Well, 5 weeks to the day (with a 4-5 week promise) I got a little present from Florida on Friday..

http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/3_16_2002/pic564.JPG
http://tigger.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/jpg/3_16_2002/pic563.JPG

Now I have to decide what to do with it (besides the obvous - bend tube!)

For a "Power Source" I have a 10T porta-power. Hand pump and ram. Undoubtedly, this is going to be fairly slow.. but it gets me in the door on a hydraulic setup and I can always upgrade.. besides, I have radiant floor heat in my shop..

Anyhow..

I'm thinking I should mount it to the corner of a utility cart. Something like this one, from HF:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/06600-06699/06650.gif

16"x30" and rated for 450lbs. HF lists it for $50, but Northern has a similar one for $35.

I was thinking I would bolt/weld some flat plate to the "top" of one of the corners and then mount the bender to that.

I could build a hanger for the porta-power pump n' such off to the side if I wanted to.

With the cart, I could roll the bender around the shop (or outside). I could also use various "shims" n' such to help support the tube during bending. Set things up so the tube can rest on the 30" long cart while going through the bender and sticking out the "front"/off the end of the cart.

Set it up for bending horizontally.

It might make it difficult if I needed to make a bend in two planes, 90-deg from each other - the tube might hit the cart or the floor or something, but I could always unbolt the bender from the cart, or just lift the cart up.. (set it in the back of my pickup? :D)

450lbs sound like a good weight rating? Know of a source for a heavier one if that's what I need?

Will it take an hour ot make a bend using a hand-pumped porta-power? :D

Anything those of you that have BTDT would do differently?

While I'm at it, I was also thinking of some angles coming off on the 30" side and set up for holding diff housings while setting up gears n' such, making it easy to roll the diff around - obviously, I'll need to be aware of how much junk I throw on it at once time.. :D

WHOAAAA

pretty excited hey??



cool bender wish I had one !!

uhm I would think that a axle would flop that cart right over???I would (and will ) do this kinda setup..


http://www.mindspring.com/~jayk3/bender/

Are you seroius about mounting it to that cart, or are you just fucking with us????

Jeff

I built my own out of 1.4 .120 square tubing and 3/8 flat. It's approximately 36"x15" and is about 40" tall. A little tall, may have to adjust, and welded the wheels on the bottom. I left one side of the frame 12" taller to hook up the ram. I bought some cheapo 8 ton hoist ram from HF. I haven't got the bender or ram hooked up yet, haven't had the time, plus I need to get my hands on a 1/2" chuck drill to do the holes for the bender bolts since they are so friggin huge.

Originally posted by dog walker
Are you seroius about mounting it to that cart, or are you just fucking with us????

Jeff

I'm seriously considering attaching it to the side of a cart similar to that.

Note - HYDRAULIC. Not Armstrong!

Running it hydraulic, I should be able to just drop the thing on the shop floor and start bending tube.. but I'm showing a *little* bit of restraint. :D

I got the hydraulic mounting kit from JD2 with the bender, so the hydraulic cylinder mounts to the bender, so I don't need to specifically build a mount and support for the cylinder (like Jay K's setup). I may do something like Jay did down the road, but for now, I have the 10T PortaPower to at least try before I give up.

So.. again, yes, I'm looking to attach it to the side/corner of the cart so I have a mobile work-bench to place the tube on while bending.

It'll also help keep the bender and tube level (or at least, level with each other) and it'll be one less thing I have to try and hold through the whole operation..

Among other things that cart won't likely be strong enough to mount the hydraulics to i don't believe. It would also want to tip over when you have a long piece of tube mounted up in the bender.

- jack

If your gonna put it on a cart make sure it can come off easy enough. I lay my model #4 on the ground when I bend 20foot sections.


That cart you got pictured kinda sucks too.:flipoff2:

Originally posted by cornfedred
If your gonna put it on a cart make sure it can come off easy enough. I lay my model #4 on the ground when I bend 20foot sections.


That cart you got pictured kinda sucks too.:flipoff2:

I think it mounts with two or four bolts to a flat plate, IIRC.

It would come off easy enough.. and laying it on the floor wouldn't be a bad deal, either. That was my first thought, and I have all the parts to do that. :D

I found a sturdier cart at Northern - rated to 600lbs. Maybe that one wouldn't suck as bad? :D

If attaching it to a cart is a bad idea than I'll just plan on putting the bender on the floor when it's time to get to work.

Just thought if I had a place to mount it, I'd have a place it "belongs" so I can "put it away".. if it's used on the floor, I'll start thinking that's where it belongs.. then other tools will gravitate towards it.. :D