# Acceptable tube bender?



## Golem builder (Jul 31, 2009)

Hello,

I'm in the market to buy a tube bender for tighter radius and I would like to know if anyone ever used this bender and if it looks like it's worth it.

http://cgi.cafr.ebay.ca/Hines-Bending-Bench-Top-Mount-Manual-Tube-Pipe-Bender-/170552227212?pt=BI_Pipe_Benders&hash=item27b5b4758c

Thanks!


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## shovelon (Mar 16, 2006)

I don't have this, but I can comment on some observations.

The claim .080 wall thickness for steel. I think you will rip the whole bender off the bench, or break in if you try 1" tube.

I have done a fair share of 1" 6061-T6, .060 wall, 10 inch radius, on a floor mount bender, and it is tough.

Price is not bad though.


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## Golem builder (Jul 31, 2009)

*precisions*

I should have mentionned that it would be for 1/2, 5/8, 3/4 and maybe 7/8'' tubes for stays and bridges.


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## Clockwork Bikes (Jun 17, 2006)

I have one and it sucks. I just use it for 3/8" rack tubing. 1/2" might be okay too.

-Joel


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## RoyDean (Jul 2, 2007)

shovelon said:


> I have done a fair share of 1" 6061-T6, .060 wall, 10 inch radius, on a floor mount bender, and it is tough.


Bending 6061-T6 on ANY bender is tough. There are some hack methods for knocking the heat treat down, but they suck, too.


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## nov0798 (Nov 27, 2005)

Have the 105 bender,

http://www.pro-tools.com/

and built this chassis using it

http://roncoxracing.com/CHASSIS GALLERY.html


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## mattty (Feb 26, 2009)

I have that bender, and I mostly bend 3/4" by .035-.045 with it. It does have to be modified a bit to prevent some unwanted denting: I have welded about five 3/4"ID machine washers onto the strap piece that bolts onto the mandrel (U-shaped) part. The surface area of the strap piece was not large enough and needed to be lengthened to prevent denting. I also had to weld the bolt to the strap piece to prevent it from moving. I have also learned to freeze water in the tubes and this helps alot on the thinner .035 stuff. I might put up pics if requested...


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## nov0798 (Nov 27, 2005)

Hmm,
Havent had any of those issues! You can also fill the pipes with sand.


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## Clockwork Bikes (Jun 17, 2006)

mattty said:


> I have that bender, and I mostly bend 3/4" by .035-.045 with it. It does have to be modified a bit to prevent some unwanted denting: I have welded about five 3/4"ID machine washers onto the strap piece that bolts onto the mandrel (U-shaped) part. The surface area of the strap piece was not large enough and needed to be lengthened to prevent denting. I also had to weld the bolt to the strap piece to prevent it from moving. I have also learned to freeze water in the tubes and this helps alot on the thinner .035 stuff. I might put up pics if requested...


I formally request pics, Matty. How do you cap the tubes? I think somebody posted pics a few years ago of a dent they tried to remove from their frame by freezing water in the tube and it split the tube open.

Thanks, Joel


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## mattty (Feb 26, 2009)

I will put up pics of the bender up tomorrow, but as to the caps question, I robbed the rubber feet caps off of a cheap flood light that i got from home depot. Does the trick great and is the perfect 3/4" size:

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tFFu69AmxKw/TJvpUL5626I/AAAAAAAAAEg/w1nyBRaVrms/s1600/IMG_1434.JPG


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## HomeGrownSS (Jan 18, 2006)

mattty said:


> I will put up pics of the bender up tomorrow, but as to the caps question, I robbed the rubber feet caps off of a cheap flood light that i got from home depot. Does the trick great and is the perfect 3/4" size:
> 
> https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tFFu69AmxKw/TJvpUL5626I/AAAAAAAAAEg/w1nyBRaVrms/s1600/IMG_1434.JPG


on one of those "how its made shows" i saw how they made trumpets. filled the the tubing with soapy water then froze it. the soap in the ice makes the ice flexible so it doesnt fracture while bending the very tight bends.

im seriously considering that pro-tools bender on sale for projects around the shop!!!


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## Golem builder (Jul 31, 2009)

I have one and it sucks. I just use it for 3/8" rack tubing. 1/2" might be okay too.

-Joel

Haw God! Why is it so hard to find a decent bender at a decent price?


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## HomeGrownSS (Jan 18, 2006)

Golem builder said:


> I have one and it sucks. I just use it for 3/8" rack tubing. 1/2" might be okay too.
> 
> -Joel
> 
> Haw God! Why is it so hard to find a decent bender at a decent price?


you have the pro-tools 105 bender?
rather than just saying "it sucks", why don't you tell us what makes it suck?


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## mattty (Feb 26, 2009)

I couldnt remember my photobusket password so this will do:

You can see the small amt of "denting" on the bent seatstay, which was eliminated when I welded the bolt to the strap part to keep it from shifting when force was applied. (045 tubing requires kind of a lot of force)


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## mattty (Feb 26, 2009)

and that never seems to work right so:

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5762365/

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5762364/


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## Clockwork Bikes (Jun 17, 2006)

HomeGrownSS said:


> you have the pro-tools 105 bender?
> rather than just saying "it sucks", why don't you tell us what makes it suck?


I was responding to the Hines bender question. The dies are poorly made and do not fully encapsulated the tube which results in flattened and kinked tubes. There's no way you could produce the power it takes to bend the larger sizes they claim. The guide wheels do not track in the plain of the die and can crush tubes.

-Joel


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## HomeGrownSS (Jan 18, 2006)

ah i see, the "quoted" response was done wrong so it was a little misleading!


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I have a bender made by Medford Fab or something like that. You can make clean, kink free bends with it, but it takes practice and I've found welding caps on the tube and filling it with DRY sand keeps it from collapsing. You saw the caps off, return the sand to the bucket and use it again next time. It's very important that the sand is kept dry. If it's wet, it could expand and explode the pipe as you weld the endcap on for bending.


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## j-ro (Feb 21, 2009)

One trick to using sand is to either weld a cap onto one end and a rod coupler of appropriate size onto the other, fill the sand up to the top of the rod coupler and tap the tube to settle the sand, then take a bole that fits into the rod coupler and further compress the sand into the pipe. Just having sand in the tube will help but there will be less distortion (ovalization) if you compress the sand tightly. I have made caps for one end of the tubes out of the next size tubing about 1" long, split them and used a split collar or set collar to hold it on the tube, It seems to work as well as a welded plug and its faster. All this seems like a bunch of hoo-haw but once you make that sweet bend it all seems worth it. One more tip on the rod coupler; if you pick a size thats close you can turn it down in the lathe to make it a slip fit as a plug or use a larger one to ream it a little to use as a cap, or do both and clamp it with a set collar to save the welding every time.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

ralary said:


> good idea,but I dont like that stuff


You don't like what stuff?


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## compositepro (Jun 21, 2007)

The problem your having is that to get alloy to deform beautifully it needs to be in o spec people try to get t spec understand the mechanics of the material and bending got a whole lot easier


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