Getting Bent!

Folks, my pile of 3/8" gas line junk is getting bigger and bigger. Just about hit the cat with the last one. Any secrets to bending. I'm using a tube bender but it still crimps right off. thanks

 

My advice- 2 cents worth...
1. Get a GOOD bender.
2. Spray a little lube on the spots where it will contact the tube.
3. Don't try to make the bend all at once. Do 1/2 to 1/3 of the bend (slowly), then re-seat the tube in a very slightly different place and continue.

 

Get an "Imperial Eastman" bender if you can find one. They're solid steel with two long handles. They work great. Some benders have a funny L shaped slot where one piece engages with the other and you have to jiggle the one handle until that "L" shaped slot is engaged all the way before you start to bend so that the half of the die that rolls over the stationary die is engaged tightly against the tubing and the stationary die.

If you're using one of those white nylon plastic things, forget it. The plastic splays open and instead of holding the steel tubing in a round shape, they splay open and let the tubing squash and kink. They sometimes work for thinner tubing or softer copper tubing, but usually terrible on steel tubing.

 

Here's a picture of some new Imperial Eastman benders.

I have a couple of them that are 20 years old and they all still work fine. The ones I have look like the smaller one, but a little different. I think if you could find a used one, you'll be happy, because they're about impossible to break.

 

Rigid makes a great bender as well. Have been using mine for years of trouble free service. Save your scraps to make templates for common bends like 90 and 45. Mark the tube with a sharpie before you bend your template then any time you need that angle you just hold it against your straight tube and mark at the spot that lines up and it comes out perfectly to where your wanted it.

 

Yup, you're using the wrong/cheap bender. My dad gave me a Rigid that looks sorta like that one in the pic, works GREAT!!!

 

Fill your tubing w/ sand first- works every time...

 

I used my knee last time I ran fuel lines. Just pulled it over my bent leg just under my knee cap. Worked great! I have that Eastwood plier looking bender thing and it's pretty good for smaller brake lines but you could easily make your own out of wood if you saw it in person.

 

ridgid tool benders..that is what i use

 

I've used a BluePoint TBS 200 for about 20 years. Works on 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8 lines. You can bend a little over 90 degrees smoothly without kinks or flat spots with a little over 1" radius. I use it for gas lines, transmission lines, motorcycle oil lines, etc.
Larry T

 

I made adapters to fit to my portopower pump. Cap one end fill with jackoil or whatever your pump uses. give it a couple pumps and you can bend whatever radius you like with no collapsing or kinking. This is a backyard version of hydroforming without the dies. The plus side is there is no problem with grit or other foreign material in your lines when your done. For gas line no further attention is necessary. Foir brake lines wash out with brake cleaner before use

 

yep same here, just redid all my line today in stainless...worked a treat!