bit, then move the tube out towards you a fraction and bend a bit more. As you will see from my pictures, you can bend round and square tube without kinking and to whatever radius you want. It really is a very simple and cheap way to bend tube. There is no need to fill it with sand. All the bends on the Trials car were done in this way with the exception of course the roll cage for which I used pipe and a hydraulic bender.

Please U2U me if you need any more information.

Best wishes

John


thunderace - 17/10/07 at 09:11 AM

you can buy one for 22mm 15mm for £10 on ebay and for HYDRAULIC PIPE BENDER
15 + 20 + 25 + 32 + 40 + 50 + 65 + 80 mm its about £60

or just hire one ?


Minicooper@work - 17/10/07 at 09:23 AM

These pipe or tube benders work perfectly, on erw or cds thin wall or thick wall pipe or tube. Everything I have done is tube, cds or erw just use the tube former and die for tube or use the pipe former and die for pipe. Dead easy to use and very quick.

Be aware by the time it gets to this country what ever it costs you in the States you can double that with carriage
and various import duties and VAT taxes

Hydraulic pipe benders the type you get from Machine Mart and the like are no good on Rollcage material unless you go to a heavy wall thickness, they would be a lot better if they were available with tube formers that correctly fit tube though but still not ideal

Cheers
David


nitram38 - 17/10/07 at 09:56 AM

You cannot do long curved bends with this. Only suitable for straight forward bends.


Alan B - 17/10/07 at 12:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by John Bonnett
I'm sure you realise that this is a pipe bender rather than a tube bender, great for doing a roll cage but not for other bends you need to put into ERW.

I hired a hydraulic pipe bender for a few days quite inexpensively. All the other bend, I made with the bending beam. I've shown this in my archive.

John


Sorry John, I disagree strongly.
I have one and it is perfect for tube...in fact tube IS what it is for....I can bend 1.5" x 16g tube (ERW, DOM or CDS) all day without any sign of kinking.

[Edited on 17/10/07 by Alan B]


Alan B - 17/10/07 at 12:14 PM

This was all bent on that model of bender...mostly 16g with some 14g..

Filling with sand is definitely NOT needed...



Alan B - 17/10/07 at 12:50 PM

I didn't read this before my replies....I agree 100%

Alan


quote:
Originally posted by Minicooper@work
These pipe or tube benders work perfectly, on erw or cds thin wall or thick wall pipe or tube. Everything I have done is tube, cds or erw just use the tube former and die for tube or use the pipe former and die for pipe. Dead easy to use and very quick.

Be aware by the time it gets to this country what ever it costs you in the States you can double that with carriage
and various import duties and VAT taxes

Hydraulic pipe benders the type you get from Machine Mart and the like are no good on Rollcage material unless you go to a heavy wall thickness, they would be a lot better if they were available with tube formers that correctly fit tube though but still not ideal

Cheers
David


Alan B - 17/10/07 at 12:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
You cannot do long curved bends with this. Only suitable for straight forward bends.


Agreed.

That is the job of a tube roller rather than a bender. The benders just do a fixed (small) radius whereas the rollers have almost infinite adjustment of radius beyond tight bends.


liam.mccaffrey - 17/10/07 at 12:53 PM

Now I live in the states I think I'm gonna buy the the dies from protools and build one myself like on the blind chicken racing site


Alan B - 17/10/07 at 12:57 PM

Hey Liam....how are you liking it in the good 'ole USA?


big_wasa - 17/10/07 at 03:14 PM

Been looking at this type of bender for a while.

By the time you have a few extra dies ect along with the shipping costs, a grand isnt going to go far.


Minicooper@work - 17/10/07 at 03:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by big_wasa
Been looking at this type of bender for a while.

By the time you have a few extra dies ect along with the shipping costs, a grand isnt going to go far.


Yep,
Heavy Duty bender, angle ring, stand, 3 sets of dies was just over a grand after clearing from Customs, but it is a fantastic piece of kit.

For a small amount of bending it's not justifiable but I'm always mucking about with something to bend so ideal for me

Cheers
David


mr henderson - 17/10/07 at 04:56 PM

I knew it was going to be a lot more expensive than the dollar price suggested, but it still looks like what I want.
I did consider the hydraulic machine mart type but even if I was lucky enough not to kink the tube it would still be difficult to get exact bends.


Peteff - 17/10/07 at 05:56 PM

Here, they don't list prices but they may be worth a try. They do a direct pull and a ratchet bender.


John Bonnett - 25/10/07 at 01:35 PM

Just to complete the picture,I've just received the Tubela pricelist and we are talking serious money for a hand operated tube and pipe bender. For example, the model that bends 1/2" to 2" n/b pipe and tube up 90 degrees is £945.00 plus VAT and that is the cheapest in the range.

John