home made tools and equipment...

How does that square tube bender work? Brute force?

 

I have one like that made from an industrial pulley. Simple and works good with a long pipe.

Ron

 

Do you heat the tubing or do you bend it cold ?

Dick

 

I don't get how it works either!

 

Sqt tube must sit in the pulley grooves, to help stop it deforming. Then heave the tube round the pulley, the vertical stop keeps it in the grooves (guesses..)

 

Great thread. Each workshop I have taken with Gene, he whips out one of these. Slim

 

That bandsaw is an impressive project that I never would have thought of doing. Brings to mind one I sold a few years ago, manufactured by Rogers... had a car tire top and bottom for the bands to ride on.(the whole assembly, including tire, wheels, hubs, bearings were used, probably came from a trailer...seemed to work pretty good too.

 

I bend mine cold, more consistant curve that way. In the picture you'll notice a piece of tubing welded vertically on the back side of the horizontal tube. That's the stop. Just line your tubing up with the top of the groove in the pulley and pull it around to the shape you want with a long piece of pipe. If you want a larger radius that the pulley, lay out the curve on paper or the floor. I find it works the best to start these bends in the middle. just put it far enough to match you pattern and then reposition for the next bend.

Ron

 

I might add that I've bent round tubing with this same bender. Cap off the end with your welder, fill it up to 6" with wet sand and finish with dry sand. Weld the cap on and pull it into shape.

Ron

 

Here is a hand wheel I made for my bead roller out of 1" sq. tubing:
http://glennsplace.com/images/DSCI0678.JPG

I used a tubing bender. FIrst I tried it with some scrap to get the ratio right.

The process goes like this...
1. Place the tubing in the bender.
2. Pump the hack till the mandrel is tight against the tubing.
3. Pump 4 or so times more to make a slight bend.
4. Release the presure on the jack.
5. Move the tubing 1.5" or so forward into bender.
6. Repeat 2-5 till its round.


Full build pics here:
http://glennsplace.com/bead_roller.htm

 

I'm not sure if I posted this on this thread or not. Here is a ring roller I made out of a spare vice. The rollers are piolet bearings I saved from work. The wheel runs on a hub with the bearings inside.

Works good but the bearings mark stuff up a little. It was put together quick with what I had on hand.
I made it to bend 5/8 solid rod so I could make the '36 coupe fender bucks. Here's the bead line.

And this is handy for making repairs to the bead, or making the bead.... It clamps inside of the fender and I use it to stabilize the fender, and it works like a dolley to form the bead as well.

 

Could you show this tool in use?

 

all these Idears are genious!!!!! I love this thread, gonna have to make me an english wheel and a band saw!!!!!

 

I really like the vice idea for ajustment, got some spare so going to make one today, thanks

 

hood spring spreader for bead blasting and powdercoating between the coils...

and an adjustable atachment for my engine hoist for lift my truck cab...
[/ATTACH]

 

I love the cab lifter, going to use that, thanks

 

Here is a pipe anvil I just finished last night for bending sheet metal works realy good.

 

Very nice 3kross. What size pipes did you use? That looks like it would be real handy at times.

~Alden

 

thanks Alden i used 8'',2'' and 1 1/2 very handy

 

I used a similar tool on a sheet metal course i went on a couple of months back, very simple and very usefull... definitely on my list of tools to make... yours looks nicely constucted but are you going to bolt it to the floor for stability as the legs look quite close together?

 

Do you bend the sheet by hand? Can you post an action pic?

 

Hey Tim G its seams pretty stable even though the legs are about 14'' apart for just bending sheet metal it dosent want to move around much Im running out of floor space so I think Il have it in the drive infront of my shop for easy use. Il see if I can get a action video this weekend. Thanks Guys

 

this is my version of similar.i have two different size formers.i have found if it doesn't bend as good as i'd like i give it a quick wheel on an english wheel and it comes up mint.made mine to bend hood top and interior panels.

and a few pictures of interior panels i made using it.(also wheeled and folded panels as well)

 

Rollerblade wheels. damn clever.

 

mrjynx,

Do you have a pic that shows more of the tool itself? I agree- neat idea!!!

 

Anyone build their own slip-roller?

 

no sorry, I cant recall where i got it from, I just know there were no more images. I imagine its the size of a small english wheel tho. if you built the combo machine i posted a couple pages back, you could add it as an attachment.

 

So is there a third rollerblade wheel centered under the top two to form the metal?

Steve

 

^^ Yes that is what I would assume.

You could make a giant one of these with go kart slick tyres.

 

This is like watching the first 10 minutes of a good film... then getting a power cut...