Metal Bending

[Aaron VerDow]

I'm looking into some metal benders for the space and would like to know what people think we could use more.  There are several different kinds and they all have a little overlap.  I would like to get some good metal benders so we can start making structures out of steel tubing (carts, power wheel chassis, etc).

This is the one I'm thinking of getting first:

http://www.harborfreight.com/tubing-roller-99736.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-die-set-66598.html

According to the reviews it can handle up to 1.5" diameter tubing pretty well.  This style bender can do any size arc so it will be pretty flexible.

A different style bender that can do smaller things (around 1/2" diameter) pretty quickly.  This is easier to use than the one above but is more limited in the size material it can bend and the arcs it can create.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_7826_7826

This is for heavier stuff, but is more limited on the arcs it can create.  This would be more for creating roll cages or something like that.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365076_200365076

I'm leaning towards fapping for the first two and then if we have a need for something heavier go for the hydraulic bender later.

[Patrick Joyce]

The first two look good, the last one is for pipe, not tubing. Tubing
is measured by outer diameter, pipe is measured by the inner diameter.
The dies wouldn't be the right size for tubing, which is what you need
to make roll cages out of.

I have a few metal bending tools I plan on loaning to the space once I
can get into my storage area. I have a ring roller, bead roller and a
air/hydraulic powered tube bender with a 1-1/2" die. I built the tube
bender, it has a 20 ton air-hydraulic ram on it so it will bend up to
2" tubing 3/16" thick with the right die.

On May 2, 12:02 pm, Aaron VerDow <armoredc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm looking into some metal benders for the space and would like to know
> what people think we could use more.  There are several different kinds and
> they all have a little overlap.  I would like to get some good metal
> benders so we can start making structures out of steel tubing (carts, power
> wheel chassis, etc).
>

> This is the one I'm thinking of getting first:http://www.harborfreight.com/tubing-roller-99736.htmlhttp://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-die-set-66598.html

> According to the reviews it can handle up to 1.5" diameter tubing pretty
> well.  This style bender can do any size arc so it will be pretty flexible.
>
> A different style bender that can do smaller things (around 1/2" diameter)
> pretty quickly.  This is easier to use than the one above but is more

> limited in the size material it can bend and the arcs it can create.http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_7826_7826

>
> This is for heavier stuff, but is more limited on the arcs it can create.

>  This would be more for creating roll cages or something like that.http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365076_200365076

[jesco w]

somthen ive been looking into myself lately ,    i see alot of folks like that harbor freight hydraulic bender but only after modding it , looks like alot of tweaks an stuff you can do to it .                 
         there are also couple diy plans online but more ive looked im going for this one

http://www.harborfreight.com/16-ton-hydraulic-pipe-bender-35336.html

[jesco w]

one of the mods/tweaks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlSnVSrWg0M

[Jeff Johnson]

Most magazines (Pop Science, Pop Mechanics, Maxim, Field and Stream) will have a 20% off coupon in the back for HF purchases.

[Aaron VerDow]

Patrick: Is the ring roller similar to the first link?  I'd like to know if we should hold off ordering it.

Also, the second bender will need to be bolted to the floor.  Is this an option?  If not we might be able to rig up a custom adapter to fit into some existing holes in the floor...