Posted this in the Gen4x4 tech forum too, but maybe you guys can help me too. I'm building a full cage for my Bj40, bought 4 sticks of 1"3/4 seamless tubing, but already wasted one stick trying to figure out how to bend multiple bends in on stick.

I need some help on how to bend seamless steel tube with a pipe bender.

I know, " get yourself a tube bender" would be the first thing on your mind, but i live in belgium and manual tube benders like the JD2 model 3 aren't available here. And hydraulic tubing benders cost a fortune.

I can bend 1" 3/4 tubing (wall 0.14"/3mm) to a fairly perfect 90°, no dents at the rollers, just very little "bumps" on the inside of the bend almost invisible to the human eye.

My problem is how do i bend with this thing?? I've read "bendin' tube 101" by Rob Park, but that whole technique is based on the distortion on the beginning and end of the 90° bend, problem is i can't feel this distortion with the pipe bender.

So what is the trick for bending mutliple bends in one stick with the pipe bender? Anyone can help me out? Any sites on the net with some info?

Thanks, Christof

Chris,

You need to have the small block with the C-channel in them closer one to another, and the big plates a lot more parallel. So that when the piston is in, your tube is already blocked between the die and the 2 blocks. Once the piston is fully out, you have made a 180° bend.
5does this make sense ?

Yes you can make multiple bends, but not very close to each other.

Btw, you're luck this pipe bender works.
One lend me one some time ago, and the pipe would just collapse whent trying to bend. Well it was not seamless, but still the result was baad. Anyway, after a few bends, that thing would not even work anymore...

Bye,

Denis

I’ll try to help but I suck at keyboard explanations so take it with a grain of salt


Since yours is not a fixed radius you will need to figure out a method to bend from center of radius measurements

Example:
Mark a piece a pipe
Put pipe in bender with mark at dead center of die
Do a full 90 bend
Measure the distance from the mark and the TOP of your bend (for the example lets say the measurement is 3 inches)

Now lets say you want to build a hoop that is 40 inches tall and 40 inches wide

Mark off 40 inches and subtract the 3 for the center radius, put pipe in bender and do a 90 bend. The top of the bend should be 40 inches. From the newly bent upright measure from the outside 40 inches across subtract the 3 mark it and bend it. You should now have a 40 inch tall and 40 inch wide hoop


This is how I was taught to bend an a HUTH non-fixed radius exhaust bender

HTH… and if it doesn’t
:flipoff2:

Originally posted by cornfedred
I’ll try to help but I suck at keyboard explanations so take it with a grain of salt
...
HTH… and if it doesn’t
:flipoff2:

You don't suck at keyboard explainations...
I caught it right at once :flipoff2:

Thanks, (I have no bender to try this unfortunately)

Quote:

"Measure the distance from the mark and the TOP of your bend"


What do you mean the distance from the mark ande the top of the bend?? I think it's what i tried to draw in the pic, am i right?

Christof

Originally posted by denis


You don't suck at keyboard explainations...
I caught it right at once :flipoff2:

Thanks, (I have no bender to try this unfortunately)

I'v got no idea about what he's talking, DAMN, I must be stupid!!
:rasta:

Chris

http://www.andocorp.com/p4x/bender.jpg



(Disclaimer = my measurements are for demonstration purposes only)
See how the next bend is measured off the outside from the first
You need to figure out how much to subtract from the height you actually want as represented by the center radius marks in red&blue
:D