Tech small rod and tubing bender

Being a VW mechanic at a dealer, I see my fair share of timing belt tensioners getting replaced. This is the slow time of year at work so I decided to build a simple bender for small rod and tubing. I started with an overkill piece of 5/8" plate about 10" X 4", this is just a piece of s**** I had at home, wider might be a little better. I drilled a hole on the top left and put in the bolt from the tensioner, any 1/2" or larger stud or rod would work. I then welded the tensioner pully on the top right. I welded a piece of square tubing to the bottom to hold it in the vise.I then had to make the swing bar, I had an extra tensioner bolt so that got welded to the bar at the same distance to sit next to the welded stud.Weld the bar to the tensioner and your done.I had to grind off a little slag,and I'm sure other types of pullys would work for this.Also to everyone out there in HAMB Land, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

 

Neat.

 

I guess the tensioner pivots like an eccentric?

 

No not this one, its just a nice smooth bearing.

 

i like it

 

The tensioner doesn't move, but the nub on the handle wraps the tube around the tensioner?

 

Cool! Now you can make up some cool east-coast-style nerf bars with your in***ials bent into them! Seriously, neat tool.

 

I'm a little confused as well, what the heck is moving here, how, and why?

 

I am confused too... and I am interested in making one, I think it would work for bending the square tube I need to build a bracing system around the Bantam..

 

The bar and the spacer piece welded to the bar is what is moving, took me a while to see it also....

 

I bet if you put a tensioner on the pull bar too that it would be real smooth. I think I might try this. I need to make some flooring with some square stock.

Mott

 

Sorry for the confusion guys, the bar is welded to the center of the tensioner which is on a big bearing, so if I was going to bend something, I would have the bar swung up to the left, put the piece of material in, then swing the bar down to the right(counterclockwise). The stud welded onto the swinging bar forces the piece of material around the tensioner.The stud on the top left just braces the piece of material. I hope this helps.

 

Really nice home made tool Clever, too.

 

I give it a thumbs up. All I have to do is find someone strong enough to pull it. Maybe my wife will help.

 

It looks good. I was going to ask what you were going to use the bolt for (the long bent bolt), but won't. <lol>

 

Looks like it would work pretty well,good job

 

Took me a minute, but I got it.
Looks good, I think I have another project to add to the list.
Thanks for sharing!

 

Neat I idea, I have a good stack of those tensioners pulleys sitting around as well, thanks to frequent 20v timing belt replacements...

 

gearshift lever maybe??

 

Nice tool!!
What size square tube were you bending in the pic?
thanks for posting.
B.

 

Just to make sure it worked on different stuff, I had bent the square tube first.