A tube bender on the cheap

[bigemike]

nice

[sidehiller]

I couldn't find the strainer plate, but did find this at my favorite store (Princess Auto)

It is a plate for a meat grinder and was only $3
then picked up some 3/8 flange bolts and nuts

the hole thing cost about $4.50

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[The Crawl Space]

Originally Posted by sidehiller

I couldn't find the strainer plate, but did find this at my favorite store (Princess Auto)

It is a plate for a meat grinder and was only $3
then picked up some 3/8 flange bolts and nuts

the hole thing cost about $4.50

Sent from my GT-I9100M using Tapatalk 2

Right on, I like this plate alot, good find eliminates the possiblity of cracking or shattering like the cast iron plates, plus you can draw you anlges on it

[sidehiller]

Originally Posted by The Crawl Space

Right on, I like this plate alot, good find eliminates the possiblity of cracking or shattering like the cast iron plates, plus you can draw you anlges on it

I tried taping the holes to 7/16" but they are little to big to for that. I might try to dill a couple out and tap them for 1/2" that way you can get a couple different size radius in your bends. also you can find different size pipes cut to length to put on the bolts also that will change you bend radius.

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[Armistice]

Not to take away from the Hawai'ian thinkin', but Harbor Fright has a little hand bender. I've only used it for testing if I could bend 1/4" solid round for a project a few years ago, but will also do 3/16" solid round, which I am working on now for links and link brackets (stay tuned in my build thread ;) )

Tubing Bender - Save on this Manual Tubing Bender

However, you are stuck with the radius being what it is. With the drain plate version, you can use the radius off the bolt, or stack larger washers to get a bigger radius

[sidehiller]

Originally Posted by Armistice

Not to take away from the Hawai'ian thinkin', but Harbor Fright has a little hand bender. I've only used it for testing if I could bend 1/4" solid round for a project a few years ago, but will also do 3/16" solid round, which I am working on now for links and link brackets (stay tuned in my build thread ;) )

Tubing Bender - Save on this Manual Tubing Bender

However, you are stuck with the radius being what it is. With the drain plate version, you can use the radius off the bolt, or stack larger washers to get a bigger radius

I have a very similar bender that I started with. the thing I like about the "home made" one is that you clamp it in a vise and you have both hands on your work. not only that you have a flat surface to help keep it square. and I made it:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

like I said I have a bender similar to the one you posted a link to, and yet I made this and find I goto it the most.

being a heavy duty mechanic I have a large tool box full of tools. You would be surprised at how many different tools in that box that can do the same job. just in a different way. some easier and some faster, but all equally important to the user.

most of my most used tools at work are home made or modified.

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[jakes]

Gonna have to try that out.

[rcdude2025]

Originally Posted by The Crawl Space

My next scale build will involve some tube work so I had a spark of creativity to make a cheap and simple tube bender.

My time is very limited with runnning the shop and working on other rigs so I needed this project to be quick and easy. While been harrassed at the local ace hardware I found a few odds and ends for this little project.

Saw this guy and though "perfect" No need to drill or tap.


Found these bolts with the washer "built in" to the head. I would kinda call them Modified truss bolts, but they had another name on the bin they came out of which I can't remember. Got 2 bolts at 1" and 2 at 1 1/2"


Grabbed some flat washers, split washers and nuts and got to work.


Start with a flat washer and 1 nut. followed by a lock washer and another nut.


Use a piece of rod or tube to spin up the flat washer and nut to the proper height.


Bolt up the assembly to the drain plate with the lock washer and other nut and babing!, Position the bolts where ever on the plate depending on how tight of bend you want.


You can use the nuts on the bottom to clamp the plate into a vise and you're good to go



The washer should keep tube from kinking and you can adjust the height for larger stock with just an open end box wrench.

Does a pretty tight bend as far as I can see


Total cost of materials was about $10 time to slap it together about 5 mins. not too bad for a first attempt at a tube bender

Do you think this would work with brass tube with out it kinking?? I need something for bending and looks like it would be perfect!! Thanks for sharing