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  1. #16
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
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    5,942

    Default

    Hi Jordan, I'm pretty sure that as you're bending tube, if a circular "follower" is used, the tubing could be deformed, unless the follower is right up against the die, though more effort will be required to bring it around. If you get a chance, go to an exhaust place that bends tube and have a look at their machine, pretty sure you'll find it has a straight follower. All it does is spread the load over a larger area, so as not to deform the tube.
    I have a pipe bender with a couple of roller followers that support but deform the pipe either side of the bends, also the dies supplied don't fit the pipe properly, have had to add shimming material to the dies so the pipe is a tight fit in them.
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Age
    73
    Posts
    459

    Default

    I've often thought of making a tube bender, the sticking point is the dies, expensive to buy and expensive to make, particularly when you can buy a bender
    for $200!

  3. #18
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    Tony, where can you buy a bender for $200.00, could I have the link please???
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,105

    Default

    If he is only bending 16mm tube then quite easily. They are all over eBay.

    Out of interest what type of bends will you be doing and how many on the item you are bending?

  5. #20
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    Found a couple that would be reasonably easy to make, one is quite simple, the other hydraulic. If you were to look at doing the Hydraulic one, I'd go air over Hydraulic, unless you wanted arms like Popeye. DAMHIKT.
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-25mm-...4AAOSwuD9ZygHX
    $180 with FREE postage

    H man Tube bender.jpg
    Hyd Tube bender.jpg
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    The job is for 90 degree bends on 16mm tubing. Super accuracy isn't needed, just neat so a little tube deformation is OK.
    Required radius is less than what can be achieved with the $200 bender (bargain!).
    I'm checking to see if that requirement can be changed though.
    I guess I could make dies of any diameter, to suit the $200 bender.

    Jordan

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Oz
    Age
    73
    Posts
    459

    Default

    Nothing wrong with aly dies either, it's only 16mm tube. Plastics might also suit the purpose: Delrin for example is pretty darn hard!

    I could probably bend 16mm tube over my knee, well maybe not, but the wife could if I asked nicely. She does all the hammer work I need now, but I learn't yesterday, don't hang onto the bit you want hammered. She doesn't even complain, about hammering my hand that is???

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default Groovy Baby

    I'm making a die using the method shown on YouTube as above.
    This is a smaller than usual diameter at 100mm, hopefully not too tight for the thin walled tubing.
    The intention is to use it with one of the "$200" benders, which has a 16mm die but too large a bend diameter for my job.

    Jordan
    Attached Images Attached Images

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    1,105

    Default

    Should have made the complete bender if you are going to all the trouble of making the die. I would have thought making the die would be the most difficult part.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Nillumbik
    Posts
    7

    Default

    If you need to put together the whole bender, you could do much worse than the plans from Rorty.net

    Rorty was the nickname of a guy who built off-road buggies and sold plans for them then sold plans for various tools that he had built for himself. New ownership now but plans still available.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Com_VC View Post
    Should have made the complete bender if you are going to all the trouble of making the die. I would have thought making the die would be the most difficult part.
    I have access to a tube bender, will try that with my die first.
    Making the grooving tool and then the die was not very difficult, but took a day and I'm not done yet.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wqlava1 View Post
    If you need to put together the whole bender, you could do much worse than the plans from Rorty.net
    Thanks, I might do that.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Nillumbik
    Posts
    7

    Default

    ....and maybe modify it if you feel game, to use the commercially available dies. One can learn a bit from the detail in Rorty’s plans - simple but show pragmatism from experience. He was physically constrained, maybe mentioning a wheelchair from my memory when I bought a plan back over a decade ago - plans were a way to stay involved.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default Result

    I finished the new, small diameter die to use with a commercial $200 type of bender. The supplied die for 16mm tube is 150mm diameter - bigger than required.
    I also used the grooving tool (internal radius turner) to deepen the follower wheel's groove that came with bender, as it was only about half as deep as it could have been.

    The resulting bends are OK, probably on the tight side for the 16mm tube diameter but distortion is acceptable.
    Tube wall thickness is 1mm, in galvanised steel with a welded seam.

    Shown is method to help gauge when depth is reached, using an 8mm bar and straight edge.

    The tube stop is mounted on the supplied dies, but I kept it simple by having it on a separate support angle.

    A groove has been milled on underside of the die, to engage with a lug that stops it from turning. The supplied dies are not full circle.
    Possibly not necessary as mine is a full circle die, but needs to clear the lug anyway.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
    Posts
    1,894

    Default

    There was a little slipping of the tube during bending.
    That wasn't good, because several bends had to be done in succession, with fixed distances between them.

    To stop it slipping I added a clamp.
    The original restrainer (painted black) was left in place near the die. I thought it could keep the tube from bowing out, as the new clamp is too thick to fit in its place.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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