Topic: Pipe Bender????

[friedfish80]

looking into picking up a pipe bender for a custom exhaust project. And from what i can see theres 2 basic types. Theres the one that looks like a hydraulic press and theres the one that mounts to either a bench or the floor and uses a bar and levers to bend the pipe. As always HF has the cheapest one i have found. Whats peoples experience with them? is it worth the extra money to buy the non-HF bender?

[Franken750]

Hi Mr Fish.

IMHO unless you plan to do a lot of bending you're far better off to get your pipes professionally mandrel-bent (This is the process that produces a bend with no wrinkles or kinks).

Make a mock-up (I did say 'mock'-up didn't I?) using pvc choobing (tubing, toobing) bits and pieces - bends, elbows - plus maybe a bit of gentle bending using a low flame. When you have it just right take it down to the bending shop.

It can be a bit of a fiddle but the end result is well worth the effort.

Alternately you can look up Burns Stainless Headers and buy practically an ss 'lego set' of bends which you can tack together as you go and 'viola' - your header system.

HTH

Franken.

[bucky katt]

the one that mounts to a bench and has the bottle jack in it doesnt really work all that well for exhaust pipes. you cant get a very tightbend with it and because it isnt a mandrel bender the pipe is going to get a major crimp in it. try a place like summitracing.com or Jegs as they sell mandrel bent pipes in many different pipe diameters, angle and bend radius and theyre not at all expensive.

[Uncle Ernie]

We have an old, small, decrepit muffler shop that does incredible an inexpensive work like that.   Maybe you do, too?

[Don R]

I like to heat the pvc pipe over a 500W quartz light. Nice bend control and no burning.

[bucky katt]

nah Ernie, they just sell the bent pipes, usually around 10-12" of pipe with different angles and radius. around 8 - 10 dollars each. i didnt mean the bender itself.

[Rocking-M]

We have an old, small, decrepit muffler shop that does incredible an inexpensive work like that.   Maybe you do, too?

Ernie, you got a mandrel bending shop there? that would be great to have next door for sure.
All our custom muffle/tail pipe shops use hydraulic benders but not "mandrel" which produces the bends
without the crimping. Besides the crimping it also reduces the diameter of the pipe quite a bit in the process.
That's what's so great about mandrel bending, no reduction of ID in the process.

[Bodi]

I just saw a show about making tubas. They fill the tubes with "pitch" - looks like roofing tar - and let it cool/harden before the bending, this "keeps them from wrinkling". Would that work with steel, or is the softer brass a factor too?

[bucky katt]

i've used fine grit sand, dampened, cap the ends of the pipe so the sand doesnt comeout either end

[the technological J]

i was talking to a local chopper shop they said they use sand for really custom stuff but latley hes been using stainless poole ladder supports and being real creative in his welding... he said that you can buff out a TIG weld and it would be invisible..... but thats him talking to me ... i have never tried it

[redbullssg]

where would you happen to get cheap pool latter supports from?