Has anyone here made tubing bender capable of bending 1.5" to 2" tubing? I have one those cheesy Habor Freight pipe benders but it won't bend tubing. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a tubing bender.

Did you even remotely consider SEARCHING before you asked this? sheesh :rolleyes:

I was wondering if somebody with a plasma cutter and a bender hasn’t just traced their existing pieces to make a duplicate… I’m sure it could be done…I would give it a try but my Miller “spectracrap” wont cut that thick…… just a thought….

Originally posted by cornfedred
I was wondering if somebody with a plasma cutter and a bender hasn’t just traced their existing pieces to make a duplicate… I’m sure it could be done…I would give it a try but my Miller “spectracrap” wont cut that thick…… just a thought….

Hummm... how do you duplicate TUBING with plasma cutter??!?!:flipoff2::D :D

I have a JD2 -and the means to make copies. But have you done the math?

By the time you pay for consumables to cut the steel, the steel cost itself (plate that tick is NOT cheap), source the proper pins, bolts, and other various parts, - I figure you are into it for at least $100 in materials (I figure if you can get the materials cheaper than this - you have access to more stuff than I do, and therefore would not be asking this, now would you? :p )

So now what is your time worth? At just $20 an hour, if you spend just 6 hours driving to get steel, sourcing parts, making the templates, cutting the steel, finishing the steel, and then assembling it... you are into it for THE EXACT SAME PRICE IT WOULD COST YOU TO BUY ONE.

The bender itself is just a measley $235 (you gotta buy die sets regardless). If you - in some crack induced state of mind - think you can build one for LESS than $235 in materials, labor, and HASSLE - then by all means, go for it :rolleyes:

And this is coming form someone who would rather build than buy any day... but sometimes you gotta get realistic :p

Originally posted by rkcrawl


Hummm... how do you duplicate TUBING with plasma cutter??!?!:flipoff2::D :D

I think he is meaning the BENDER part of it all. :flipoff2: :D

Doh!:rolleyes: ( fame suit on :grinpimp: ) Got it as I read DRM's reply... A little slow today...

You'd need a pretty big plasma cutter to do it.. and still have to buy the dies as DRM said.. and plasma cutters aren't cheap.
My measly little therma dynamics ThemPak25 goes for somewhere near $1k new, and it really hacks trying to cut 1/4" plate.

a HF can be converted with a die to do TUBING, I got a writup I need to post of it, pretty impressive!

a freind of mine decide he was gonna build his own bender. 6 months and $500 later it was finally done. just order one from jd2 and save your fab time for cool tubing projects

Originally posted by rkcrawl
Doh!:rolleyes: ( fame suit on :grinpimp: ) Got it as I read DRM's reply... A little slow today...

You'd need a pretty big plasma cutter to do it.. and still have to buy the dies as DRM said.. and plasma cutters aren't cheap.
My measly little therma dynamics ThemPak25 goes for somewhere near $1k new, and it really hacks trying to cut 1/4" plate.

:D No problem. I thought about making my own too. But basically came to the same conclusion....I would end up spend about 10 times that amout on tools to make it, as apposed to just buying the damn thing. And not that I am against buy more tools, but when I am talking 1k versus 5k to 8k in "Quality" tools to make it. hhhhhmmmmm not a tough one to figure out.

If you happen to have a log spliter laying around
:rolleyes:

hell yeah pyro
that's what I'm saying
if you can build one that is hydraylic for less than a jd2
then you are thinking
if not, just buy one
you're only saving money if it's better!

Hey Pyro Do you have any more info about the log splitter bender. I have a spliter that we only use a few times a year to do firewood. Might as well use it more.

Matt

Originally posted by GloNDark


:D No problem. I thought about making my own too. But basically came to the same conclusion....I would end up spend about 10 times that amout on tools to make it, as apposed to just buying the damn thing. And not that I am against buy more tools, but when I am talking 1k versus 5k to 8k in "Quality" tools to make it. hhhhhmmmmm not a tough one to figure out.

Yep, I figure my "cost" at $20/hour. If I need a custom tool and it cost $100, but if I can make it in two hours... I am ahead of the game. Took a while to figure out if I needed 5 hours to make a $50 tool, dang I am loosing money on that!

Admitted there are some things I have made just for the personal satisfaction of something different (when making 100 custom parts, it is too easy to fall asleep on the lathe... makes some custom projects just fun for the challange).

Tom :usa:

Well duh - if you have a log splitter laying around :rolleyes: - sure, you can make a bender :p

But those things are NOT cheap either :rolleyes:

Originally posted by DRM
Well duh - if you have a log splitter laying around :rolleyes: - sure, you can make a bender :p

But those things are NOT cheap either :rolleyes:

True. but dam dude, gotta be someone in TN that is a wood toter and into wheeling! Talk him/her into it!

It is a cool idea...:D

Brandon. I'm interested in the HF conversion. Can you post or send me the write up?

log bender is cool.

Hell ya ! I like the splitter idea...
DRM is just pissed because he spent 1/2 his adult life waiting for a jd2...

Bwahahaha

Originally posted by rkcrawl


True. but dam dude, gotta be someone in TN that is a wood toter and into wheeling! Talk him/her into it!

It is a cool idea...:D

lol - wish I had thought of it, but the JD2 is already here :p

Originally posted by brennanw
Brandon. I'm interested in the HF conversion. Can you post or send me the write up?

Yeah, post it. Sounds interesting.

Chris