How to Bend Steel Tubing
Purchase a tube bender., Follow the instructions., Select the appropriate-size die for the tubing you need to bend., Place the tubing into the bender., Measure the correct angle., Bend the tube to your desired angle., Practice with scrap tubing.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Purchase a tube bender.
Your local hardware store will have a variety of tube benders available at different price points.
The major differences may include the amount of hydraulic force the bender can apply to the tube as well as the size and durability of the accompanying die set.
The dies are curved pieces you attach to the bender and into which you place the tubing to form the bend.
The different dies will correspond to different diameters of tubing.
Additionally, you can find die sets for either round or square tubing.
Ensure that you buy a tube bender and not a pipe bender.
Tube and pipe are not synonymous, and the scaling is even different, so the dies in a pipe bending set will not properly fit tube.
This usually leads to flattening, buckling, or kinks in tube bent with a pipe bender. -
Step 2: Follow the instructions.
As always, specific machinery may have specific steps due to design or other requirements.
Thoroughly consult the directions that come with your equipment. , For instance, if you need to bend 1” tubing, then you would select the 1” die.Using the correct die is very important.
If the tubing doesn’t fit snugly into the die, then you can end up with a flattened or kinked finished product. , Once you attach the die, you will feed the tube into the bender so that the spot where you want to bend is in the center of the die.
You will then tighten down the bender, which will have a pneumatic jack, enough to keep the tubing in place. , You cannot set the bender to a specific degree angle for you and let it do the rest, so this means measuring the exact angle to which you need your tube bent.The easiest solution is to use a digital angle gauge, which you can attach to the level tube before you begin bending.
As you incrementally bend the tube, the angle gauge will track the measurement of the angle. , As you increase the force in the bender, the tube will bend to sharper angles.
Once your angle gauge has measured the angle you want, you can release the pressure on the tube and remove it from the machine., Since using too much force can still lead to kinks in a bent tube, practice on scrap tubing before placing a more expensive piece into the bender.
Packing the tube with sand before placing it in the bender can also help it bend evenly without buckling or kinking. -
Step 3: Select the appropriate-size die for the tubing you need to bend.
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Step 4: Place the tubing into the bender.
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Step 5: Measure the correct angle.
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Step 6: Bend the tube to your desired angle.
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Step 7: Practice with scrap tubing.
Detailed Guide
Your local hardware store will have a variety of tube benders available at different price points.
The major differences may include the amount of hydraulic force the bender can apply to the tube as well as the size and durability of the accompanying die set.
The dies are curved pieces you attach to the bender and into which you place the tubing to form the bend.
The different dies will correspond to different diameters of tubing.
Additionally, you can find die sets for either round or square tubing.
Ensure that you buy a tube bender and not a pipe bender.
Tube and pipe are not synonymous, and the scaling is even different, so the dies in a pipe bending set will not properly fit tube.
This usually leads to flattening, buckling, or kinks in tube bent with a pipe bender.
As always, specific machinery may have specific steps due to design or other requirements.
Thoroughly consult the directions that come with your equipment. , For instance, if you need to bend 1” tubing, then you would select the 1” die.Using the correct die is very important.
If the tubing doesn’t fit snugly into the die, then you can end up with a flattened or kinked finished product. , Once you attach the die, you will feed the tube into the bender so that the spot where you want to bend is in the center of the die.
You will then tighten down the bender, which will have a pneumatic jack, enough to keep the tubing in place. , You cannot set the bender to a specific degree angle for you and let it do the rest, so this means measuring the exact angle to which you need your tube bent.The easiest solution is to use a digital angle gauge, which you can attach to the level tube before you begin bending.
As you incrementally bend the tube, the angle gauge will track the measurement of the angle. , As you increase the force in the bender, the tube will bend to sharper angles.
Once your angle gauge has measured the angle you want, you can release the pressure on the tube and remove it from the machine., Since using too much force can still lead to kinks in a bent tube, practice on scrap tubing before placing a more expensive piece into the bender.
Packing the tube with sand before placing it in the bender can also help it bend evenly without buckling or kinking.
About the Author
Diana Murray
Specializes in breaking down complex hobbies topics into simple steps.
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