Tube Bender

[jford]

I'm looking for a tube bender. There was a great thread on Pirate 4x4... but I can't post on that site for whatever reason.

I'm just looking to purchase something to modify and create some simple bars and bumpers. For no more than I'm doing... should I just buy one of those deals with the ram and jigs? Or should I buy a manual one with a handle. I saw one on Pirate from a guy named Scott... but was unable to locate him.

Any info is great. Thanks.

 

[erfworm]

rockbuggy supply has a manual type for $250 on their website. It got me interested, I had a hydraulic jack type (harbor freight) and it was a PITA. See what ya think.

 

[Design311]

I'm considering one of those as well..

Linkified...http://www.rockbuggysupply.com/products.php
Scroll to the bottom.

 

[Medusa]

Pro Tools makes a good bender. Before you get too excited about the price, realize that the $250 buys you just the bender. Dies are extra and can cost anywhere from $200 to $400 each.

 

[TLCObsession]

For small projects you are better off just finding a friendly Cruiserhead to bend you up what ou need. You will go through some tubing, especially if you attempt multi-plane bending.

Around here, tubing only gets reasonable if you buy 100ft + per order.

Add to the cost a notcher and a few hole saws.

Of course you have to have a welder too.

I am pretty sure that I have not paid for mine....

Jim

 

[72cruiser]

sup bro,

i've been lookin round for a while too. check out this site:

www.jd2.com

the model 3 bender is the one i'm lookin at.

also, check out the deal that some guy has on the pirate site, his site is something like www.polypro....
he has a deal for a notcher, the equivalent of the model 3, a 1 3/4 die and some bending computer program: $845 with shipping.

added up it looks real good.
if you can possibly get back on the pirate site, search for a "mandrel bender" thread. me and this guy helocat (awesome guy) talked about it for a couple of posts.

good luck man, i'll tell you what i end up doin. (i hope to get mine in the next couple weeks)

jonathan
jmalphr@clemson.edu

i can forward you some emails with a bunch of info in them too, if you'd like.

 

[jford]

Thanks Guys,

Erfworm,

PITA? I take it that's not such a good thing? Heh. I've looked at those... and, as I'm not really going to be doing anything that major, it might be the way to go.

All I'm looking to do is create a bar from the floor along the windshield. Maybe some odds and ends here and there? I have a welder, torch, etc.

Thanks for the input.. anymore would be great!

 

[woody]

For bumpers and sliders, a $100 hydraulic bender will bend PIPE just fine. Not complex, and not terribly cleanly, but it will work.

For anything cage related, you want the added structrual safety/strength of TUBE. Pipe dies and tube dies are VERY different, and not interchangable. For a "bar from the floor along the windshield", you definitely want HREW or preferably DOM tubing. Anything less is possibly sacraficing your personal safety....or the safety of your passengers.

Granted, not everyone gets into situations like this pic, but my wife was driving when this occurred, and I never once had a single concern about her safety. My only concern was that she kept her limbs inside the truck (which she did), avoiding any injury...and that she shut the motor off! lol

The bar above her head was 1.5" x .095 wall DOM. It was kinked about 1". It's since been replaced with a 1.5" x .120 wall DOM tube.

I paid someone to bend my cage to my specs...I felt the $800+ investment in the bender PLUS the learning curve to do it right wasn't worth the expense. Mine has about $300-350 in tubing alone in it, plus the labor time. Gets pricey when done right.

 

[Gumby]

[quote author=woody link=board=1;threadid=4950;start=msg38159#msg38159 date=1062771292]
For bumpers and sliders, a $100 hydraulic bender will bend PIPE just fine. Not complex, and not terribly cleanly, but it will work.

For anything cage related, you want the added structrual safety/strength of TUBE. Pipe dies and tube dies are VERY different, and not interchangable. For a "bar from the floor along the windshield", you definitely want HREW or preferably DOM tubing. Anything less is possibly sacraficing your personal safety....or the safety of your passengers.

The bar above her head was 1.5" x .095 wall DOM. It was kinked about 1". It's since been replaced with a 1.5" x .120 wall DOM tube.

I paid someone to bend my cage to my specs...I felt the $800+ investment in the bender PLUS the learning curve to do it right wasn't worth the expense. Mine has about $300-350 in tubing alone in it, plus the labor time. Gets pricey when done right.
[/quote]

I agree with Woody. My sliders were done with tube in a pipe bender and they are not "terribly cleanly" either. There are kinks at the ends of the bends. For sliders, they work great, but if they bend, I loose sheet metal. The cage on the 40 is tube bent with a buddy's manual bender. (Thanks, Eric!) The goal of the cage on the 40 is to be able to at least try to go where Woody goes. The driver and the rig might not be able to handle it, but the cage will.
WIthout Eric's help, I would have strongly thought about having someone else do the work. It would have turned out cleaner, safer and possibly cheaper had I had to buy the bender and die and the notcher. As it is, the labor has taken a long time already and I still have to make the x-bars and frame tie in pieces.

 

[cruiserhead]

jford,I`m in North Jersey.If your close by I can bend what you need.2" DOM is the way to go,as woody said,.135 wall is what I used.Tried to post a pic but it is to large and can`t figure how to shrink it.

 

[rusmannx]

i just bought this bender
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=32888

and i know you all hate this thing, but i think it's going to do the job for my sliders, tire carrier, etc.

do you think either of these will work too?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42324
or
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=35782


i know i know, you would would buy a tube bender instead of a pipe bender, but me and my crew aren't that hard core and i think this is going to work fine for the small (not roll cages) projects.

 

[hammerhead]

Have these in my shop. Work fine for corral fences and stock pens. Pipe bender dies don't fit tube at all. Will work for noncriticals but definately not rollcage quality. To improve tube fit, pipe can be bent, cut, sliced in half, and inlayed in die. You must start with proper size pipe for this mod. Notchers require much patience.

 

[rusmannx]

yeah i've got some schedule 40 pipe i'm going to use.
good idea on the pipe-tube adapter.

 

[Junk]

[quote author=cruiserhead link=board=1;threadid=4950;start=msg38477#msg38477 date=1062857141]
jford,I`m in North Jersey.If your close by I can bend what you need.2" DOM is the way to go,as woody said,.135 wall is what I used.Tried to post a pic but it is to large and can`t figure how to shrink it.
[/quote]

Cruiserhead, where you at in North Jersey? I'm near Morristown.

 

[HI^C]

FOR EVERYONE looking for a notcher, dont know why but i have yet to see anyone post about this notcher.


http://www.lowbucktools.com/notcher.html

By far the best investment, my buddy has had only had the one die 1 1/4" to 1 7/8" O.D. Tubing, and has used it for over three years, builds four or five complete cages, installs six to 10, and does custom tub work, every year, and has yet to replace anything on this, and the die is still cuts like butter.

No replacing hole saws.

 

[hammerhead]

Have used this tool. Good unit. No hassles. Haven't seen one in years. Any one doing much volume would do good to have one in their shop.

 

[woody]

I've got one of the cheap notchers and use it quite a bit. For "production-type" shops it would drive ya nuts, for most people in their garage it works fine. IIRC, mine is the first HF link...

 

[Gumby]

I use a bridgeport mill. Not to cheap, not too partable, but it gets the job done.

 

[erfworm]

One thing to keep in mind, is that as you interest in the sport increases, the difficulty of trails increases, which in turn results in an increase in protection, so it would make sense IMO to buy a tubing bender. This will allow you and your friends to bend the less critical parts and to have the ability to try and tackle some more important stuff down the road without using the wrong tool.

 

[hammerhead]

[quote author=Gumby link=board=1;threadid=4950;start=msg38954#msg38954 date=1063036647]
I use a bridgeport mill. Not to cheap, not too partable, but it gets the job done.

[/quote]
Oooohh...me jealous...