How to bend aluminum tubing?

[cootersplace]

I am wanting to build a poleing plat form and some other stuff. What do I need to be able to bend the tubing ? And where can I get the tool ? Thanx Cooter

 

[JB]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Hey, Cooter.<br /><br />The correct size conduit bender or tubing bender would be a snap. Plumber supply house or electrical supply house.<br /><br />I have bent even steel tubing by slipping it inside a correct diameter spring then clamping one end of the spring in a vise. Not easy, takes practice.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[cootersplace]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

I sure wish I had seen it done before , but I haven't. And most places that make a living doing it probably would make it sound alot harder than what it really is. But before I spend my $$$$$$$$$ on something , I am hoping somebody has already done it or are doing it now. Thanx foe the help. Cooter

 

[Mike Langianese]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Cooter,<br /><br />If you pack the tubing with sand you should be able to bend it around a form without kinking. Using damp sand may allow a tighter radius. Hope this helps.<br /><br />Mike

 

[cootersplace]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Have you actually done it ???????????

 

[snapperbait]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Heat around the area you intend to bend (I use a torch with mapp gas)...... Then bend it over a buck or form... You can make a buck or form out of scrap plywood, cut to whatever radius you wish... This works well, especially if you wish to have several parts with the same bend....<br /><br />Work slowly and carefully...<br /><br />Packing with sand also works well, but if you intend to heat the aluminum do not use damp sand.. The dampness along with the heat can make steam inside the tube which could possibly explode... Dry sand is a must...<br /><br />Just did some bending on inch and a half aluminum tube on my t-top... heated the area and very slowly bent it free hand (no buck, no sand).. Came out good...<br /><br />Good luck..

 

[cootersplace]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Won't the tubing change color where you heat it ? And how do you pack with sand ? What do you cap the ends with and do you pack the whole tube? Also all I have as far as heat is cutting torch maybe a rose bud. Thanx Cooter

 

[Boomyal]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

SnapperBait: Will heating aluminum allow it to bend easier. Seems you'd have to be real careful with the temperature?

 

[boater4life]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Try Ebay.com There are all sorts or benders cheap. That where I bought mine.

 

[GodsBeast]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

What size tubing? 1" and smaller, I've bent Conduit with hickey's, foot benders, and horse style benders, even done up to 2" in the horse benders. <br /><br />But if I really wanted it to look good, try to get a hold of a Greenlee, Hydrolic bender, and grease the shoes, so it will slide and not scratch your Aluminum up too bad. I have bent up to 6" Conduit with the Greenlee, and had to pull wires through them after that. <br /><br />Been years ago, they may have better benders now!

 

[gewf631]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Here's instructions. <br /><br />They just opened a Harbor Freight store in my area (luckily, it's not that close), but I know they carry a few.<br /> This one only goes up to 5/8", but it's only $12.99<br /> This one handles up to 3", and would be a neat addition to your tool collection (but then again, it's over 100 pounds).<br /><br />Here's a link to someone who made their own cover support.<br /><br />If you want to make your own bender, this link might help.<br /> Or this one. <br /><br />Lastly, here's a good collection of links.<br />At the very least, the links will give you some ideas

 

[CTD]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Depends on the size and thickness of the tubing and the radius you want. For a 6 inch or more radius on 1/2 or 3/4 tube a conduit bender will work fine. for small radius like 3 inch you will need a hydrulic bender to do a nice job.

 

[grampa's toy]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

I bend hydraulic tubing all the time you can buy hand benders up to 1 inch from parker , for something bigger they make a crank bender about 1500$ I think sand would work but not for a 90 deg.bend, the trick is to enclose the tube to half the radius at the bend so it doesn't flat spot. good luck let me know how you make out.

 

[Columbia]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

I bent the tubing to make a pulpit a few years ago, though it was bronze. I built a 'sandwich' of ply the radius I wanted to bend to. The inside of the sandwich was about 1/2" smaller diameter than the outside two pieces. This made a channel that held the tubing from sliding off. A strap at one point on the ply 'sandwich' holds the end of the tubing, then bend slowly around the ply disc. I mounted mine on the wall, but clamped in a vice would be good, too. Works great!

 

[snapperbait]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

A little heat won't discolor anodized or plain aluminum and it'll bend a whole lot easier......<br /><br />I had to bend some parts of my t-top and there was no way to use a bender (have one)... I just heat with mapp gas untill i can feel the the tube start to bend under moderate presure.. Don't have to be red hot! Just hot..<br /><br /> First, take and mark the area which you want to bend, then heat that entire area keeping the torch moving... After its warm, I'll focus most heat on the outside of the bend (still keeping the torch moving).. That allows the outside of the bend to stretch and keeps the inside part of the bend from kinking... <br /><br />I suppose if you held the heat in one spot for several minutes it possibly could discolor it, along with possibly melting it....

 

[cootersplace]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Ya know , I have welders, cutting torches, and plasma cutters, but I don't know what Mapp gas is. What is Mapp gas ????????????? Thanx Cooter

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

Polypropylene, or sometimes called brazing fuel. Once you stick a can of that on a brazing torch you'll never go back to propane, even though it's 3 times the price. You can use a propane torch head if you've got one already, but it's not that impressive. You just don't get the same 'screaming souls out of hell' sound. <br />PS - brazing with mapp (brazing fuel) doesn't work all that well.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

mapp gas is 44% methyl acetylene propadiene, 56% liquefied propadiene....<br /><br />Bascily it's just hotter than propane, thus a bit faster... <br /><br />Don't use a regular propane torch head with mapp.. Get one specially for mapp... <br /><br />Agree with Paul.. Brazing with mapp ain't worth squat...

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

what diameter & thickness of pipe are you wanting to bend, cooter? and if you got all those heaters, you must have practice heating metal already not that i can help, but maybe we need to know. i've bent 1/2-3/4"copper, 1 1/2-3"steel, galvanized & stainless. oh yeah, and 3/16-5/16" brake lines- they must be somewhere in between. i have relatives who have machine shop experience also...

 

[cootersplace]

Re: How to bend aluminum tubing?

The only thing I have bent is 1/2 and 3/4" conduit, and then theres the other mild steel. But no pipe bending to speak of. HELLLLLPPP if you want. Thanx Cooter