Bend Tech Pro

[Mayhem Eng.]

Has anyone used this software from Bend tech pro and if so did you like it? For $275.00 it doesn't look bad price wise. I wanting to build myself a tube chassis 1:1 crawler.

Thanks Mayhem Eng.

[Rc_Kid]

I think my dad has it, he likes it, he used to mess with it all the time but is trying to convert his bender to hydraulic.

If someone with more experience could chime in with they're opinion?

[ultimate_monkey]

IMO, with all these fangdangled programs out there its just making things harder, Iv dont a few chassis, cages and 3 / 4 links, and never used any kind of programe, just sketched it out on paper. sure you dont get the fancy 3d, 360* view but thats what ur brains for. only time i have ever had "problems" is when people decide to make huge changes 3/4s of the way threw a build, but thats gonna fuk shit up weather you used a program or not

then again this is just my opinion and its easier for me to design a full chassis in my head then it is for me to even turn on a computer

[Kamikaze]

I am building a buggy right now with it. It is an awesome tool. Here, read through this. http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=805520

[dezslash]

If you have the money get it. IIRC it gives you every measurement for the tubes ,the bendsand there degree to bend as well as every notch .It also can print out a template for the notch.

[Kamikaze]

Originally Posted by ultimate_monkey

IMO, with all these fangdangled programs out there its just making things harder, Iv dont a few chassis, cages and 3 / 4 links, and never used any kind of programe, just sketched it out on paper. sure you dont get the fancy 3d, 360* view but thats what ur brains for. only time i have ever had "problems" is when people decide to make huge changes 3/4s of the way threw a build, but thats gonna fuk shit up weather you used a program or not

then again this is just my opinion and its easier for me to design a full chassis in my head then it is for me to even turn on a computer

It only makes it harder if you don't take the time to learn how to use it.

Let me show you how much time it can save. I am going to post this, then I am going to open BTP and layout a b-pillar tube in multiple planes with 4 bends and notched ends. Lets make it 52" wide at the bottom, at 20" make it bend in and back oh 6" to a width of 48". For shits and giggles lets make the notch at the bottom clear a front to back frame tobe and an existing x-brace. Starting.......... now!

[Kamikaze]

Done. Give me a minute for screen shots.

[Kamikaze]

here it is

[Kamikaze]

Here is the info to bend the tube.

[Kamikaze]

Then print your copes. That was all done in real time.

[Kamikaze]

So that was a 4 bend multi plane part, drawn in 3 minutes and photoshoped and posted in 9 minutes.

[Kamikaze]

Here are some pics from my buggy. We cut the entire subframe out at once with a plasma cutter and didn't have to grind a single piece.

[Nova's Ark]

That is a sick build Jeff. It's seems odd seeing both Joe's and yours picture on a different forum because I am so use to seeing you both on RCC only. I wish you the best of luck on your build .

[Kamikaze]

If you will notice the a-pillar is in 2 planes but it still matches the straight on angle that the b pillar has, to even try that bend without this software would be a task. It takes all of the guess work out of it. And if a tube doesn't fit like it should then you know you didn't fit it up right. You can also try out several different layouts before you waist any material. You can also figure the most efficient way to get the shape you want.

Everything is layed out in points, so there are several ways to connect the points. You can connect everything in several different ways to get the shape you want. I made my roof line way more complicated that a straight tube would have been but I was going for something different that another builder would appreciate knowing what goes into building one.

[Code454]

pretty much everyone out here use it and i have heard its such a wicked program i would love to get it myself

[joesbruiser]

I must say Bend Tech makes things much easier.Hell just the cope printout function alone makes it worth buying.

[ultimate_monkey]

Kamikaze, im not saying thats its not a usefull program and if you know how to use it im sure it saves alot of time. i clearly stated that it was just MY opinion, not facts, and i also said that i can barely turn a coputer on let alone learn any thing like BT or any other program for that matter.

checked out your build on pirate lookin good, your basically building the same thing as me, except lighter version, what made you go with the 16v 1.6? i ran one for a while and found that the gain really wasnt worth the effort, my 1.3 with header and CAI seemed to make as much power and was zippier on the throttle

[Reflection]

Originally Posted by joesbruiser

I must say Bend Tech makes things much easier.Hell just the cope printout function alone makes it worth buying.

X eleventybillion on that for sure.

When I built my exo cage on my Toyota,I didn't have anything fancy like this program. I wasted ALLOT of tubing cause I put the wrong fishmouth on the tube I was working on or cut the tube to short.

If I ever tackle another big project with tube,I'll be getting a copy of the bend tech pro no question.

[chris w]

I hate computer aided programs like this.... Check out my lattest build thread. There are more complex angles on this jeep than any other you will find. And I did nothing more than plot it out in my head. I say spend the money somewere else, and just think about what your doing. It will turn out fine if you think things through first.

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthrea...951&highlight=

[Kamikaze]

Originally Posted by ultimate_monkey

checked out your build on pirate lookin good, your basically building the same thing as me, except lighter version, what made you go with the 16v 1.6? i ran one for a while and found that the gain really wasnt worth the effort, my 1.3 with header and CAI seemed to make as much power and was zippier on the throttle

There's not much effort involved in using the 1.6 16 valve. There where 6 motors laying on the floor at the barn and I picked one. I had a zuk with a 1.3 in it. I never bothered swapping it out. This build is from scratch so I went with the sidekick stuff. The tranny seems tougher and I want the 1:1 high range in the first reduction box. That and we are going to mess around with the auto trans. Its easy to interchange with the kick 5 speed.