tube bender die project

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Big Pete
Posts: 60
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:42 am
Location: England

tube bender die project

Post by Big Pete »

I thought i'd share these with the forum. I wanted some tube bending dies to do bike frames with, but Tubela want a rediculous amount of cash, so I cast and machined these

raw castings
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better versions
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being machined, using my home made radius tool
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set up to bend
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finished bends, as good as ones made on comercial dies
Image
Theres no such thing as too many tools.
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Metalman
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Location: Connecticut

Post by Metalman »

Pete
No one can say your not ambitious! Those are nice bends. What size tubing and what radius did you make?
I've never seen a bender like the one you have, can you post more photos of it?
I have a JD2 mechanical bender, the dies aren't too expensive and they did make one custom size for me for a small up-charge.
Ernie F.
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Big Pete
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Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:42 am
Location: England

Post by Big Pete »

The bends are 1" od 2.5mm wall and 1.6mm wall (the rusty one) on about a 4.25" radius.

The bender is a compression bender normally used for copper tube or steel conduit. A JD2 bender and 5 or 6 die sets over here would cost well over $2k. I picked up the bender shown, plus a mandrel bender frame (no dies) for $120 so making the dies seemed to be the way forwards. So far I've made 1" and 11/4" dies and followers, the 11/4" was a bit too much for the bender handle tho, so I need to weld on some reinforcment before that will be useable. In the longer term I hope to be able to use the mandrel bender to bend exhaust tube.

This is the only other pics I've got of the bender at the mo

Image
Theres no such thing as too many tools.
Jose Rivera
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Location: Vallejo California

Bending tube

Post by Jose Rivera »

Nice work !!
oldbrock
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Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:36 pm
Location: Castlegar. BC, Canada

my tubing bender

Post by oldbrock »

This setup can bend any radius down to the radius of the pressure roller. I made it for a frame maker in my area. the rollers are stainless steel and are made for 1" and 1 1/4 tubing.Image
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Big Pete
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Location: England

Post by Big Pete »

Those 3 point roller benders do nice big radius curves, and they will do tight radius stuff on heavy wall tube, but they tend to crush thinner stuff if you pull the radius down. the compression bender I have will bend 1.6mm wall pretty well, at about 3D. I need to get the mandrel bender finished tho, because I want to get down to abot 1.5 - 2 D
Theres no such thing as too many tools.
Jose Rivera
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Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:21 pm
Location: Vallejo California

Tube benders

Post by Jose Rivera »

My first job in the US was working for a small company that specialized on tube bending.
We used to fabricate hundreds of VW headers for dune buggies, mini gas powered foldable scooters and dune buggies frames.

The bending machines had a specialized operator familiar with setting up the machines. Some tube was fairly thin walled and setting up the mandrel and the wiper blade was vital in order to keep the tube from wrinkling or cracking.

I also did lots of MIG and TIG welding there welding sets of headers and the sand rails.
After that I was offered an apprenticeship at Jorgensen Steel in L.A. on their machine shop.

I would do it all over again, that's how good are the memories I have of my learning days.
oldbrock
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Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:36 pm
Location: Castlegar. BC, Canada

roller bender

Post by oldbrock »

It hasn't been fired up in anger yet. Can we get less deforming of a tight bend on thin wall tubing by filling the tube up with sand? Peter
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Big Pete
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Location: England

Post by Big Pete »

Jose, thats the sort of thing I'm talking about, but I'm hoping to avoid a wiper because they look really tricky to machine. I should be able to bend 1.6 wall with just a mandrel and follower.

Peter, if you go to the Tools For Bending site:

http://www.toolsforbending.com/

and download the tube bending guide from the literature section there is lots of info on how to do thinwall stuff. Sand should help, but its a PITA to do.


In my experience roller benders are only used where you want a big radius (like 2 or 3 ft, which is why they are often known as ring rollers), for stuff like handrails or some custom frame spines. 3 point benders like the hydraulic pipe benders from HF will do thicker wall stuff to fairly small bend radii, compression benders like the one pictured above will do tighter rads/thinner material, but the ultimate is a rotary draw bender with a mandrel and wiper die set.

Since I posted the original pics I've successfully bent 1 1/4" x 2.5mm wall (12ga?) and am going to try 1 1/2" as soon as I get the die machined, I've already cast the follower. I'll try and get some more pics up.
Theres no such thing as too many tools.
Jose Rivera
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Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:21 pm
Location: Vallejo California

Bending

Post by Jose Rivera »

I also remember them using lots of some kind of lubricant in the mandrel that resembled white soap.

Without that lubricant the tube will just crack.
Charles Cleland
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Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 8:00 pm
Location: Oakland,CA

Post by Charles Cleland »

Nice job big pete I was thinking of doing the same thing but it will have to wait untill I finish my foundry.
chaz
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