Pipe benders...options

dog_party · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:08 pm

Anyone know of the options for pipe-benders? I've been reading the welder thread with great interest and want to get a pipe-bender at the same time I get a welder. I can't afford anything insanely expensive, but I also don't just want that little hand bender that I've seen either. Anyone have much experience with consumer grade pipe-benders?

Jeger · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:17 pm

How thick (wall thickness) of a pipe are you wanting to bend?

I have used the vertical hydraulic ram type of benders...but if you wanted to make repeatable bends I would go with the horizontal swing handle type.

And most importantly...how much do you want to spend?

dog_party · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:48 pm

Oh, I don't know...home project pipe bending. I want to make a fire-place log caddy, and maybe fab up a custom roof basket/kayak holder. I'd love to have something that could bend pipes that I could use as a front SCORE style bumper, but I can't imagine something like that would fit into my 1+ car garage without taking up the whole thing.

Jeger · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:14 pm

http://www.medfordtools.com/mb3.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/Compact-Metal-Tube- ... dZViewItem

I have seen some like this used at muffler shops. The die sets is where you would spend all your money on these.

Pro tools looks like they have some nice ones $$$

www.pro-tools.com

http://www.tunerschoice.com/product.asp ... &sc=WFROOG

and then theres the cheap stuff. Might be good to get started though

http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisear ... ySearch.do

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:04 pm

I have a JD2 that i bought and spent way too much money on. It is a great tool but the dies are expensive. I will eventually get my money back out of it I just need to find some extra time to spend working w/ it.

I made the rack on my Xj w/ it using a 1" die set.

I could have made just as nice a rack using a cheaper pipe style bender but the rack and 1" die was to learn with until I move up to using my 1.75" die to make cages, bumpers, etc. I look at it as a long term investment and tax return money well spent.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:28 pm

JJsKJ I looked at one of those a couple of years ago and have kicked myself several times that I didnt buy it, had the cash in my pocket. Nice looking roof rack by the way really great bends. I am curious to see if some of the cheaper ones would give you the same nice bends.

unixxx · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:32 pm

Nice rack and even nicer Mustang :twisted:

What year is it?

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 7:48 pm

unixxx wrote:

Nice rack and even nicer Mustang :twisted:

What year is it?

1965....and since we are straying ot..... 302/C4/Detroit locked 9" w/ 3.73's, Stang 2 frt suspension w/ rack & pinion w/ tube control arms & coil overs. (shock towers cut out, custom front end/x-member) It still needs some work to finish, I lost interest because of these dang Jeeps and wheeling. :roll:

Back on topic.....the JD2 is a very nice tool and dang well built. If you are thinking about doing cages, roll bars, pre-runner style bumpers, etc. it will pay for itself quick. I could do a few roof racks and make my money back and some day i will, just have other priorities right now. I am planning the cage for the Stang using it also. BTW, Bend-Tech EZ is worth the price for planning out projects and such. http://www.medfordtools.com/bendtech/ez.html

welby · **Posted:** Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:17 pm

You're going to get probably the tightest radius bends out of a JD2 style bender like JJ's, though I don't know how much that's going to run you. I prefer hand benders with thinwall pipe, and obviously electrical benders for small diameter ridgid pipe. But a 555 or a SmartBender or even a Cyclone (horizontal, repeatable bends, as stated by Jeger) are all well into the 3k-8k range.

You can find Follow-Bar style benders (we call them Chicagos) for fairly cheap. They come in a variety of different sizes, with plenty of different shoes to choose from. Much easier to bend with than a hand bender (torque-wise) and you can find them for fairly cheap. Just an idea, good luck.
http://www.toolfetch.com/Category/Greenlee/Bending/Mechanical_Benders/18636.htm

sandracer · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:57 pm

Just a quick note on the hydraulic benders like you find at Harbor freight and other vendors; The included dies may not actually be quite the same size as they are marked.

Like most tools, you get what you pay for. The biggest determining factor, as others have said, will be what diameter and thickness you want to bend.

dog_party · **Posted:** Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:01 am

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Keep 'em coming!

John, I remember reading the threads when you were shopping/buying that bender. I was hoping you'd find my thread and chime in.

OT: I've been dying to see picts of your 65! Sweet! Is that a custom hood? I just found out today that one of my neighbor's has a 65 GT350 with no deck stripes (rocker stripes and markings original). I don't know him well enough yet to know if he has a rear battery 350 or not, but that's because we just moved into this neighborhood.

Back on topic: Can you tell me, or send me a PM, regarding the price you paid for the JD2 bender and where you got it? I found (what I believe to be) the same bender that you're talking about on Medfordtools.com for $295 (minus the stand and dies). Did you get the opt-hydraulic kit too?

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:48 pm

dog_party wrote:

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Keep 'em coming!

John, I remember reading the threads when you were shopping/buying that bender. I was hoping you'd find my thread and chime in.

OT: I've been dying to see picts of your 65! Sweet! Is that a custom hood? I just found out today that one of my neighbor's has a 65 GT350 with no deck stripes (rocker stripes and markings original). I don't know him well enough yet to know if he has a rear battery 350 or not, but that's because we just moved into this neighborhood.

Back on topic: Can you tell me, or send me a PM, regarding the price you paid for the JD2 bender and where you got it? I found (what I believe to be) the same bender that you're talking about on Medfordtools.com for $295 (minus the stand and dies). Did you get the opt-hydraulic kit too?

I got the bender and dies here> http://vansantent.com/tube_bending_machines.htm

I then found a local metal supplier w/ a similar deal on it all so check your local guys as they might work w/ you on pricing and then you can build a relationship w/ where you get your metal. I didn't go hydraulic because I wanted feel control of the bending and doing so little of it I didn't feel it would be necessary.

OT, the Stang is my wifes, it was her 1st car from her G-parents and it was orginally a 6cyl/3 speed (UGH) I chopped it apart and stripped it to nothing and started over. It has the custom, Mustang II style front end but w/ tubular control arms, coil overs and rack & pinion steering. It also has frame connectors tying the front suspension cross member to the floor pan and rear spring mounts. When I get back into it I will be finishing up some tube bending to do a cage for it. It is mainly being built for cruising and drag racing. I also have late model 302 fuel injecction parts ready for it and it will eventually end up supercharged. Oh and it has a fuel cell in back and rear battery mount. money pit for sure.

renegadekj · **Posted:** Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:38 pm

Iam not sure what size of pipe you plan on bending but if most of what you will be working with is about the same thickness as ridged conduit then you may want to look at Greenlee. They make a wide varity of benders that are very dependable i have personally used about 4 different types but only on ridged conduit.

http://www.greenlee.com/cat_docs/Bending_07.pdf

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:36 am

This is a nice looking homemade roof rack. I'm sure you could sell some of those roof racks on this site.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:49 am

Maximum Carnage wrote:

This is a nice looking homemade roof rack. I'm sure you could sell some of those roof racks on this site.

If I only had the time...... I do hope to someday do that though. I have plans for a rack for the KJ that is bolt on and fits it real nice but it is a labor intensive SOB and cost would be high. From the comments I have seen about the cost of stuff on here I decided against moving forward w/ the project and now don't have time to dedicate to it anyway. Maybe some day. The other thing keeping me from doing it is shipping a roof rack that isn't bolted together is a PITA and expensive. The best way to ship them is via Greyhound bus freight and then you still risk damage from handling.

GilaMonster · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:37 pm

dog_party wrote:

Anyone know of the options for pipe-benders? I've been reading the welder thread with great interest and want to get a pipe-bender at the same time I get a welder. I can't afford anything insanely expensive, but I also don't just want that little hand bender that I've seen either. Anyone have much experience with consumer grade pipe-benders?

I've read the other posts related to this topic, and I think there is an assumption they have made regarding your terminology of "Pipe" versus "Tube". Pipe benders are for bending pipe, such as gas pipe in grey and black you find in home depot. Tube benders are for bending steel tubing, such as used for roll cages, bumpers, and various structural fabrication.

Maybe I'm just stating the obvious, but if you use a pipe-bender (e.g. harbor freight jack one) on tubing, you will crush the walls and kink bend the material. Not what you want for structural fabrication.

The examples shown (JDS) are excellent tube benders, and one day I hope to have one and a few dies. There are plans out in web land to build your own, but I think you find through research that the dies are the important part and you need a bending rig that will use the dies you aquire.

You can also bend tubing via gas torch and sand over a jig.

Hope this helps.

Pipe benders...options

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