tube bender former

[naughtyboy]

looking at making a tube bender but need to get a set of formers.
i have got a pipe bender but that just kinks tubing as it applies pressure from middle whereas one i want to make as jack that pushes it round former can i use formers from my bender and just get outer one made or will i need to get both sides made?

also anyone know where i can get formers from?
cheers

 

[sandancer]

are you using a plumbers 15 & 22m bender, if so, the pipe is creasing because the slides are not thick enough, try adding in 2m piece of steel

 

[naughtyboy]

its one of the clarke benders that do up to 1"3/4s.

tried on some 42mm and just crushed it am trying to make tray back for landy

 

[Bobtail4x4]

If you try some blueband tube, the clarke benders have a former that works perfectly.

 

[naughtyboy]

going to show my ignorance here whats blueband and why will bend better than what ive got?

cheers

 

[Shox Dr]

Blueband is a grade of tubing, it's not far off Scaffold tubing to be honest, that's why it can bent in a pipe bender

 

[outofthefire]

its one of the clarke benders that do up to 1"3/4s.

tried on some 42mm and just crushed it am trying to make tray back for landy

1"3/4 is 44.45mm the trouble is there pipe benders not tube benders the former needs to be the same size as the tube.

 

[astro_al]

Google tube benders. You've a lot to read.

also search on here and lr4x4.com

&l

 

[Shox Dr]

Google tube benders. You've a lot to read.

also search on here and lr4x4.com

&l

^^^^^ Al's not wrong

If you want to build a tube bender than you can't go far wrong with Gottrikes plans for an upright version of a Protools 105.

This is one I built using Franks Gottrikes plans. You can then buy the dies from someone like matt @ Stakekesy's

 

[chrism]

Most tray backs and tube work on landys is 48mm OD blueband or CDS, on mine im using 48mm blueband as its cheaper, I can bend it 90deg ok in my cheapy machine mart job.
To help it i put some thin bits of wood in between the tube and rollers .
I have now scrapped the rollers out of it and have machined some blocks that perfectly fit the tube, i think they will help stop the dents in the outside of the bend.
There is plenty of info on these fancy benders and plenty of people copying the protools and jd2 benders. I am going to do this myself at some point, i think the biggest problem is making the formers, i have a miller to do it but by the time i have bought the steel and made them it will probably cheaper and easier to have bought them