Tube Bender's

borg · Post by **borg** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:48 pm

One of the many plans on for my next set of holidays is to start fabing an external cage. there seems to only be a handfull of options when it comes to bending the tube. has any one got any sugestions?

No i dont have a tube bender yet and am looking for one or may lease one.

Regards
Andrew

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 11:06 pm

someone posted a link in here to a guy who made his own tubebender but i cant remember what thread it was in

rokhound · Post by **rokhound** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:06 am

http://www.sproklegrommet.co.uk

Check out 1 here.

oldblue · Post by **oldblue** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:08 am

Just remember that there are Pipe Benders and there are Tube Benders. If you try and use tube in a pipe bender youll be pissed off with the results. Also, if you buy the formers Buy a good brand, not these cheepo stuff, as they don't support the pipe while it is being bent. A good former is one that is very deep in the throat, where the pipe is held.

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:27 pm

rokhound wrote:http://www.sproklegrommet.co.uk/

Check out 1 here.

see i knew i had seen it here somewhere

ruf_zuki · Post by **ruf_zuki** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:23 pm

you wouldnt want to crush bend it either...

tristanp · Post by **tristanp** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 6:41 am

cardwell racing supplies in auckland import the pro tools bender , protools is considered one of the best home benders available.
i have drawings for one almost identical to the protools one and have had a set profile cut out , all i need now is a former

mroffroader · Post by **mroffroader** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:15 am

or i have a free plan for all on how to make your own tube bender...i have not tryed as yet...

http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/modules ... _photo.php

borg · Post by **borg** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:16 am

Thanks guys, looks like i will have to give cadwells a call and see what they have available. The most expensive part seems to be the dies

mroffroader: that looks like the drawings for a pipe bender. the diference between the pipe bender and tube bender is that the tube bender uses a swedge to support and curve the tube whereas the pipe being thicker as long as the side walls are suported can just be bent. the other problem is that using a pipe bender to bend tube even if you do pack out the die so it will suport the side wallsdue to the thickness of of the steel the pipe tends to collapse.

It still does not make sense as to why a pipe bendr seems to be larger than a tube bender and the dies are not that much diferent however a tube bender is 4 X the price.

oldblue · Post by **oldblue** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 9:17 am

I'll try to explain; A tube is measured by its outside diameter to presise size ie 40mm.
A pipe is sized by its inside measurement. a nominal bore size ie: inside measurement say 40mm +2 more mm =42mm inside measurment , so the OD may be 48mm.
A pipe former is only one piece.
A tube bender has two parts to it, inside and an outside formers.

tristanp · Post by **tristanp** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:21 pm

first off you need to figure out what your going to make your cage out of .. most common is heavy wall pressure pipe , less common in recreational circles is chrome molly tube - mainly used where light weight is required (but still high strength) in professional racing or serious competition.
a heavy wall pipe cage can be as strong as chrome moly but it wont be anywhere as light , the pipe will also be cheaper

mroffroader · Post by **mroffroader** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:49 pm

ewwww i see

spanky · Post by **spanky** » Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:19 pm

i used a 240$ pipe bender from total trade supplies to make full cage . it bent the proper manz approved tube good as gold with no crushing. vaughan

tristanp · Post by **tristanp** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:17 am

" used a 240$ pipe bender from total trade supplies to make full cage . it bent the proper manz approved tube good as gold with no crushing. vaughan"

manz approved tube or pipe?

spanky · Post by **spanky** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:26 am

not to sure what they call it . it is what fletchers supply if you ask for the legal tube for roll cage , erw seamless or something, will check invoices at work and put on tonight exactly what it is . cheers vaughan

borg · Post by **borg** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:45 am

I was either going to use the recomended stuff from steel and tube (the HT stuff)or as someone else pointed out schedule40. would love to do it in moly however thats a little more than the wife will let me spend

Maybe i should cancell the life insurance policy

The only other thing that worries me about moly is that i have heard that after stoving in a support unlike normal steel that continues to have some regidity moly becomes very flimsy. This is fine if your in a competition truck that gets puled appart every other week but as my cage will be an exocage and is likley to get knocked on things on a regular basis i think the thicker wall and more forgiving tube would be better.

Regards
Andrew

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:25 am

Its what the Americans refer to as DOM - or Drawn Over Mandrel tube. Normal tube is rolled from a piece of flat steel, then welded along the seam - this is a weak point. DOM is drawn from molten steel through a former, meaning uniform construction and no seam. Thats the best stuff to use.

If you use 4130 (Chrome Moly) then you're either single or rich (or have a kick-ass sponsor

) - its the ducks nuts, but its not cheap... buy that from Cardwells too - he imports the 4130 tube from the US as well due to massive prices here.

Last time I priced the bender from Cardwells it was near enough to $600 + GST for the bender and around $450 + GST for each set of formers... I was supposed to get one for my birthday but bills got in the way... I'm still waiting

http://www.pro-tools.com is the site for their benders, and they give away the plans for the basic hydraulic bender to use their formers - the drawback is its bending angle capability - the proper (upright manual) one bends greater angles.

Steve

spanky wrote:not to sure what they call it . it is what fletchers supply if you ask for the legal tube for roll cage , erw seamless or something, will check invoices at work and put on tonight exactly what it is . cheers vaughan

nz4x4 · Post by **nz4x4** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:24 pm

Thought i might just chime in here, even though it is an old thread.

I have just ordered a 105HD tube bender from pro tools along with some dies and a tube notcher. I am importing it myself (because Cardwells was $500 more expensive for the same products and I wasnt going to get it untill the end of Feb) anyway it should all be here at the end of Jan. I will let you know what it is like.

H2OLOVA · Post by **H2OLOVA** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 7:36 pm

nz4x4 wrote:Thought i might just chime here, even though it is an old thread.

I have just ordered a 105HD tube bender from pro tools along with some dies and a tube notcher. I am importing it myself (because Cardwells was $500 more expensive for the same products and I wasnt going to get it untill the end of Feb) anyway it should all be here at the end of Jan. I will let you know what it is like.

What did that lot cost you? cause depending on price i might be keen on one as well. PM me if you don't wont to tell everyone :wink:

nz4x4 · Post by **nz4x4** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 8:18 pm

have sent PM

Dont mind telling people what I paid, but I wont post it here so every man and his dog can see.

And just so you know, I have brought(all Pro Tools products):

105HD (bender)
HSN 501i (notcher)
1.5" X 6 X 240
2" X 6 X 240
Top Stand Plate (for notcher)

nz4x4 · Post by **nz4x4** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:06 pm

Bringing up an old topic again.... sorry guys.

I picked my bender up today from Bax. It looks bloody great!!!
I am having the stands made up atm (mates mig cant weld 12mm steel and I havenâ€™t got my new one yet).

I will post pictures tomorrow of the bender as it comes from pro tools and then again once it is all set up.

If you are looking to purchase one, I have to recommend Mike Green 4x4! No hassles, great customer service and bloody great prices!

H2OLOVA · Post by **H2OLOVA** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:36 pm

looking forward to seeing some"in the flesh" pics. They certainly sound the part off the website.

nz4x4 · Post by **nz4x4** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:46 pm

Here are some pictures for anyone interested. sorry if you are on dial up

Notcher

Bender

1.5x6x240 tube die

2x6x240 tube die

nz4x4 · Post by **nz4x4** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:43 pm

here it is set up

38.1x2.5mm Rollcage tube

50.8x2mm ERW (will make a nicer bend with 2.5mm wall which i should have in a few weeks)