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05-01-2012, 05:38 PM | #1 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Wheat Ridge
Posts: 1,315
| A tube bender on the cheap
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 |
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05-01-2012, 05:44 PM | #2 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: May 2009 Location: Hillsboro, OR / Kapolei, Hi
Posts: 695
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Nice!
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05-01-2012, 06:11 PM | #3 |
Nobody Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Maine
Posts: 966
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Very nice. I love wandering the hardware store and brain storming
Last edited by Cordwood; 05-01-2012 at 06:39 PM. |
05-01-2012, 06:20 PM | #4 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Wister, OK.
Posts: 697
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Very cool idea! |
05-01-2012, 06:28 PM | #5 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Henderson/Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 5,032
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
sweet idea man!
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05-01-2012, 06:36 PM | #6 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: cape crud... will you be my friend
Posts: 2,102
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Wow cool idea big times.
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05-01-2012, 07:18 PM | #7 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Waterford MI
Posts: 359
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Well I'm off to the depot in the mornin. Thanks man awesome setup!
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05-01-2012, 07:26 PM | #8 |
MODERATOR Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: RC Land
Posts: 3,185
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
If you eliminate the flat washer and nut on top side of your drain plate and lower your shoulder bolts to the thickness of your tubing. Then double nut your shoulder bolt in place from the underside at the thickness of the tubing being worked with. This would allow you to rest your tubing flat on your drain plate surface and catch it under the shoulder bolt lip allowing a flat work surface instead of being up in the air. Your double nut bolt would be loose in the drain plate until you lifted bolt and slid your tube under lip on bolt. Either way.... Nice score and great thinking Makes the $75 bender I just bought in the classifieds hurt that much more... Last edited by THX_138; 05-01-2012 at 07:34 PM. |
05-01-2012, 08:47 PM | #9 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Wayne county. PA
Posts: 2,507
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
kool idea .........bob .... |
05-01-2012, 09:04 PM | #10 |
No idea what I'm doing Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Underground, CO
Posts: 4,529
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Excellent idea!!! Sorry to miss you guys tonight, but that "running the business" thing gets in the way sometimes |
05-01-2012, 10:54 PM | #11 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: somewhere near Los Angeles...or a city looking thingy.
Posts: 1,122
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap |
05-01-2012, 11:54 PM | #12 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bozangeles
Posts: 1,484
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Very creative, I just made mine from some scrap metal and followed the plans in the pucture below |
05-02-2012, 05:05 AM | #13 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 183
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
For you OP, that's some high level injunuity. Great work! Last edited by CAIRN; 05-02-2012 at 10:51 AM. |
05-02-2012, 11:33 AM | #14 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Wheat Ridge
Posts: 1,315
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap LOL thats awesome! I have to go with a different logo though, this is some Da kine Hawaiian akamai tinkin' (my local brothas will get it ) Thanks for all the positive comments guys, much appreciated hopefully this helps the guys on a tight budget get some work done @THX_138 Good idea, I did try the double nut on the underside but the bolts just move around. The holes in the plate are "conical" cut so it leaves room for slop if you will, hence the nut on the top and bottom |
05-03-2012, 09:24 AM | #15 |
I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: ...the burning end of the rope.
Posts: 5,013
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Ikaika...take your bolts out...get the right sized tap and put threads in all of the holes or a select few...then thread new bolts right into the drain plate and nut them on the bottom....just a thought. Quick and easy piece of kona engineering brah! |
05-03-2012, 10:45 AM | #16 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Joliet
Posts: 181
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Heading to the depot to check this out. Awesome idea!
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05-07-2012, 09:18 PM | #17 |
Quarry Creeper Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Malaysia
Posts: 374
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
You, sir, are a genius.
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05-07-2012, 10:49 PM | #18 |
Rock Crawler Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Washington State
Posts: 624
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Thanks for posting this. Closer to my skill level, and budget! I will need it very soon... . Last edited by Pointman; 05-07-2012 at 10:51 PM. |
05-16-2012, 10:20 PM | #19 |
Pebble Pounder Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Joliet
Posts: 181
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Has anyone tried just tapping then threading the bolts. I meant to get this done last week and I didn't get to it yet.
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05-16-2012, 10:42 PM | #20 |
RCC Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Wheat Ridge
Posts: 1,315
| Re: A tube bender on the cheap
Thanks for all the kind words guys, I work with what I got ya know @gottwins? My experience with cast iron is that it likes to shatter or crack if its ever drilled but you can give it a shot, just be careful and wear eye protection like this guy right here >>> |
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