Looking for an affordable tubing bender.

[shinyribs]

Any advice or experience? I need something that makes a smooth enough bend to do a bike frame. It'll be 1 1/4" .080 CM tubing I will use. I saw this one at Northern Tool today.Looks like a decent bender for the price. I wouldn't expect it to make perfect mandrel-type bends,but I dont want it all kinked up either.Who do you think?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_630_630

[TOOLS1]

I think 1 1/4" is too big. The industry standard is 1 1/8"
TOOLS

[shinyribs]

I musta measured mine wrong then.oops

[Half-Caf]

shinyribs wrote

I need something that makes a smooth enough bend to do a bike frame.

Sounds like someone is in for some fun
As usual, I dont have much helpful input  All I can say id that I know they have them at Harbor Freight, but I have no idea of their quality...

[LukeM]

As far as mandrel type bends go, here's a neat trick I learned a while back.

Before putting the tube in the bender, fill it with sand, and then make the bend.  The sand will keep the pipe from compressing at the bend, and it should give you a nice round contour.  Try it on some scrap pipe to see if it works for you.

I've seen this done with musical instruments as well, but instead of sand, they put diluted dishwashing liquid in the tubes and freeze them.  Wow...second time today I've used dishwashing liquid on a MC forum.  What other weird stuff is going to happen today... Maybe I'll buy a lottery ticket.

Luke M

[Lucky 1]

That bender will not work for thin tubing.
It is made for PIPE.


I made my own tubing bender but it cost $400. total.
The dies cost about $125.00 per set.

The pipe bender from HF will not work either.

Go online and look at http://www.gottrikes.com/Tube_Bender.htm plans.

Smooth bends with a 4.5 inch radius.
Thin tubing. 180 degree bends too.

If I was starting over I would go with the Pro-Tools design bender because it has a sliding shoe.
EASTWOOD sells it .
http://www.eastwood.com/professional-tubing-bender.html?srccode=ga220010&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=zzproduct_ads&gclid=CNqfnJKTwa8CFckbQgod0R35zQ


Try to get the air/hydraulic ram. But in the beginning the hand operated is good because it is slow but gives you time to make sure of what you are doing.

[shinyribs]

Half-Caf wrote

shinyribs wrote

I need something that makes a smooth enough bend to do a bike frame.

Sounds like someone is in for some fun
As usual, I dont have much helpful input  All I can say id that I know they have them at Harbor Freight, but I have no idea of their quality...

I wouldn't be so hard on yourself man! You told us that you are working with limited tools...and you still get the job done. As for me,I am always more impressed with the ingenuous solutions that someone with limited tools can come up with to get the job done,as opposed to the guy with all the "right" tools. The best hotrods are built by the guy who just kept trying 'til it worked That bender you mentioned is the same one I found at Northern.Just painted a different color. Thanks for the help!

Luke-I never heard of the sand trick.I have a tubing bender that has proved absolutely useless in the past. Not only may you have just saved me from buying another tool,you might have just "fixed" one I already own! Thank you!


Lucky-I will definitely check out those plans. The sliding shoe is definitely the way to go for the best bends. In the past i have always measured and had my pipe or tubing bent for me and then just tweaked it as needed with the bender I have.Looking back on what I have paid for having cages bent up I could've bought a nice bender by now.Live and learn.

Thanks for all the input guys. I really appreciate it.

If anyone else has anymore ideas or info please feel free to comment.I am always open to anything!

[TOOLS1]

I can't believe, you never saw the movie "Flight of the Phoenix" with James Stewart. They fill the pipe with sand before bending it to build an airplane. Also I just checked out the bender, you posted a link to. It only bends up to 5/8" round. The sizes they gave are, for the radius of the bend.
TOOLS  

[Lincoln Highway Bullitt]

I have a Pro Tools Bender. It is a sliding die mandrel bender. The dies are pricy but it makes perfect bends. No kinks or dents. I have bent hundreds of feet of Chrome Moly tubing. It's a manual bender so you get a workout on some bigger tubing like 1 1/2" .083 moly. I have had this bender for about 15 yrs now. Good investment.

[shinyribs]

Tools- Yeah the description on the box when I was looking at it in the store was pretty vague.Not what I'm looking for at all. Thank for looking out for me!

Lincoln-I was waiting for the guy with the dirt track car to chime in! I KNEW you would have one!LOL. Ok,so heres the real question...can I borrow it???Just kidding,but seriously how much are they?

[shinyribs]

Lincoln-Nevrmind.Holy crap they are expensive!

[shinyribs]

For a good quality bender this seems to be the best price I can find. $299 for the bender and $40 for shipping. I did not want to spend that much! Theres gotta be a used one for sale somewhere...

[Cabreco]

Have you checked out the HF units?

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=bender

[Lincoln Highway Bullitt]

It's been so long since I bought it I have no idea what they would cost today. I did lend out my 3/4" dies to a guy and he said he brought them back but know one was around so he said he just set them by the garage door. Needless to say I had to purchase another set.

[shinyribs]

Cabreco wrote

Have you checked out the HF units?

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=bender

Thanks Cabreco.That is the one I have now.It does an ok job.The thicker the wall,the better it acts.Those will do bends up to about a 45 degree pretty good,but a full 90 I just cant make it act right

Luke-I tried the sand trick.It did seem to help,but i was using aluminum tubing I didn't mind wasting and it just popped it open under the pressure...but up til then it was looking good!