Tube bender proposal for club

[H2o]

Here is the proposal for the tube bender:
[FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]ProTools Brute Pro4 Tube bender:
The Complete Pro4 Package Includes : “The Brute” Pro4, 5/8" Plate Steel Construction, 17"/ 8 TON, Air/Hydraulic Ram, Self Retracting Arms, Bender Base, Digital Angle Finder, Ball Valve Mount, Die Hitch Pins. Bends 180 Deg., 2"-7"CLR, 1/2"-2" OD Dies, Accepts PRO Tool Model 105 & ProBender Bending Dies [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Price:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] $1,046[/FONT]

1 Die Set [FONT=&quot]Price:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] $340[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Castor base[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Price:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] $70[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Shipping Price: $TBD[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Bendtech Software (assuming a member donates a free laptop to the club) Price: $285[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Total Price:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] $1741[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Total Price without Software:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] $1456[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot](Prices do not include shipping on bender.)[/FONT]

 

[H2o]

This bender can be used with an air compressor to make life easier, or manually, without air. The idea would be that members could borrow it to do their own projects once they had completed a basic bending tech day (to make sure they know how to use the equipment and don't hurt themselves or damage it).

Even if you do not own a welder, you can do all your bending and prep work, then have a friend or professional welder finish the job. Most of the cost to making a cage, bumper, sliders, etc.. is in the prep work, prior to welding.

The software would allow us to print out templates to help in making connections on the cage and save time and material (steel) when bending by avoiding mistakes. We would need a laptop to run the software. This laptop would be dedicated to the software.

Please give us your thoughts.

 

[Felix]

Me likes.

 

[emorth]

Me likes, too.

 

[StaleAle]

Same here.....

Not inexpensive, perhaps we will need a fundraiser so we don't drain the club coffers too low...Aw what the heck, it's only money!

 

[Devilmans Hand]

cool tool. Gives me an excuse to build a real cage.

 

[H2o]

I think we need to ask ourselves what the money is for? It has been sitting in the bank idle for the past 4 or 5 years. The only thing we have been spending it on is tools for the club. I will get Mr. Smith to put together a list of what we currently own. BTW, there are alot of other clubs that own tube benders and it seems to be working well.

If we decide to go ahead with this, we will need to put together some rules and stick by them. John, do you know what rules other clubs have?

Please keep in mind that dies are EXPENSIVE and you need a different one for each size tube you decide to bend. We would try to select a good standard size for the types of projects we do. According to Extreme 4x4, 1 5/8" (1.625") .120 wall- nhr drag raceing standard is a good in between size for our trucks. 1 3/4 is used alot too, but is bigger and heavier of course.

We need to explore the cost of steel and availability of each size, and talk to a few people.

 

[Jakes40]

my vote is yes.

I need to extend my cage to a full cage and make a front bib guard and stinger. looks like this will have a lot of use.

I may have an old dell laptop to donate to the club. it is an old one (windows 98 era). if it gets dropped o well. I'll check and see. I'll have to reload all the software. not to sound cheap but can't we make a base. I've got some steel if someone can get some casters. saves $70.00 and maybe some on shipping.

Chris

 

[76FJ40]

Burl,

Doesn't Rubbermaid have some casters?

 

[kulangot]

Mo Bettah:

Tube and Pipe Benders

Cheaper

Simpler

and all that you need...

Get the 1.5 square die to make sliders...

my .02c

-Stumbaugh

 

[H2o]

Have you used this bender before?

Mo Bettah:

Tube and Pipe Benders

Cheaper

Simpler

and all that you need...

Get the 1.5 square die to make sliders...

my .02c

-Stumbaugh

 

[kulangot]

A friend of mine has one.

It's more work to pump the jack by hand but it's also easier to not over bend.

When you bend tube, you have to deal with springback. In other words, you have to bend the tube a few degrees more than you need because it tends to spring back a bit. Easy to bend it a little more but not possible to bend it less.

I also like the way it sits on the floor and you can use an angle gauge to see how far you've bent it.

Personal preference, but I think a simple bender is more ideal for what the club would need. The bender you picked is great but more complex, more parts to loose and more ideally suited for a production environment where your making a lot stuff, you are familiar with what you want to do and you need to do it quickly.

check out the tube bender at blindchickenracing.com you can actually build one of these.

Again, this is just my opinion. If it were my $$$ I'd rather have a cheaper bender and a notcher and maybe a few other dies like 1.0 round, 1.0 square and 1.5 square. With those dies, you can even make the rear part of the body tub, oem soft top bows, etc.

Sounds like another good reason to have a welding tech again again. Maybe "how not have booger welds on your roll cage" would be a good one.

 

[kulangot]

I'd like to add that I'm impressed to see you guys get motivated to do something like this. Respect.

One more thing, anything less than 2'' inch tube for a Land Cruiser is no bueno. IIRC the off road racing sanctioning bodies call for 2.0 tube for any truck with a removable top. Buggies and cars can use the smallest size. However, last I heard even Nascar was requiring a 2.0 halo in their cages with smaller sized stringers. However, I am no expert. Metal Tech is using 2.0...

Ideally, I'd say that 2.0 round for cages, 1.0 round for OEM soft top bows, 1.5 square for rear body tub repairs and rock sliders and then maybe 1.0 square for swing out can and cooler holders, etc.

I really don't think that you need to software if you can measure but it might be good for a halo style cage if you could figure out a way to put on in a FJ40.

I suspect that it would be something for members to play with though.

 

[H2o]

Thanks for the input. The smaller bender would be easier to move around for sure and getting more dies would be great. I will review with John and we will try to talk to some others as well with bending experience to get their feedback.

John mentioned that he did not think the software was necessary. I thought it would be a good tool since it provides templates that you can print out and use to cut out tubing. also prevents wasting steel. the big downside is if it is not user friendly... members will take a lot of time to get used to using it.

As for your welding tech day, sure. Let me know when and we will schedule it. However, I would like to either do this in the spring/summer or if we can find and indoor location. It was too cold last time

 

[John Smith]

A friend of mine has one.

It's more work to pump the jack by hand but it's also easier to not over bend.

When you bend tube, you have to deal with springback. In other words, you have to bend the tube a few degrees more than you need because it tends to spring back a bit. Easy to bend it a little more but not possible to bend it less.

I also like the way it sits on the floor and you can use an angle gauge to see how far you've bent it.

Personal preference, but I think a simple bender is more ideal for what the club would need. The bender you picked is great but more complex, more parts to loose and more ideally suited for a production environment where your making a lot stuff, you are familiar with what you want to do and you need to do it quickly.

check out the tube bender at blindchickenracing.com you can actually build one of these.

Again, this is just my opinion. If it were my $$$ I'd rather have a cheaper bender and a notcher and maybe a few other dies like 1.0 round, 1.0 square and 1.5 square. With those dies, you can even make the rear part of the body tub, oem soft top bows, etc.

Sounds like another good reason to have a welding tech again again. Maybe "how not have booger welds on your roll cage" would be a good one.

John, Has your friend ever bent 2" .120 DOM tube with that bender? The plate thickness in the picture makes me suspect. The ProBender model above is built with with 5/8" plate specifically to use a 2" die. They don't recommend using the 2" die in the 1/2" plate model. I totally agree with you on 2" for roll cages. Besides the strength factor the tube size just looks right to me on a 40.

 

[kulangot]

John, Has your friend ever bent 2" .120 DOM tube with that bender? The plate thickness in the picture makes me suspect. The ProBender model above is built with with 5/8" plate specifically to use a 2" die. They don't recommend using the 2" die in the 1/2" plate model. I totally agree with you on 2" for roll cages. Besides the strength factor the tube size just looks right to me on a 40.

I'll ask him. He's a race car guy so I doubt it.

If they recommend the larger model for 2" tube, then it's no-brainer to get the larger one because it will likely bend a lot of two inch tube.

Years ago I had the hand powered JD bender that is similar to what Pro-Tools offers. I used it to build a few cages and then sold it to Ryan Bascome. If I bought another one, I'd buy one with a hand jack. Might take longer but it would be more precise than the long lever and the slack in the mechanism.

 

[StaleAle]

sounds like another good reason to have a welding tech again again. Maybe "how not have booger welds on your roll cage" would be a good one.

tech-day....tech-day....tech-day......!

 

[StaleAle]

As for your welding tech day, sure. Let me know when and we will schedule it. However, I would like to either do this in the spring/summer or if we can find and indoor location. It was too cold last time

You mean finally finishing your headlight relay project after what...a year, didn't give you enough of a warm feeling?!

If the weather is too cold for you, you can stay in and sit by the fire in your cardigan. I volunteer to keep the battery charged in your 40.

 

[dmttow]

I purchased a tube bender about two months ago and went with Baileigh RMD050 Rotary Draw Bender RDB-050 Video
Sadly I have not made anything yet, only done some practice bends. If anybody needs to make something your welcome to come by and use it. I only have one die thats 1 5/8. I have two hundred feet of DOM waiting to make something. This is not a portable bender like protools. Its very heavy and must be anchored securely.

 

[kulangot]

That bender is cool...