Where to buy a 360 degree pipe bender from?

[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.

[bedajim]

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]

Originally Posted by bedajim

What are you trying to bend in 2"

He's a big lad remember

[Hightower]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I've got a big one1/2” 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]

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]

...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..?