Where to buy a 360 degree pipe bender from?

Hightower · 30 August 2007, 20:23

I'm on the lookout for a manual 360 degree pipe bender with forms of upto 2" diameter. All the ones I seem to find are the hydraulic ones or the standard pipe bending ones.

bedajim · 31 August 2007, 06:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I'm on the lookout for a manual 360 degree pipe bender with forms of upto 2" diameter. All the ones I seem to find are the hydraulic ones or the standard pipe bending ones.

What are you trying to bend in 2"

Nasher · 31 August 2007, 07:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by bedajim

What are you trying to bend in 2"

He's a big lad remember

Hightower · 31 August 2007, 08:30

Well I've just started to get quotes in for Stainless steel work and it ain't cheap (as expected) so I was wondering if I could purchase a very simple bender that would bolt to the garage floor so I could bend all my seat backs hand rails etc and either borrow an inverter welder or even buy one.

mdt · 31 August 2007, 08:36

Would think you will be struggling to bend 2” stainless by hand, the biggest hand benders I have seen are for 22mm copper pipe. I think that will bend easy compared to 50mm stainless.
Could you not hire a hydraulic bender? For the short time you would need it for?

Hightower · 31 August 2007, 08:45

Well I've seen some big ones at the various fabricators I've been to over the years, they just sit in the middle of the workshop and have a really long handle to provide leverage. I think the all important form for the reverse side is what stops the pipe from collapsing otherwise I might be tempted with the hydraulic ones I see for sale on Ebay at £100.

BigFella · 31 August 2007, 09:07

Usually pipe of that size would be bent with a Hydraulic bender. The important part is, as you say, the former and you have to remember that the possible bend radius is determined by the ductility of the material you are bending, combined with it's wall thickness.

It is worth bearing in mind that bends in any pipe are tricky to keep accurate (especially in terms of keeping the ben in the appropriate plane and not finishing up with a 'twisted' bend). You may find that you waste more pipe than you actually get right... (speaking from bitter experience here

)

Have you considered getting the bends made by a fabrication shop and then welding them yourself to keep the cost down?

bedajim · 31 August 2007, 09:14

I've got a big one

1/2” to 8" pipe

But it will crush 2" stainless 1.6 mm wall I tried it

You need to have an internal former or thick wall 3-4 mm tube
I used a local firm who make racing manifolds + exhausts and bends etc so you can make up your own exhausts, they bent the two hoops for my A frame and then I had a local laser firm make up the joining sections which I then bent and welded for strength

codprawn · 31 August 2007, 12:45

I also bought one of those hydraulic pipe benders - the biggest one I could find. It's craqp - crushes every pipe I have tried in it.

The best kinds are the ones a bit like the electricians use for bending conduit and plumbers obviously use them for a good reason. Trouble is they aren't cheap and you would need a huge one for 2" stainless!!!

These 2 videos show the process well - one homemade the other proffesional but the principal is the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2exE_uoKY0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjvAl49w090

Jono · 31 August 2007, 13:51

...my hydraulic pipe bender handles up to 2" BSP very well.... it won't handle tube because the formers are specific for BSP pipe sizes and wall thickness which is why tube gets deformed bending in a pipe bender as the neutral axis of the bend is not supported and so "spreads out" causing ovality or collapse.... and they are not real good at bending much past 90 degrees….are you sure you want to bend all the way to 360..?

nik · 31 August 2007, 13:57

Quote:

I also bought one of those hydraulic pipe benders - the biggest one I could find. It's craqp - crushes every pipe I have tried in it.

Filling the pipe with sand and plugging the ends might help.

Nick.

Hightower · 31 August 2007, 14:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

….are you sure you want to bend all the way to 360..?

See my A frame when it's finished

jyasaki · 31 August 2007, 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by nik

Filling the pipe with sand and plugging the ends might help.

I think that brass instrument manfacturers (trumpets, coronets, trombones, etc) use ice to keep the tube from collapsing (fill with water and freeze with ends open for expansion.) Might not be an option with a 12' piece of 2" stainless, though, unless it's winter and you live near Stoo...

jky

jwalker · 31 August 2007, 15:34

Andy, I gave up trying to bend 50mm stainless, it's fekkin tuff stuff. I can happily bend 25mm x 1.6mm wall in a standard pipe bender if I pull gently on the tube as well as on the handle. My formers only go to 180° though. I solved the 50mm bending by buying pre-made bends and welding them to the tube. You can get bends with a really tight radius.

I saw some crackin stainless bending work outside of a new Argos store locally....I have to admit I had some bad thoughts about an angle grinder and 2am....

I've used a company for mail ordering bends because part of the problem is knowing what is available so you can get your local stainless stockist to order for you. However, I'm fekked if I can remember their name. I'll look into it for you because their web site has a downloadable PDF which contains the sizing info which you might find useful.

Here ya go. Nexusflow and PDF for bends. I'm not recommending them because they made a mistake in what they supplied but it came right in the end.

Hightower · 01 September 2007, 05:39

So for ordanary 1" stainless tube a tripod mounted 180 deg conduit bender would be OK? Or would this have a tendancy of deforming the tube too much? I'm not too worried about the 2" stuff as I think I'm going to have a centrally mounted mast at the back instaed of the A frame.

bedajim · 01 September 2007, 05:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

So for ordanary 1" stainless tube a tripod mounted 180 deg conduit bender would be OK? Or would this have a tendancy of deforming the tube too much? I'm not too worried about the 2" stuff as I think I'm going to have a centrally mounted mast at the back instaed of the A frame.

you can buy stainless conduit and that is fine

Hightower · 01 September 2007, 05:54

Would be a little heavy though....Wouldn't it?

bedajim · 01 September 2007, 05:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Would be a little heavy though....Wouldn't it?

You'll not notice a couple og kg's

I've also got a set of formers that I milled to suit standard tube, but it does deform a little

Marinautic · 01 September 2007, 06:38

Buy the bends, and have them welded in.

http://www.ferraristainless.com/

jwalker · 01 September 2007, 08:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

So for ordanary 1" stainless tube a tripod mounted 180 deg conduit bender would be OK? Or would this have a tendancy of deforming the tube too much?

That's what I use but I have to hold the feet still and I also use an extension on the handle. As I mentioned earlier, I need to lean on the tube too to help ease it around. As to distortion, I'll snap a picture of a bend for you and you can decide.