Bending Stainless Tube

[Hunterlees]

I used a Hilmor bender as show above to create stainless hoops for a canopy. Problem i ran into was that the “leg” of the hoop was longer than the height of the bender so had to find a way to raise it up by a couple of feet to let the leg go underneath.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I guess you've seen the BendArc and CrownArc tube benders from the US. I think Bainbridge import and sell them in the UK... I've been tempted...

Example video here showing the two types of bend being made in a sprayhood frame..

Bendarc and Crownarc demonstration

Combination of a former bender and a roller bender.

 

[Martin_J]

Looks like the Bendarc and Crownarc company supply formers and wheels for up to 32mm stainless tube.

bendarc-crownarc-systems

The other thing they provide is the software to calculate the angle of bend to make with the former and where exactly to start the second bend in order to create the correct overall width once the crown part of the frame has been made. Seems to work well!

 

[PCUK]

Unfortunately I'm at the opposite end of the country in Devon. If you could get then here at sensible cost I'd form them for you for nothing.

 

[smithy]

Unfortunately I'm at the opposite end of the country in Devon. If you could get then here at sensible cost I'd form them for you for nothing.

Thanks for the offer but I dont think thats going to happen.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Is it possible to bend 1" x 1.5mm walled tube on an ordinary floor standing conduit bender? I can source 1"dia for a good price but not sure if it will fit into the common 25mm former. Anyone tried this?
View attachment 111124

Try a custom car exhaust supplier like one of these.

Full Stainless Steel Exhaust Glasgow, Custom Exhaust Systems Glasgow, ECU; Engine Remapping Glasgow, Tradeston Glasgow, Audi Performance Parts Glasgow, Car Tuning Companies Glasgow

Custom Exhaust Glasgow | Custom Exhaust Glasgow

Custom Stainless Steel Exhausts in Glasgow

 

[smithy]

Try a custom car exhaust supplier like one of these.

Full Stainless Steel Exhaust Glasgow, Custom Exhaust Systems Glasgow, ECU; Engine Remapping Glasgow, Tradeston Glasgow, Audi Performance Parts Glasgow, Car Tuning Companies Glasgow

Custom Exhaust Glasgow | Custom Exhaust Glasgow

Custom Stainless Steel Exhausts in Glasgow

Thanks for the links Rogershaw

 

[philwebb]

One of these will bend it:

Hilmor Pipe Bender Type GLA 4 | eBay

Sorry Paul, but I have to say that I damaged my Hilmor bender trying to bend some stainless pipe. It’s really for copper tube.

 

[lonederanger]

I made my stern arch using a hydraulic pipe bender, bought one on ebay for 40 quid and then sold it again, it came out really well. It was 1"1/4 pipe with 2.5mm wall thickness, it was quite convenient having it laid down on the floor as i could draw my shapes and then bend until the bar reached the lines. I did not fill the tubes with formers or sand or any such like. The trickiest thing was working out from the center of radius where your end of pipe was going to get to without wasting too much material, after the first over cautious bend and a few calculations everything worked out fine.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I made my stern arch using a hydraulic pipe bender, bought one on ebay for 40 quid and then sold it again, it came out really well. It was 1"1/4 pipe with 2.5mm wall thickness, it was quite convenient having it laid down on the floor as i could draw my shapes and then bend until the bar reached the lines. I did not fill the tubes with formers or sand or any such like. The trickiest thing was working out from the center of radius where your end of pipe was going to get to without wasting too much material, after the first over cautious bend and a few calculations everything worked out fine.

2.5 mm wall thickness tube is easy to bend with a hydraulic press bender but to bend 1.5 thickness tube to a small radius bend without distortion you really need a mandrill bender. All depend on how tight you wish to bend the tube.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Sorry Paul, but I have to say that I damaged my Hilmor bender trying to bend some stainless pipe. It’s really for copper tube.

Was it the same as the one in the link i posted ? What size stainless ?

 

[smithy]

I thought I would follow up my original post. I bought one of the Chinese pipe benders shown, cost about £90. It bent the frames from 25mm x1.5 stainless but required a 2m piece of scaffold tube to get enough purchase. I will post a picture of the finished arch when I get there.

 

[rogerthebodger]

smithy exactly that same as the one I have except mine is red.

Yes you do need a very long lever just shows that the pipe benders an a free standing frame are just not man enough to bend stainless steel thin wall tube let alone the thin wall gas tube.

Good job BTW

 

[ctva]

Spot on.

 

[PaulRainbow]

smithy exactly that same as the one I have except mine is red.

Yes you do need a very long lever just shows that the pipe benders an a free standing frame are just not man enough to bend stainless steel thin wall tube let alone the thin wall gas tube.

Good job BTW

Away with you man!

The Hilmor bender i posted a link to, used with the cast iron formers, will bend 25mm 1.6mm stainless in its sleep.

We used to bend 1 1/4" T45 aircraft tube with mine. Needed three people hanging off of a 2m scaffold tube to do it, we had to bolt the bender to the floor, and i'm not exaggerating.

I bent some handrails for may previous boat, from 1" 16g stainless, using a 1m tube extension on the handle, on my own, with the bender not bolted down, easy as pie.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I thought I would follow up my original post. I bought one of the Chinese pipe benders shown, cost about £90. It bent the frames from 25mm x1.5 stainless but required a 2m piece of scaffold tube to get enough purchase. I will post a picture of the finished arch when I get there.

Looking good so far, good job

 

[DownWest]

Have to say, but the bend in the first photo looks a bit flattened, but can't see it very clearly.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Away with you man!

The Hilmor bender i posted a link to, used with the cast iron formers, will bend 25mm 1.6mm stainless in its sleep.

We used to bend 1 1/4" T45 aircraft tube with mine. Needed three people hanging off of a 2m scaffold tube to do it, we had to bolt the bender to the floor, and i'm not exaggerating.

I bent some handrails for may previous boat, from 1" 16g stainless, using a 1m tube extension on the handle, on my own, with the bender not bolted down, easy as pie.

The highlighted section is the exact point I was making.

Having designed several different tube bending machines when I worked for Tube Investments I thing I have some idea of the forces involved.

The point about all hand benders is that the radius of the bend is quite large but when you get much tighter bends you need a mandrel inside the tube to prevent the outside of the bend kinking.

 

[PaulRainbow]

The highlighted section is the exact point I was making.

Having designed several different tube bending machines when I worked for Tube Investments I thing I have some idea of the forces involved.

The point about all hand benders is that the radius of the bend is quite large but when you get much tighter bends you need a mandrel inside the tube to prevent the outside of the bend kinking.

You really do come out with some rubbish at times Roger.

You said:

"pipe benders an a free standing frame are just not man enough to bend stainless steel thin wall tube let alone the thin wall gas tube. "

So when i say :

"We used to bend 1 1/4" T45 aircraft tube with mine "

It suddenly shifts from "not man enough" to the radius of the bend being too large,which is also rubbish, we used to ben very tight bends.

As for putting mandrels up the tube to get tight bends, more nonsense. If you need to stop the tube flattening, use a former with a guide:

Pipe Bender Former Guide Aluminium Set 15 And 22mm: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

 

[rogerthebodger]

You really do come out with some rubbish at times Roger.

You said:

"pipe benders an a free standing frame are just not man enough to bend stainless steel thin wall tube let alone the thin wall gas tube. "

So when i say :

"We used to bend 1 1/4" T45 aircraft tube with mine "

It suddenly shifts from "not man enough" to the radius of the bend being too large,which is also rubbish, we used to ben very tight bends.

As for putting mandrels up the tube to get tight bends, more nonsense. If you need to stop the tube flattening, use a former with a guide:

Pipe Bender Former Guide Aluminium Set 15 And 22mm: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Sorry Paul

Having been involved in all kinds of tube manipulation machines I gained extensive knowledge in the design and manufacturer of tube naming and manipulating equipment.

This was during my apprentice as Engineering design draftsman , during my student apprenticeship and subsequent employment in design in various companies with in the Tube Investments Group.

Its it clear to me that your knowledge in this field s very limited and do not have then depth of knowledge some others have.

For your edification.

We never got to the CNC as this was just starting when I left the UK